RESPECTING AND HONORING OUR BAPA

I suppose there are guidelines and directives in all societies and religions that we show the greatest of respect to our parents. Both dad and mum / ayah or emak/ or what ever names you call them should and must always get our blessing, affection and love. It is disastrous and sinful indeed if the natural off springs start to disfavor, dislike or discount them totally. Sadly there is already a tendency to neglect the parents, shy from them and find the easiest of solution when they are sick or old by providing a home away from home tendered by non care and loving tenderness while the children give excuses one after another never of course fathoming what their parents endured when they were growing up.

More so we see an unhealthy tendency now when persons whom we, not just you or I but millions, recognized nationally and for that matter renown world-wide as 'BAPA' for titles we ourselves garlanded them suddenly are cast aside, frown upon and heaped with abuses and dislikes undreamed of perhaps yesterday. Bapa Malaysia, Bapa Pembangunan, Bapa Kemerdekaan etc and strings of other niceties stuck on them so quickly lost their adroitness and our adulation for reasons hardly their making since they left office. This is true for many who once enjoyed the cushiest of 'kipas' wavering and 'yes tuan' honorific.

The strong and true leaders survive but others may melancholy drift away hurt by malaise because people are not mindful of past issues but comforted only by what they want now. Maybe we just cannot do anything because it is the world's manifestation glorifying when it is in season and condemning when it hit the sunset of time.

We are reminded of a quote " They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel" - Carl W Buechner. Indeed can Malaysian ever forget the glory of achieving self rule and crying out with arms clenching and trusting out shouting 'Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka! ..." or echoing in resonance 'Malaysia Boleh! Malaysia Boleh! Malaysia Boleh! when we achieved success one after another? Recently in the New Straits Times, Zainul Ariffin wrote in defence of our former premiers or retired executives " let former statesmen keep their dignity and that cross examining them on decisions they made when in power offers little comfort to future decision makers." United States with all its trust for justice yet protect its past presidents including their notes and records from public scrutiny....." The current Lingam case seems like trying to open a can of worms and surely will not be pleasant for persons concerned and the country too.

It is sad. Worrying to the point of being ungrateful and sinful when one gets to dishonor or condemn one's parent and more so our former statesmen rightly the father figure to millions for more than two decades or more. Being pushed against the wall with the express intention not to leave any stone unturned in the quest for so called justice is hurting to say the least. Really people do not bother to know why executive decisions were made and much less its background or circumstances. To be fair and appropriate for future statesmen too such bickering and hurting should halt in respect to our 'Bapa'.

We may take heed of what Abdullah ibn Umar related when he quoted what 'The Prophet' (SAW) said: " Three ( kinds of people) who will never enter Paradise, and Allah will never look at them on the Day of Resurrection, and they are: the undutiful to one's parents, the woman who behaves like men and the procurer"