I was touched after seeing Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s Instagram post on 17 July 2017. It was a picture of him and his parents together with the Tunku Mahkota of Johor and his wife Che Puan Khaleeda Bustamam at a Hari Raya event in the royal couple’s abode.

The photo resonated with hope and comfort, both of which been lacking in Malaysia these days.

 

Thank you Tunku & Che Puan for having my family over for Raya. . Patik is truly honoured. My parents in particular, were so happy that they can't stop showering praises to Tunku and Che Puan for their humility and kindness. As a son, it brings me great joy to see my parents happy. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Tunku. . *Advise and lessons from Tunku* . Tunku keeps on stressing on the need to "clean up the system" as a whole, not just cosmetic changes. In Johor for example, the former Exco of the state government was not spared from criminal prosecution for his misdeeds. The crackdowns on Jabatan Agama Islam Johor, corrupt businessmen and many more are all good indicators that corruption will never be tolerated in Johor. . Let us not forget, while almost all of those in power, elected and unelected, sealed their mouth from speaking up when Malaysia needed them, Tuanku and Tunku spoke up. As a Johorean, i am immensely proud to have them as my rulers. . Tunku said that cleaning up the system requires courage. It requires honesty, not hypocricy. It requires action, not words. We can't expect to create a corrupt-proof Malaysia when we are more concerned about one's dress/clothing than critical public issues. . What i love about these advise, is that it cuts across party lines. It applies to all. It applies to those in UMNO, BERSATU, PKR etc. It applies to our elected and unelected representatives. It applies to all Malaysians. . The most profound advise given is for me to not be "used" by those with vested interest. I'll always keep this in mind. Last thing i want to happen is to be used for a wrong cause. . Thank you Tunku and Che Puan. Patik hopes that patik won't let Tunku down. . Patik will always fight for a Better Malaysia & a just and prosperous Johor.

A post shared by Syed Saddiq (@syedsaddiq) on Jul 16, 2017 at 6:05am PDT

Tunku Ismail’s aspirations and dreams for a better, transparent and just Malaysia are shared by many of our youths, including myself.

I was born and bred as a Johorean. Syed Saddiq and I share some similarities. We were born in the same state and I am a student at his alma mater. Apart from that, we were both gravely affected by Tunku Ismail’s concern for Malaysia.

According to Tunku Ismail, politicians no longer work for the sake of the rakyat. They work for themselves and their immediate cronies, despite being democratically elected and are responsible to their voters.

But what sets me apart from Syed Saddiq is that I pledge no allegiance to any politicians or political party. I put my loyalty to the truth and my state.

I would also like to thank Tunku Ismail in advising Syed Saddiq to be careful and not to be “used” by any politicians in achieving a cause.

Therefore, as a fellow Johorean, I would like to remind Syed Saddiq that a politician has the potential to deceive the common people, most of the time not through logic but emotions and simplistic arguments.

Thorough changes and sincerity in executing reform can only be achieved when the parties involved are equipped with the right knowledge in differentiating truth from falsehood.

Political rhetoric, political ideas, and cheap political theatrics cannot revamp the politics of this country. In my opinion, the aspirations intended by Tunku Ismail and Syed Saddiq can only become a reality when sincere and knowledgeable people are driving the cause for reform.

In a democratic society, it is the people who should drive the forces of change. If it were only the politicians doing so, it would be hard for the educated masses to distinguish between a true reformer and a deceiver.

Therefore, to “clean up the system as a whole and not just cosmetic changes”, as Syed Saddiq wrote in his Instagram post, a society must act as a judge in determining which political parties are being honest and truthful in their arguments.

However, in doing so, the masses ought to execute their faculty of reason justly and be careful not to be deluded by political lies and deceit.

Politicians will not bring about true change. True reformers will not seek power; they seek the truth. So, when they are in power, they will act accordingly, responsibly and justly with respect to the truth.

In exercising democracy, only a knowledgeable voter with sound reasoning can distinguish a truth from falsehood in order to elect a true reformer, rather than a liar. I hope, in order to make Tunku Ismail’s vision a success, Syed Saddiq will pledge his allegiance to the former, not the latter.