With Malaysian politics in the state it's in, I decided to check out the definition of a statesman (i.e. a respectable politician, and no, it's not an oxymoron).
This is what Wikipedia has to say :
A statesman or stateswoman or statesperson is usually a politician or other notable figure of state who has had a long and respected career in politics at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term.
Statespersonship also conveys a quality of leadership that organically brings people together and of eldership, a spirit of caring for others and for the whole.
Anyone elected to office is a politician but only a few consistently manage to work as disinterested promoters of the public good with integrity. There is a huge difference between the two.
And this is what Sir Winston Churchill has to say :
"A politician thinks about the next elections - the stateman thinks about the next generations."
So, how many of Malaysia's politicians would you call a statesman ?
No comments:
Post a Comment