masterwordsmith-unplugged

I wonder if you have read this article HERE which said:

Malaysia will suffer the same fate as Egypt which recently faced a revolt if PAS were to rule the country, said Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam.

He said PAS’s brand of democracy was destructive, adding that the existing system in the country was a proven one.

“The people can have their say at the ballot box... that is why PAS got to govern Kelantan and Kedah, DAP Penang and PKR Selangor.

“Protest demonstrations are counter-productive... we have elections which are the best platform to make a stand,” he told reporters after performing the ground-breaking ceremony at Air Merbau here today.

I am sorry if the following section is pedantic but I need to highlight a few points.

In all my classes, I ALWAYS tell my students that they should never use the modal verb 'will' unless the usage conforms to grammar rules and they are 100% sure that scenario will happen.

According to Wikipedia, the modal verb 'will' is used:

* to express the willingness, desire or intention of the speaker
* to express habitual action in the present and in the past
* to express that the speaker expects that they would find that a proposition would be true should they later get more information

This site says that 'will' is used in the following situations:

1) Future actions that happen without the speaker's intention
The sun will shine tomorrow.

2) Predictions, assumptions
I think Sue will arrive in Paris at 6 pm.

3) Spontaneous actions
Hang on! I'll have a word with you.

Is it right then to say that Malaysia will suffer the same fate as Egypt which recently faced a revolt if PAS were to rule the country? How sure is he that it will definitely happen?

No one is omniscient, omnipotent or omnipresent to know everything, except for the Almighty.

To overgeneralize and to assume that the conditions in Egypt are the same as in Malaysia is definitely fallacious thinking. Although some similarities exist between Egypt and Malaysia, one cannot conclude that PAS will lead Malaysia to destruction. Note : I am not in any way expressing support for PAS, neither am I against PAS. I am looking at this issue from the standpoint of logical reasoning alone.

Fate may refer to an inevitable course of events. So far, there is no guarantee in life except the fact that we will all die. So why emphasize the notion that 'Malaysia will suffer the same fate as Egypt'? Our people, nation, social setting, values, governance and problems are very different and needs or solutions vary from one country to another depending on time, place and situations.

Apart from that, in language usage, that statement is also incorrect. Where sequence of events is concerned, such statements must be backed by evidence that demands a verdict.

On February 7th, consider what our PM said HERE:

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has warned against any attempt to usurp power in Malaysia through demonstrations like those in Egypt. “Don’t think that what is happening there must also happen in Malaysia. We will not allow it to happen here,” he said Sunday. He did not address his warning to anybody in particular. But analysts said the warning comes following the prospects of early parliamentary elections.

Now, doesn't the above extract show that our government is in control and will not allow any one to usurp power in Malaysia through demonstrations like those in Egypt?

I wonder if Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam read the above mentioned report.

Our citizens are very rational people and quite informed as well. At the same time, the literacy rate and broadband penetration is on the rise so it is not so easy to beguile and befuddle any one with any lame threat.

Why then did he make such a statement? I wonder how PAS leaders will respond to that report especially since he said that 'PAS’s brand of democracy was destructive' without giving any examples.

We will have to wait and see...

Do leave a comment to share your views. Thanks! Have a lovely Friday evening.