15 essays
1. Governance
Throughout history, governance was defined in many ways but its core idea remains the
same. Governance deals with the processes and systems by which an organisation or society
operates. It is established to administer these processes and systems. It has Latin origins and
suggests the notion of steering. It is also the exercise of political authority and the use of
institutional resources to manage society’s problems and affairs.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, governance is the way that organisations or
countries are managed at the highest level, and the systems for doing this. Based on my
understanding, governance is the method and processes adopted by individuals at the highest
level in administering an organisation or country. In Malaysia, we practise parliamentary
democracy and constitutional monarchy. Parliamentary democracy means that citizens have the
right to vote and elect representatives to the Parliament. As for constitutional monarchy, the
YDPA acts as the head of state with certain constitutional powers but largely abides by decisions
of the ruling government. Furthermore, there is separation of power in the government divided
into 3 branches: the executive, legislative and judiciary. This is to avoid one branch from
becoming supreme and to provide checks and balances against one another.
The members, roles, and powers of each branch of the government are as follows. Firstly,
the executive comprises the YDPA and the cabinet. It is responsible for formulating various
policies for the development of the country. According to Article 32(1) of FC, the supreme head
of the federation is the YDPA and he shall take precedence over anyone in the state. However,
the YDPA must act upon the advice of any cabinet members which consists of the PM and his
Ministers. Secondly, the legislative which is the body of making laws. The legislative comprises
the YDPA, House of Representatives and Senate. According to Article 44 of FC, power to enact
law is vested in Parliament at the federal level. The Parliament functions to enact and amend
federal laws, debate matters of the day and examine government’s policies. Lastly, we have the
judiciary which is headed by the Chief Justice. The judiciary interprets laws, the Constitution and
the statutes passed by the Parliament. It also has the power to hear and decide disputes, and has
an advisory function when the government or YDPA refers to it.
Next, according to the World Bank, “Governance is the manner in which power is
exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resources for development.” In
other words, it is the method of how a country’s finite resources are being used for the country.
In Malaysia, economic and social resources are managed by the government. Referring to an
article by News Straits Time entitled “Budget 2023: Infrastructure projects to be
accelerated this year, says PM”, Anwar said the government aims to expedite the completion of
repair works on 400 clinics in poor conditions and 380 dilapidated schools with an allocation of
,RM1.2 billion during the tabling of the 2023 Budget. In this context, we can see that it is the
government who has the ultimate decision in managing and deciding how and where to use a
country’s resources.
Furthermore, according to the UNDP’s Regional Project on the Local Governance for
Latin America, governance had been defined as the rules of the political system to solve
conflicts between actors and adopt decision (legality). It has also been used to describe the
"proper functioning of institutions and their acceptance by the public" (legitimacy). Acceptance
by the public refers to the public mandate for the party who won the majority in an election to
form the government. In Malaysia, the party or coalition that wins 112 of the 222 seats in the
lower house can form a government. However, GE-15 was faced with a hung parliament where
no party had won a simple majority. Therefore, Anwar Ibrahim was appointed by the YDPA and
proceeded to form a coalition government with the help of other political blocs.
Lastly, in the case of Menteri Besar Selangor (Pemerbadanan) v Faekah bt Hj Hussin
& Ors [2019] 1 MLJ 82, the term governance was defined as the process of decision-making
and the process by which decisions are either implemented or not. Good governance is
participatory, consensus oriented, responsibility, accountability, transparency, responsive,
effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law. An example of good
governance can be illustrated during the presidency of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. According
to an article by the Perdana Leadership Foundation, Ahmad Badawi founded the MACC to
combat corruption. In the economic sphere, he modernised the agriculture sector and initiated
plans for various economic hubs such as the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) in Johor. In
short, he demonstrated good governance by establishing structures to promote transparency in
the government.
In conclusion, there are many definitions of governance but it all boils down to power,
management and decision-making. Mentioning governance, people often frown upon it as it
conjures up images of citizens being compelled into obedience by a higher authority. On the flip
side, governance is necessary as chaos will occur without a higher authority managing resources
and delegating tasks to people.
2. Politics
Throughout history, politics was defined in many ways but its core idea remains the
same. Politics originates from the Greek word “polis” which means a city. In other words,
politics is the “study of a city”, also known as a state.
To begin with, the Oxford English Dictionary defines politics as the science dealing
with the form, election and administration of a state, or part of one, and with the regulations of
,its relations with other states. In other words, politics concerns how the state is and its relation
with other states is being governed.
Firstly, we must know how the state is. In Malaysia, we practise parliamentary
democracy and constitutional monarchy. Parliamentary democracy means that citizens have the
right to vote and elect representatives to the Parliament. As for constitutional monarchy, the
YDPA acts as the head of state with certain constitutional powers but largely abides by decisions
of the ruling government. The Malaysia government is further divided into 3 branches: the
executive, legislative and judiciary.
Next, the regulations of its relations with other states refer to international politics. For
instance, Malaysia signed various international treaties and agreements, such as the United
Nations Charter and the ASEAN Charter. These agreements provide the legal framework for
Malaysia’s participation in international politics and define its obligations and responsibilities
towards other countries and international organisations.
According to the words of Aristotle, politics relates to the decision that makers or leaders
ought to pursue for moral purposes. He saw “the highest good” as “the end sought by political
science”. For instance, our current government seeks to pursue and conduct the purpose and the
good of democracy at its best. Furthermore, he also mentioned that attention should be paid
particularly to the ways in selecting officials to govern the state and the manner in determining
their authority. In countries where democracy applies, the officials are selected by elections.
However, Dahl, a liberal thinker, considers Aristotle’s opinion about politics as too
restrictive since it’s bound to the state. He then reformulated Aristotle’s opinion to any persistent
pattern of human relationships that involves to a significant extent power, rule, or authority. He
broadens the political relationship to include patterns of behaviour. This means that as long as
one lives in a community, there is politics involved. For instance, we are exposed to politics
since young when the teacher elects a class leader to maintain discipline and order in class.
Likewise, there is also office politics in a company, when employees use their authority for their
own interest. Mentioning patterns of behaviour, politics involves the relationship between
politician and citizens. In democratic countries, citizens have the right to vote to elect their ideal
leaders to lead their country. For instance, Anwar Ibrahim is chosen by the Malaysian citizens
through election to be the PM. The members of the parliament were also elected through
election, and they were given power to amend the current law or pass new laws. All of these are
politics as there is power or authority conferred on an individual to carry out a task.
According to Harold Lasswell, he defines politics as being concerned with “who gets
what, when and how.” Politics is a way of determining who gets power and resources in society
without resorting to violence. Laswell’s definition is wide in scope, enabling the enquirer to look
for politics in many social settings, including that of a state. It contains both authoritative
relationships and the implication of power and conflict in the distribution process. For instance,
, politics exists when the government imposes taxes. In this context, the “who” refers to the
Government, the “what” refers to the money from taxes, the “when” is the period of presidency
and the “how” is the process of imposing taxes on citizens. Furthermore, politics can exist within
families whenever there is decision-making. To illustrate, “who” refers to the children, “what”
refers to allowances, “when” refers to the frequency and “how” refers to the way to deliver such
allowances.
In conclusion, there are many definitions of politics but it all boils down to power,
authority and influence. Mentioning politics, people often frown upon it. However, politics exists
as long as there are people. Hence, it is essential for us to understand what politics is and master
it in order to excel in our career.
Political socialisation
Introduction
Politics is dynamic and passes from one generation to another. Politics is transmitted through the
process known as political socialisation. According to Modern Politics and Government by
Ball, political socialisation is the establishment and development of attitudes to and beliefs about
the political system. Based on my understanding, it is the process where political views and ideas
are transmitted to individuals. It is a lifelong process as it starts when we were born and
continues throughout life. According to a book titled “Political Socialisation: Where’s the
Politics?” by Pamela Johnston Conover, political socialisation is a broad concept that
encompasses both the active and passive, formal and informal ways in which people mature
politically. This implies that our political ideologies and beliefs are not inherent, but rather
influenced by our external environments through agents such as family institutions, education
institutions and political parties.
3. Family
Family is the most natural institution because it is the earliest environment for us. A
family not only provides its members basic necessities, but also introduces them to social life. In
a family, the child learns attitude towards others including those in authority such as parents and
grandparents. Usually, family is the first person we talk about our political views. Therefore,
family discussion about political issues influences and shapes political views of children. Indeed,
according to Herbert Hyman, family has a direct and indirect role in shaping the basic
orientations of offspring.
1. Governance
Throughout history, governance was defined in many ways but its core idea remains the
same. Governance deals with the processes and systems by which an organisation or society
operates. It is established to administer these processes and systems. It has Latin origins and
suggests the notion of steering. It is also the exercise of political authority and the use of
institutional resources to manage society’s problems and affairs.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, governance is the way that organisations or
countries are managed at the highest level, and the systems for doing this. Based on my
understanding, governance is the method and processes adopted by individuals at the highest
level in administering an organisation or country. In Malaysia, we practise parliamentary
democracy and constitutional monarchy. Parliamentary democracy means that citizens have the
right to vote and elect representatives to the Parliament. As for constitutional monarchy, the
YDPA acts as the head of state with certain constitutional powers but largely abides by decisions
of the ruling government. Furthermore, there is separation of power in the government divided
into 3 branches: the executive, legislative and judiciary. This is to avoid one branch from
becoming supreme and to provide checks and balances against one another.
The members, roles, and powers of each branch of the government are as follows. Firstly,
the executive comprises the YDPA and the cabinet. It is responsible for formulating various
policies for the development of the country. According to Article 32(1) of FC, the supreme head
of the federation is the YDPA and he shall take precedence over anyone in the state. However,
the YDPA must act upon the advice of any cabinet members which consists of the PM and his
Ministers. Secondly, the legislative which is the body of making laws. The legislative comprises
the YDPA, House of Representatives and Senate. According to Article 44 of FC, power to enact
law is vested in Parliament at the federal level. The Parliament functions to enact and amend
federal laws, debate matters of the day and examine government’s policies. Lastly, we have the
judiciary which is headed by the Chief Justice. The judiciary interprets laws, the Constitution and
the statutes passed by the Parliament. It also has the power to hear and decide disputes, and has
an advisory function when the government or YDPA refers to it.
Next, according to the World Bank, “Governance is the manner in which power is
exercised in the management of a country’s economic and social resources for development.” In
other words, it is the method of how a country’s finite resources are being used for the country.
In Malaysia, economic and social resources are managed by the government. Referring to an
article by News Straits Time entitled “Budget 2023: Infrastructure projects to be
accelerated this year, says PM”, Anwar said the government aims to expedite the completion of
repair works on 400 clinics in poor conditions and 380 dilapidated schools with an allocation of
,RM1.2 billion during the tabling of the 2023 Budget. In this context, we can see that it is the
government who has the ultimate decision in managing and deciding how and where to use a
country’s resources.
Furthermore, according to the UNDP’s Regional Project on the Local Governance for
Latin America, governance had been defined as the rules of the political system to solve
conflicts between actors and adopt decision (legality). It has also been used to describe the
"proper functioning of institutions and their acceptance by the public" (legitimacy). Acceptance
by the public refers to the public mandate for the party who won the majority in an election to
form the government. In Malaysia, the party or coalition that wins 112 of the 222 seats in the
lower house can form a government. However, GE-15 was faced with a hung parliament where
no party had won a simple majority. Therefore, Anwar Ibrahim was appointed by the YDPA and
proceeded to form a coalition government with the help of other political blocs.
Lastly, in the case of Menteri Besar Selangor (Pemerbadanan) v Faekah bt Hj Hussin
& Ors [2019] 1 MLJ 82, the term governance was defined as the process of decision-making
and the process by which decisions are either implemented or not. Good governance is
participatory, consensus oriented, responsibility, accountability, transparency, responsive,
effective and efficient, equitable and inclusive and follows the rule of law. An example of good
governance can be illustrated during the presidency of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. According
to an article by the Perdana Leadership Foundation, Ahmad Badawi founded the MACC to
combat corruption. In the economic sphere, he modernised the agriculture sector and initiated
plans for various economic hubs such as the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) in Johor. In
short, he demonstrated good governance by establishing structures to promote transparency in
the government.
In conclusion, there are many definitions of governance but it all boils down to power,
management and decision-making. Mentioning governance, people often frown upon it as it
conjures up images of citizens being compelled into obedience by a higher authority. On the flip
side, governance is necessary as chaos will occur without a higher authority managing resources
and delegating tasks to people.
2. Politics
Throughout history, politics was defined in many ways but its core idea remains the
same. Politics originates from the Greek word “polis” which means a city. In other words,
politics is the “study of a city”, also known as a state.
To begin with, the Oxford English Dictionary defines politics as the science dealing
with the form, election and administration of a state, or part of one, and with the regulations of
,its relations with other states. In other words, politics concerns how the state is and its relation
with other states is being governed.
Firstly, we must know how the state is. In Malaysia, we practise parliamentary
democracy and constitutional monarchy. Parliamentary democracy means that citizens have the
right to vote and elect representatives to the Parliament. As for constitutional monarchy, the
YDPA acts as the head of state with certain constitutional powers but largely abides by decisions
of the ruling government. The Malaysia government is further divided into 3 branches: the
executive, legislative and judiciary.
Next, the regulations of its relations with other states refer to international politics. For
instance, Malaysia signed various international treaties and agreements, such as the United
Nations Charter and the ASEAN Charter. These agreements provide the legal framework for
Malaysia’s participation in international politics and define its obligations and responsibilities
towards other countries and international organisations.
According to the words of Aristotle, politics relates to the decision that makers or leaders
ought to pursue for moral purposes. He saw “the highest good” as “the end sought by political
science”. For instance, our current government seeks to pursue and conduct the purpose and the
good of democracy at its best. Furthermore, he also mentioned that attention should be paid
particularly to the ways in selecting officials to govern the state and the manner in determining
their authority. In countries where democracy applies, the officials are selected by elections.
However, Dahl, a liberal thinker, considers Aristotle’s opinion about politics as too
restrictive since it’s bound to the state. He then reformulated Aristotle’s opinion to any persistent
pattern of human relationships that involves to a significant extent power, rule, or authority. He
broadens the political relationship to include patterns of behaviour. This means that as long as
one lives in a community, there is politics involved. For instance, we are exposed to politics
since young when the teacher elects a class leader to maintain discipline and order in class.
Likewise, there is also office politics in a company, when employees use their authority for their
own interest. Mentioning patterns of behaviour, politics involves the relationship between
politician and citizens. In democratic countries, citizens have the right to vote to elect their ideal
leaders to lead their country. For instance, Anwar Ibrahim is chosen by the Malaysian citizens
through election to be the PM. The members of the parliament were also elected through
election, and they were given power to amend the current law or pass new laws. All of these are
politics as there is power or authority conferred on an individual to carry out a task.
According to Harold Lasswell, he defines politics as being concerned with “who gets
what, when and how.” Politics is a way of determining who gets power and resources in society
without resorting to violence. Laswell’s definition is wide in scope, enabling the enquirer to look
for politics in many social settings, including that of a state. It contains both authoritative
relationships and the implication of power and conflict in the distribution process. For instance,
, politics exists when the government imposes taxes. In this context, the “who” refers to the
Government, the “what” refers to the money from taxes, the “when” is the period of presidency
and the “how” is the process of imposing taxes on citizens. Furthermore, politics can exist within
families whenever there is decision-making. To illustrate, “who” refers to the children, “what”
refers to allowances, “when” refers to the frequency and “how” refers to the way to deliver such
allowances.
In conclusion, there are many definitions of politics but it all boils down to power,
authority and influence. Mentioning politics, people often frown upon it. However, politics exists
as long as there are people. Hence, it is essential for us to understand what politics is and master
it in order to excel in our career.
Political socialisation
Introduction
Politics is dynamic and passes from one generation to another. Politics is transmitted through the
process known as political socialisation. According to Modern Politics and Government by
Ball, political socialisation is the establishment and development of attitudes to and beliefs about
the political system. Based on my understanding, it is the process where political views and ideas
are transmitted to individuals. It is a lifelong process as it starts when we were born and
continues throughout life. According to a book titled “Political Socialisation: Where’s the
Politics?” by Pamela Johnston Conover, political socialisation is a broad concept that
encompasses both the active and passive, formal and informal ways in which people mature
politically. This implies that our political ideologies and beliefs are not inherent, but rather
influenced by our external environments through agents such as family institutions, education
institutions and political parties.
3. Family
Family is the most natural institution because it is the earliest environment for us. A
family not only provides its members basic necessities, but also introduces them to social life. In
a family, the child learns attitude towards others including those in authority such as parents and
grandparents. Usually, family is the first person we talk about our political views. Therefore,
family discussion about political issues influences and shapes political views of children. Indeed,
according to Herbert Hyman, family has a direct and indirect role in shaping the basic
orientations of offspring.
