THAT’S the talk now: general election candidates. Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam’s letter was titled “Candidates have to be more than likeable to win” (NST, July 11). Do you agree?
Some time ago, to spice up a conversation with a politician about a by-election, I asked: “What do you do if there is a tie in the results?
His response: “We toss a coin.” So, the coin decides who wins, I said.
Yes, he said. Interesting, I said. He smiled.
But, it may be a different story now.
People are serious about the person who gets elected.
So, what is the formula or criteria? Politicians are decision-makers. How they decide will affect voters and the future.
Decision-making is a psychological phenomenon, a cognitive process, whether it is about making a logical choice between alternatives or course of action based on data available or in an uncertainty.
Politics is no monkey business. It determines the sustainability of the country’s future, the livelihood of the people, and peace of mind for the people.
Politics determines public policy, and public policy is dependent on good decisions, and good decisions mean learning from history and not repeating the same mistakes.
But, if political decision-making is based on inimical precedence, what happened before, then the same thoughts and views are bound to linger.
Still, there is agreement that decision-making is made easier when we know what are the values we stand for.
MENA JEYARAM
Subang Jaya, Selangor