Mandarin and Chinese Identity

On the BIG question you pose - my view is that language is definitely part of the Chinese identity.

That doesn't follow by speaking Mandarin, one is a Chinese, anymore than speaking English makes one an American.

There are other aspects to being Chinese, besides being the obvious by the DNA. Legal naturalization is another avenue.

I advocate that anyone who identify to being Chinese or subscribe to Chinese culture, values and aspiration should be treated as Chinese.

Speaking Mandarin (Putonghua is a political jargon) or Cantonese or Shanghainese - or English does not in my view affect one's identity as Chinese.

Vernacular is by nature parochial and all languages start as a vernacular.

However, being modern Chinese, even among the more recalcitrant in the Cantonese enclave of Hong Kong, do accept or are beginning to accept the consensus that Mandarin is the unifying or common language for all Chinese. I mean unifying in the sense of being a lingua franca of all Chinese.

Looking back, we Chinese by the Emperor Qin the First's edict have made the decision to unify our written language and now we have since the Republican age decided in favor of Mandarin as the unifying spoken tongue. The decision is partly political and partly social. Yet the decision for Mandarin is not a coorcive one.

I do support the primacy of Mandarin as the unifying spoken tongue for all Chinese, I
strongly caution against Mandarin taking any form of language imperialism.

Bear in mind that there are circumstances and conditions in time and space where mandarin speaking and Chinese language learning are challenging. Thus, speaking Mandarin or literacy in Chinese language must not be made the condition to qualify whether a person is a Chinese.

Further, what I described as language imperialism is the phenomena where the more fluent speakers are looking down at or discriminating against the less fluent.

The word of language imperialism is coined after my own observation of how Cantonese always tease the non Cantonese for their less than perfect Cantonese pronounciation and this is institutionalized in the scholl and compulsively practised in the society where it compells the second generation of non Cantonese Hong Kongers to give up their own in subservience to the ruling vernacular.

The ultimate primacy of a language is seduction and not compulsion. Hence, I believe in the soft power. Natually I favor inclusiveness in promoting Mandarin and retaining vernaculars. The best word to describe inclusiveness in Chinese is - 有容乃大.

Actually, over here in Mainland, there are now radio news broadcast in the vernacular. I heard them in Shanghai and in Guangzhou. These development are welcome as long as the vernaculars are not promoted for furtherance of a parochial identity.

Let's call on all Chinese to strive to master the Mandarin and literacy in Chinese language to the best they can, besides whatever their vernacular, dialect or foreign language they may prefer. Mandarin is the temporal tongue that connect us all and the Chinese literacy is the transcedental link that ties us through the generations.

Moments from My Metropolis - Cosmopolitan Confucians

[11 Dec - Revised and updated since posting]

One of the stories I remember about Confucius is this one about personal virtues of honesty and integrity. It was said that in leading my his moral example when he was briefly Chief Minister of a minor state, even the common people would not help themselves to objects/money dropped by others on the street.

So my search for the spirit of Cosmopolitan Confucians led me to think of several instances of miraculous recovery when we had left things behind in the metropolis we now live in, New York. You see, contrary to common perception of New York as an rapacious, impersonal and unfeeling place, for all the time I have been here I have found it to be surprisingly decent, human and - yes, in one word - civilized - place. There was even this survey in June 2006 by Reader Digest that (surprise!!) found that its the most helpful city in the US using three simple but unscientific tests: (i) walk up to a door and see if the person ahead holds the door; (ii) Buying something small in a shop and observe if the cashier says "thank you", (iii) Randomly dropping some books and papers in a busy location to see if anyone would help to pick up. Turns out that: 90 percent held the door open, 19 out of 20 store clerks said “thank you,” and more than 55% helped with the flying papers.

My first story was when my mother was hospitalized for stroke in September 2006. After she was first admitted, she had asked us to pack up a bag of her clothes and personal items to be brought to her at the hospital. But when we visit her the next day, we left behind – and presumably lost - the bag in a taxi. Dismayed but nonetheless I tried my best to report it to the taxi commission's lost and found hotline in case some one turned it in.

Incredibly, a few days later some body brought the bag in - not only did we recover the bag, the bag somehow made its way back to our apartment! It turned out that the next passenger who took the cab saw the bag. Later as she told us, when she saw the bag she thought what a nice bag and whoever who lost it must feel quite bad. So she decided to take responsibility for returning it. She opened up the bag and fortuitously she found my magazines inside (which still had my address on it). She realised from the address that we live close to her sister's gym so she got her sister to drop it off the next time she went for gym. What a wonderful heartwarming experience that was!

Another time, this time its Christmas last year; we went to a Barnes and Nobel bookshop at Union Square but as we were in the sunway station we realised that Mew Yee had left her gloves where she was sitting down in the bookshop.

It was the height of the Xmas shopping season and there were crowds of people everywhere and the pair of gloves she had lost was brand-new and was one of those nice super-insulated ones people wear to ski. We were not too sure if we could still find it but I decided to try anyway so I made my way back to the bookshop. The gloves were nowhere to be found where she was sitting so I made my way to the cashier. Sure enough, some one found the gloves and turned it over to the cashier ! The cashier a young black man just held the gloves up, "Is this it?" I said yes grabbed the gloves and thanked him profusely.

Moments like these makes me feel really good about human nature. Because it took more than one good person to turn it in but also another who gave it up in without doubting if I was bona fide. Faith in the integrity and uprightness of fellow citizens in their dealings with other people within society I feel is pretty Confucian.

Another characteristic that I'd observed, especially in taking public transportation, is that even when people go about within their personal shell - people tend to create their own private psychological bubbles especially in a crowded environment like public transport - people tend to pop out to help others and then pop in again.

Just this morning I happen to sit behind a young lady who was reading a tabloid who was later joined by an old lady. The old lady interrupted her to ask what street the bus was on, and all of a sudden a few people within earshot quickly spang into action. I looked out of the cloudy window (it was raining) and said, "66th"; the buy behind me quickly wiped the window with his gloves to correct me, "68th" he said before going back into our bubble. The young lady offered to look out for the old lady's stop and they got chatting about how depressing tabloid news tend to be. Before getting off, the old lady wished the young lady "have a nice day and think good thoughts". And they are off into their bubbles again.

Another such impromptu community action often revolve around the "back door". New York buses has a front door (by the driver) and a back door which open when pushed only if the driver disarms the door (e.g. at a stop). Quite often the driver forgets to disarm the door so people trying to get out would find themselves unable to open the back door. They would bellow out, "Back door!" to attract the driver's attention - and almost always people sitting near the back door would all join in a chorus of "Back door!!" - especially if the "victim" were children, older people or women unable to shout too loudly. After that instance of "community action" people would dissolve back into their own little bubbles again.

Moments like these are actually quite typical. So much so that the New York Times keep a fortnighly column for readers to write-in about such human-interest encounters in the city, called "Metropolitan Diaries". Here I enclose the link http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/24/nyregion/24diary.html to a recent column. In one post, someone tried to return a Blackberry only to find that it belonged to her old highschool coach; in another, a human chain brought out a bag of steamed dumplings from a subway car during the rush hour crush. Amusing and heartwarming.

This column remain one of my favourite columns in the venerable grey lady, NYT.

Respect for Elders - the Beijing Episode

As the mercury drops below sub-zero in Beijing , there is a very heart-warming news coming from the Capital.

Not to be outdone by the Shanghai lady cab driver (actually unrelated), it is announced that the Beijing public buses will begin to offer free ride from 2009 to elderly aged 65 and above.

Buses and the commuting system will be designed to be more elderly friendly and there will be at least 10% of seats made available to the needy.

There is even a very thoughtful directive requiring that the bus driver to ensure that the elderly are securely seated before pulling the bus.

Clearly, Confucianism is making a come back to China. Hu's governing philosophy - 以人为本 (people-based) has its root in classic Confucianism. Over time, Hu's doctrine can be extended to include not just welfare and interest of the people (民生民利) but also right and liberty (民主自由) of the peoples.

It will be a historical paradox to blame China's feudalism on Confucianism (from 1900s to 1970s) and to credit Confucianism for China's progress and democratization (starting now).

I am planning to write over the next few months some snippets on Confucianism from a liberal perspective. This is quite a misnomer because Confucianism is often associated with conservative ideas. The truth is Confucianism although coded in term of deference to the ancient and sometimes legendary kings and sages, it was actually a progressive philosophy promoting benovalent governance during the Spring and Autumn period.

What I am going to write is not a reinterpretation but rather a constructive account of the Confucianism's progressiveness that is often overlooked.

京巴士增老人座位[08:52] 2008年12月9日 (二)

北京的公共巴士集團新規定，老人沒找到座位前，巴士不能啟動。每輛巴士的「老幼病殘孕」專座須達10%以上。

明年1月1日起，65周歲老人持老年卡將免費乘坐巴士。為此，巴士集團提高了對老年人的服務標準。明年1月1日前，所有巴士廂中必須保證10%的座椅為「老幼病殘孕」專座，如果不達標或位置不對，車隊要對巴士內座椅進行重新安裝。此外，為了保證老年人在車廂內安全，老人上車後沒有找到座位前，司機不得啟動車輛。

據了解，目前本市每輛巴士上大約有8個到10個「老幼病殘孕」專座，專座顏色以黃色、紅色為主。如按照10%的比例計算，座椅總數較少的單機車基本能夠達標，但是車型14米到18米的通道車就需要增加專座。此外，由於車型不同，不少中門上車、前後門下車的巴士，專座位置設在中門，這樣反而不利於座位上的老年人從前後門下車。針對這種情況，巴士隊也將重新安裝專座。

巴士公司明年還要求在有條件的站台設老人乘車「綠色通道」。車輛進站後，將首先開啟面向老幼病殘孕候車區的車門，讓他們先上車坐到座位上，再開啟其它車門。

(京華時報)

Respect for Elders - the Shanghai Episode

Last week, on my way to Shanghai, I had a chance encounter with Jeff Ooi (see the earlier post); on my way back, I had another chance encounter with a minor celebrity of Shanghai.

She is neither an actress nor a singer. She is but a taxi driver in the Shanghai metropolis.

She is Gu Guiyun, a very chatty middle aged taxi driver. The ride to Pudong aifrport was long enough for me to discover something applaudable about this lady.

She became famous after her good deed was reported in the local press several years ago. And that little good deed is simple yet meaningful. To the cynics and critics, it maybe showy; to the great many, me included, it is a sweet and thoughtful gesture.

She gives a free ride to any octogenarian who by chance boarded her taxi. This little gesture is a token of respect to the elderly. Whatever her motives in doing so, the very doing of it encourages the public to think of the elderly.

A short greeting, a little smile or a tiny help go a very big way in how we treat and respect the elderly. There is no better way than educating our children to start from the very early age.

I am particularly impressed that this Confucianist trait is still alive in Shanghai and I applaud this Madam Gu.

Following is an online Chinese report on her charitable deed.

2006年10月30日 13:03
　　今天是重阳节，上午，五四中学的同学们迎来了一个特殊的“老师”———大众出租六分公司“的姐”顾桂云。近三年来，她一直坚守着自己许下的一条助老承诺———八旬以上老人坐车不收钱。　　　　的姐讲故事说敬老　　　　“尊老并不是一句套话，我今天就给你们说几个故事，我的女儿比你们大不了几岁，在家里，我也是这么跟她说的。”今天上午，五四中学多功能厅内，顾桂云和她的班组成员在与五四中学的少年志愿队成员们进行座谈。　　“现在油价飙升，开车成本那么高，你们家人支持吗？”同学们问。　　顾桂云笑了，“如果我的丈夫反对，我肯定不能坚持到今天，所以要谢谢他。女儿一开始也很不理解，笑我“戆”，说，妈妈，我坐公交都收钱的，你为什么开出租不收钱，哪有这么做生意的？我就告诉她，你以后也会老的，也会需要照顾的。”


在座谈中，“的哥”、“的姐”们一再强调，做好事不是刻意的，而是在日常生活中，多个心眼，做些举手之劳、力所能及的事情。　　　　坐我的车是种缘份　　　　“有人说我是做好事，当然也有人不理解，甚至说我作秀的也有。”顾桂云告诉记者，一开始她曾经把一张“八旬老人乘坐本车可以免单”的牌子贴在车子座位后面。因为是自己的个人行为，顾桂云每次都是出了公司才挂上牌子，回公司前再把牌子取下来。但是后来发现，一些乘客的第一反应是，“你们公司又在搞活动啦？”一些老人坐了别的大众车被收了钱，甚至专门打电话到公司投诉。“现在牌子我不挂了，看到年纪大的就问问人家多大岁数。”　　这些“郁闷”的往事也曾经困扰过顾桂云，“后来想想，自己要尽这份孝心，随便别人怎么想吧。”但有的人提出的要求太“过分”，顾桂云也难以承受。一位媳妇曾经打电话找到顾桂云，说自己的公公行动不便，每个星期都要到锦江乐园附近去看病，希望顾桂云可以免费接送一下，而她们家去医院要大概80元车资，加上等候每次需要3个小时左右。“我做好事也是有限度的，我自己也是上有老下有小。”对于这样近乎无理的要求，顾桂云只能无奈地摇摇头，“老人坐我的车，这就是一种缘分，我敬点孝心给他们的免单，并不是刻意去做。”　　　　父母早逝成遗憾　　　　说到这个“免单规矩”的由来，顾桂云就忍不住思念自己早逝的父母。“我的父母如果还在世，也有80多岁了，可惜他们走得早，没有享到我一天的福。”这个遗憾，让顾桂云至今耿耿于怀，每次看到白发苍苍的老人伸手拦车，她就会想起自己的父母，想起父母把自己拉扯大的艰辛。“我现在唯一能做的，就是孝敬好自己的婆婆还有这些坐我车子的老人。”　　2004年4月的一天，顾桂云在仁济医院门口接到一对从宝山罗店赶来看病的老夫妻。由于专家门诊不开，那对80多岁的老夫妇扑了个空。顾桂云开车将他们送到了瑞金医院后，搀扶老人下车。转身要走时，阿婆想起还未付钱，追了上来。顾桂云表示免费，但阿婆拉着她不让走，“小姑娘，你一个女人开出租车挣的也是辛苦钱，我们怎么能不付呢？”站在车前一时不肯离开。　　顾桂云的解释最终让老太感动得流下了泪，旁边的人得知原委后，不禁交口称赞。从此，她暗下决心，要将助老行动制度化：见到老人上车就闲聊几句，只要得知老人年过八旬，一律免车费。
　　新闻背景：顾桂云受聘校外辅导员
　　今天起，五四中学校长沈嵘聘请顾桂云担任校外辅导员，并准备邀请她下半年随行探访该校的院士老校友。　　据沈校长介绍，他从媒体上得知顾桂云的事迹后，为其坚持助老的信念所打动。在与顾桂云所属的大众出租公司进行沟通后，将其历年的感人事迹作为学生思想道德学习的榜样案例

Nationality and Nationalism

Hui, what a fantastic write-up. I truly enjoy reading your second installment of "moments from my metropolis".

As we marvel at our good fortune living in our respectively enlightened metropolis, we cannot but feel dumbfounded by the slow progress made in our home countries.

Instead of grousing on lack of progress in our home countries, I am diverting to another topic - that of - nationality and nationalism. Two news on naturalization provided the backdrop to this post.

One from mainland China. The mainland chartroom and blogosphere were recently filled with angry posting on Gong Li who recently took up Singaporean citizenship. You can imagine all the accusations against this once adored celebrity from the mildly betrayal of to the highly charged treason against her mother land.

What do we make out of taking up a new citizenship?

I ponder and then I am reminded by my recent reading of Mencius. One thing that Mencius strikes me is how liberal or rather how much more liberal he is compared to the modern days liberal doctrine.

Mencius advocates, in essence, free movement of peoples from one country to another, whether to live to toil the land as a farmer or to serve as an official in the court of the new lord. I think almost all sovereign countries today would not have endorsed especially the latter.

What is the fuss with these angry netizen? They should have asked not just - why my country has failed to retain her but also why my country cannot attract more talented foreigner be my compatriot?

Least that these angry netizen know - at about the same time over in Hong Kong, a German born Jew sworn in as a Chinese citizen and gave up his Canadian citizenship. He is Allan Zeman, a successful entrepreneur in his own right and who is better known as the Father of Lan Kwai Fong, the night life district in Hong Kong (disclosure: I lived there for 6 months).

Since 2004, he is the chairman of Ocean Park, a government owned theme park that rival the HK Disneyland (partially owned by HK government as well). His success in turnaround the Ocean Park (another disclosure: my sons favorite weekend hangout) has earned him the nickname of Mouse Killer in a 2007 Forbe's article.

What a paradox with a Jew becoming a Chinese and a Chinese becoming a Singaporean!

In the world we live in, almost all people obtain their nationality from jus solis or jus sanguinis which are fortuitous. An individual is never given a real choice and therefore my view is that the freedom of adopting a new nationality is very much a human right not to be denied if an individual conforms to the law of nationality in the adopted country.

Equally it is always legitimate to be stay patriotic to one country to effect the necessary change in government or to repel foreign occupation or to end civil strife. It is ultimately about freedom of choice and that create condition for competitive improvement in the society.

Extending Mencius's basic tenet that the ruler has to be benevolent to attract peoples to the farm the idle land and the intellectual to serve as the official into the modern context, one can say that no country earn an automatic allegiance from its citizen unless its government is good or benevolent in the Confucian terminology. This will encourage all countries striving to be benevolent/good government in competing for talent besides grooming its very own.

Nationalist sentiment on the question of nationality is always mindless when the very issue ought to be self introspection and respect for individual's exercise of liberty

ROC's Hereditary Office Holder dies

Kung Teh-cheng, the Confucius's 77th direct lineal descendant passed away at 88 years old on Oct 28, 2008.

Kung held a hereditary office with a mouthful of a title in Chinese, 「大成至聖先師奉祀官」, or simply the Sacrificial Official to Confucius, leading the annual official ceremony honoring the sage on his birthday in the Republic of China.

This is the only public office inheritable in the ROC created in 1935 to replace the imperial peerage of Duke Yansheng, 「衍聖公」, first created by the Sung's Dynasty in 1055.

The imperial peerage was bestowed to the eldest male of Confucius's direct lineage. The tradition is honored ever since the Sung Dynasty and continue into the modern form by the ROC.

Though the office is more symbolical than substantial, more ritual than actual, being an advocate of meritocracy and also a proponent for the separation of state and religion (Confucianism is sometimes mistaken for a religion), I would humbly suggest that this office should cease without a single dint of disrespect to Confucius and his descendants.

As I am gradually developing my identify as a liberal Confucianist, I am nevertheles of the view that China should remain secular and meritocratic.

The rationale of the imperial peerage is very much centered at the ruling class' patronage of Confucianism as an imperial doctrine justifying and ordering the state and the society. There was, I suppose, as much similar consideration when this hereditary office was created by the KMT government under Generalismo Chiang in 1935.

The role of this office is more appropriately belonged to the Kung's family, clan and/or his followers in the form of an NGO outside the government domain. It is inappropriate to sanction this office in the republican era into a hereditary public office.

In my opinion, it is legitimate and I am in support for the government to promote the teaching of Confucius including creating Confucius Academy everywhere like the PRC or honoring Confucius by declaring a public holiday as the Confucius Day.


前考試院長、孔子77代嫡孫　孔德成病逝
(2008/10/29 00:03)
生活中心／台北報導

前考試院長、大成至聖先師奉祀官孔德成，28日上午10點50分，因為心臟衰竭，安詳辭世台北新店慈濟醫院，享年89歲。靈堂暫設慈濟醫院地下二樓助念堂。

中國宋代獨尊儒術，自宋仁宗至和二年起，孔子家族嫡長孫世襲「衍聖公」爵位，以彰顯孔子德教，弘揚儒家精神；國民政府時期，民國24年1月18日將「衍聖公」改為「大成至聖先師奉祀官」，明令孔德成擔任奉祀官並宣誓就職，迄今已73年。

這也是我國目前僅存的世襲特任官。 內政部表示，奉祀官的設立具有傳承孔孟道統，發揚儒家思想之重要意義，主要任務為出席祭孔釋奠典禮，擔任奉祀官職務。

孔德成民國9年生，曾任教台大、輔大和東吳等校研究所，擔任考試院長9年，畢生致力於儒學之倡導與傳承，3年前，因為行動不便，未再出席祭孔大典。2008年台北孔廟祭孔大典，由他的秘書鄭毅明出席代為上香。

另由其長孫、孔子第79代嫡孫孔垂長擔任孔廟「崇聖祠」主祭官。

The Tsang Administration Ate Banana Pie

The Tsang's administration ate the humble pie (or more aptly the banana pie).

The latest is prompted by Donald Tsang's policy speech in the context of the old age allowance (popularly known as fruits allowance in Cantonese). He proposed to raise the elderly's allowance from 705 dollars to 1000 dollars subject to a means test.

The allowance started way back in 1973 as a token of respect for elderly reaching the age of 65 and not intended as a welfare handout. The reality is that many elderly are depending on the allowance for living. The escalated cost of living and health care are two underlying reason for the increase in the allowance.

The legislators from both sides of the aisles criticize Tsang for demeaning the elderly on the introduction of means test. Tsang himself had a banana thrown at him at the Legco by a sensationist legislator from the League of Social Democrat. The opinion poll was against the imposition of a means test.

Facing popular backlash, the Tsang's administration withdrew the mean test today conceding to populism, one may say.

This maybe a reason of his lacking the popular mandate via a universal franchise.

The graver problem with Tsang's handling is one on policy execution lacking careful strategic thinking and political spinning.

The introduction of means test for what is actually a token of respect to elderly smacks of elitism and patronage. Means test is understandable and politically acceptable to reduce the likehood of abuse and to better distribute the welfare resources as the society is aging and the burden of the welfare spending is growing over times.

What Tsang should have done is to demarcate the fruit allowance without means test from other form of welfare allowance supporting the elderly.

Any elderly who satisfy the means test should be rightfully given more welfare allowance for living, however you name it as long as it is not called 'the fruit allowance'.

Further the imposition of means test is simply too costly for administering considering the high cost of civil service in Hong Kong. One proposal which should have been considered is to streamline and simplify various welfare scheme for more convenient and speedy application especially for elderly who maybe infirm, illiterate and without dependent.

The increase on welfare for elderly is popular. Yet, Tsang let the opponents win the kudos and ended up with the banana pie.

Cabinet to Cabinet; Bed to Bed

The Chinese Malaysian politics is now arguing over whether it is ethical to appoint Dr Chua Soi Lek as a minister.

Dr. Chua was caught having sex with a woman but not his wife by a hidden camera earlier this year. Within days, he held a press conference and courageously admitted to his indiscretion and resigned from his ministerial position and went into political wilderness.

Last week, he fought back to political limelight after beating the establishment candidate for deputy Presidential office of the MCA ( the Malaysian Chinese Association), the second largest political party in the BN (the National Front), the ruling coalliation government.

As a matter of political convention, the MCA is allocated with four full ministerial positions and the MCA deputy President can legitimately, by virtue of the second most senior position in the party, ask for one of the four slots.

The debate launched by the Dr. Chua's opponent (the so-called Camp A including the sitting party President Ong Tee Keat and the losing Deputy Presidential candidate, Ong Ka Chuan, brother to former President Ong Ka Ting), has argued that someone with moral indiscretion is not fit to be elected, earlier, to the party office and now, made a minister.

The debate is coded in the classic Confucianist language, 才德, competence and ethics.

Failing to thwart Dr. Chua election to the party post, the opponent seeks to thwart Dr Chua appointment to the cabinet. Paradoxically, the anti-Dr. Chua protagonist do not renounce those who set up the hidden camera recording and who distributed them which are both despicable and illegal.

The tenet of their argument is basically that Dr. Chua's appointment, by reason of his extra-marital affair (or rather the fact that it was recorded on video), will lower the estimation of the MCA and the Chinese in the eye of the coalliation partner and the Malaysian public with a large Muslim majority .

It is poignant to recall 德才兼备 (possessing both ethics and competency) as a qualification to be a public officer in the Confucianism. Dr. Chua is portyared as wanting of ethics.

Set against this background, the question is whether there is a difference between 公德 public ethics (in this sense we may well call it the political ethics) and 私德 private morality.

All the attack on Dr.Chua is his hotel room exploit and not his competence and also his public/political ethic.

Based on the party election result, Dr. Chua's violation of private morality, the much ballyhood issue during the campaign, has not stopped him from his political comeback. The delegates have largely absolved him of his private moral indiscretion.

This in large part is a recognition that Dr. Chua has maintained a better image and widely perceived as a responsible politician taking the step to resign following the hidden camera recording. His resignation is commendable as he returns the mandate to the people to see if he will be forgiven and re-accepted.

First, he secured his spouse and his family's forgiveness.

Then, his son stood in for him, contested and won the March 8 parliamentaty election in a seat he previously held amidst what is now known as heavy nation-wide electoral losses to the MCA. This is as good as he won by proxy.

Finally, he won the tough party election last week. These three separate and related events vindicated and redeemed him personally and politically.

The result can be analysed as the MCA grassroot valuing competency and also public/political ethics as greater qualification to the party/public office. This result is also in line with the secular and meritocratic values of Chinese Malaysian.

The holier-than-thou altitude or peeping (or secretly recording) Tom behavior are not supported and I find these relieving and reassuring as a sign of political maturity in favor of competency and public/political ethis over private moral misbehaviour.

At all time, competency and public/political ethics should be held as more important requirement of holding a public office. Cronism, nepotism, corruption, abuse of power, dishonesty and racism in the Malaysia context are greater impediment to good governance.

Dr. Chua has won the party mandate to be appointed to, and the Prime Minister should exercise his prerogative to made him, a full minister.

Let me end by sharing a rarely known historical fact. One of my favorite but controversial historical figure, 曹操 Cao Cao, of the Romance of Three Kingdom's fame or notoriety, placed competency and public ethic above private morality in the selection of officers. No wonder he incurs the wrath of generation of Confucianist disciples and is portrayed in the negative light. By statictis, the peoples and the territory under the Cao's administration was superior in not just in output, living standard but also in culture and literacy. His succesors eventually united the divided China then.

Confucian endorses Barack Obama

It is so heartening to read that Barack Obama decided to visit his sicked grandmother in Hawaii at such a crucial stage of the campaign trail with the election day is barely two weeks away.

Barack has been talking about family value in his books and in his campaign trail. No one will dispute his message on family value, on tough love, that echo everywhere and relevant to everyone.

Barack walks his talk with the visit to his grandmother.

If elected the President (highly likely judging on the latest tally on poll, money and endorsement he garnered), he will be the best living exemplary for Americans to strengthen and rebuild itself from the very basic societal units - self and family.

The truth remains that no society, wherever it is, will do well if a society is filled with broken family, neglected elderly, abandoned child and selfish individual.Family is where the core of love begins and where the seed of education starts.

I like to imagine if Confucian is alive, will Barack receive his endorsement?

The tenet of Confucianism for political leadership is based on two components - ethics (德) and competence (才).

Confucian thus speak of 修身齐家, roughly the ethical component in the sense of individual's ethical conduct and familial responsiblity, and 治国平天下, roughly the competence component in the sense of competency for governance to deliver peace throughout the world.

On this tenet, there are adequate evidence of Barack fulfilling the criteria to be trusted with the American Presidential and the world leadership's responsibility.

He has ably run arguably the best Presidential campaign in history, in mobilising the largest number of volunteers and in raising the highest amount of political donation.

He has also articulated his policies much better than his opponent, with reasoned argument and compelling vision, on domestic issues from health care to education, on economic policies from alternative energy to rebuilding economy, on foreign policies from reforming the United Nation to Iraq and Afganistan.

I am confident and convinced that Confucian will give Barack the endorsement.Lastly, let's us all wish Madam Dunham well and her grandson sucessful securing the White House.

Being Children - Filial Piety

My filial sentiment grows stronger especially after I become a father myself.

This is not suggesting that we are not filial or we cannot be filial without being parent ourselves.

Rather, it is much easier to identify with our parents after we live through our own parenthood experience.

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Last week, my younger child was admitted to the hospital for three days and my wife stayed with him throughout that three days.

I know she was tired because she didn't sleep well that three nights.

She could have chosen to ask the domestic helper to step in. She didn't. It is her motherhood obligation. She couldn't delegate to anyone else, husband included.

I know she was worried because the virus strain my boy caught led to two casualties earlier.

She could have dismissed the chance of such possibility because the virus strain are well known and well contained if detected earlier. She couldn't. Every risk however slim is a risk to her son.

I know she was at pain as she was still nursing her wrist.

She didn't complain. The sick boy needed the motherly comfort. She lifted him up and hugged him despite the pain.

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I record this not because she is my wife or she is the mother of my children.

It is because she is a mother.

That she is our mothers.

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Did you ever ask your parents how you were nursed and taken care of when you were sick as a baby or a young child?

You could have been told that you had fever for weeks; you had cough for month; you didn't sleep at nights; you cried non-stop; you might even have been admited to hospital (a very big deal in the past).

Reading in between the lines, you ought to learn the love and sacrifice they rendered to us unconditionally.

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October 7 was 重阳, the double nineth festival, a day we visit the graves of our ancestors to pay our respects (not a popular practice in SEA) and also a day for us to care for and appreciate the elderly (in Taiwan especially).

This year, I lost my paternal grandmother and maternal grandfather. They were ordinary persons and definitely had their own shortcoming. Yet as grandparents, they were superb to the grandchildren, especially me, the eldest.

It is fitting to recall 祭之丰不如养之薄, better to care for our loved one with however little means we have than offering abundant sacrifice after they passed away.

I cited this quote in my primary five's essay and I hope I walk the talk as well.

House of Scholars - A Confucian Parliament

Daniel Bell's East Meets West proposed a bicameral legislature to China with an upper house called House of Scholars where the members are selected through a competitive examination, inspired by the Confucian tradition of respect for a ruling intellectial elite and the belief that democracy and confucianism can co-exist in China just like how capitalism and communism co-exist to give China a socialist system with Chinese characteristic.

To Bell, the infusion of Confucianism into Chinese political system gives the democracy the Chinese characteristic.

The key argument put forward is premised upon the dillema of having vulgar democrat on one side versus the reflective meritocrats on the other. This give birth to the idea of having the House of Scholars to restrain the democratic majorities who maybe too occupied with the next election and heavily influenced by the commercial interest to favor short term economic growth regardless of the long term ecological consequences.

Bell tried to balance the elitist view of good governance based on the need for capable and far-sighted rulers in modern societies and political legitimacy by conceding that the House of Scholars is nonetheless constitutionally subordinated to the lower democratic house to resolve the gridlock issue.

In the American context, Bell proposed to impose term limit for the American's House Representative and Senator to water down the lobbyist and donor's influence by retiring them to a proposed third chamber of Congress, the House of Counselors whose members are experienced and disinterested to act for common good.

The major weaknesses of the House of Scholars is one of political legitimacy and perceived independence.

Competitive examination together with the traditional Confucianist respect for elite in itself do not confer political legitimacy per se.

The UK's House of Lords and closer to home, the CPPCC (often regarded as the upper house but actually do not possess constitutional power), both unelected bodies face the problem of legitimacy.

The British govornment under the Labor Party has instituted reform by removing all the hereditary peers and resorted to political appointment based on supposedly meritocracy. CPPCC's delegated are selected along similar line with appointment goes to many retired senior politicians, officers and academics.

Functional constituency in Hong Kong's unicameral legislature is arguably more superior to using a competitive examination. Nevertheless, its limited electoral mandate drawn from professional or industrial bodies is widely regarded as antithesis to "real democracy".

In additional to the issue of political legitimacy, there are too many intrinsic problems with a competitive examination - what kind of scholars in term of talent and virtue are desired? what are their content? how can they be objectively appraised? how often they are to be conducted? how many are to be selected? how are they made accountable? These were not adequately and satisfactorily addressed by Bell.

A competitive examination is accepted to select the qualified to be officers serving the peoples. To be representative of the peoples, the qualified must however goes through the political baptism to obtain the legitimacy. This applies to all the aspiring politician from among the graduate of Ecole Nationale d'Administration of France, Harvard or Yale of USA, Oxbridge of UK, or even NUS of Singapore.

On ensuring independence of the House of Scholars from corruption, Bell went on to suggest a number of familiar mechanism, including free press, high pay and harsh penalty. What I find rather amusing is that Bell suggested family-based punishment as potentially a last resort to curb the rampant corruption in China. I supposed Bell didn't intend it as a serious scholarly argument.

Bell's generally favorably argument for elite rule, rooted in Confucianism, appears to me anarchronistic in conception and unrealistic in practice.

Confucianist Perspective of Barack Obama

A new post is coming! The past few days I have been ruminating on a remark from KY earlier, that "...history has not gathered sufficient number of success in enlightening mankind." That made me wonder how much of that statement is true because I am by nature, optimistic.

So ruminating is what I am doing, thinking in short bursts until I get interrupted or distracted, and will be happy to share my thoughts when they are (finally) coherent!

Meantime, last weekend we went on a short trip to Lake Skeneatheles one of the 'Finger Lakes' in upstate New York. I had an amazing experience swimming in the lake and its icy cold crystal clear waters. The water actually felt different more alive and energetic; and I was bouncing with energy after that.

I also had the opportunity to finish reading all the chapters of Barack Obama's Audacity of Hope that I'd skipped or skimmed through earlier. I must say its an intelligently sumptious and nutritious read. Every chapter is a powerful and well-written weave of personal anecdote, a masterful dissection of the prevailing arguments that both sides of the political spectrum hurl at one another and the public, always seeking to understand before shaving away the extreme, unrealistic or simply mistaken views, often emerging with a set of very plausible basic principles with which to move ahead. I was more impressed than ever.

Something else also came through. Amidst all the chatter in the media about Obama shifting to the centerist position and changing his positions tells me that they have not read his book. The candidate you see today is what he wrote about 2 years ago. He is a center-left and has always been. HRC gave him the cover to run from there (in substance) but he has been skillful enough to appeal to the idealism of the leftier fringes.

But above all, its the thinking style and personal qualities that shone through. I thought this is a voice I would like to listen to for year to come not because he has all the answers but because he offers a compelling reasoning of the challenges we face without dismissing either the difficulties or different views. The incorrigble Confucian in me finds the idea of leaders as a teacher and a guide a very attractive proposition.