#NoSecondChance or yes?
11:27 PMAs Malaysians, I'm sure many of us are aware of the recent news regarding a MARA scholar who was jailed after having amount almost 30, 000 child pornography in his possession. A scholar who was studying in London, carrying the name and money of Malaysia. Recently, in an "unofficial" discussion by the MARA council members announced that this scholar should be given a second chance after he had served his sentence.
What.
A second chance?
Yes, a second chance. It was all over the news. All over my Twitter timeline and it was scary to read the tweets of our fellow Malaysians in response to this unreasonable announcement. Malaysians begin trending the hashtag #NoSecondChance and even begin a petition to sign for!
Even our Youth and Sports Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin speaks out of this matter.
In my opinion, in the viewpoint of a scholar, of course I support #NoSecondChance. Being a scholar carries a heavy load on your shoulder. At the same time of being yourself, you have to know your limits. Okay, everyone have their way to release their stress. You can choose to do it in a way that doesn't abuse others, which in this case, child pornography. Watching adult porno is probably one of the most normal thing to do yet, how about playing games? Or a walk?
The thing is being a scholar doesn't necessarily means that your future is secured. You still have to study hard, take care of your well being and basically, the burden of it increases when you are studying in a foreign country.
Every year, there will be a season of a ruckus happening in our education system. Form 6 students scoring high CGPA but not getting the course they want or scholarship and then the media reports showers the news all around the social media. This phenomenon has been happening for decades. A structural issue that should have been corrected, improvised and improved. But then, nothing happened significantly and the cycle continues to the next year.
Every year after students had obtained their SPM results or STPM or matriculation, they will start to apply scholarships broadcast in social medias. And what are the chances with the huge competitions? This makes scholarships one hella golden opportunity and should be given to the best.
As a scholar, I agree that I'm not the best but one thing for sure, being a pedophile will not make you eligible to be one. What Nur Fitri needs is psychiatric help. Not a second chance in education. 23 years of education had given one enough knowledge on what's right and wrong, plus the experience in overseas. If MARA really wanted to save this boy because he is a "national asset", he is taking things for granted. He will spend his time in prison relentlessly, knowing that after jail time, he is going to have a secure education in any MARA institution.
Then, will he learn his lesson?
Honestly, I don't think so. He may get a 'second chance' again when he is at work with MARA if he got caught for child porno.
Okay, we are only talking about one person here. But is this how you build a national asset? Being a maths genius who is a pedophile is an asset?
True that knowledge is an asset to human, society and the nation. But what's greater than knowledge?
Attitude. Human values. Morality. Aspects involving in the emotions of others would matter more than knowledge. Example is Mother Theresa. In terms of knowledge, she isn't a math genius but she shook the world with her sense of humanity.
To be a nation's asset or a future leader in a field for a country, having a PhD certificate or a MBA won't show your leadership. Having a maths genius is definitely an asset, no doubt about that, but what if he is a pedophile? Something that exploits children for sexual stimulation, a child abuse. Supporting him indirectly supports more child porno.
There are also sarcastic comments raging on the Internet stating that, they might even start to distribute child porno in order to get a scholarship. Of course, that's ridiculous.
Maybe for now, it is. How about the future? Can this second chance given become a slippery slope to more happenings that abuses human rights and break civil laws?
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