Last week, I attended a function where there were three speakers: a bishop, a teacher who specialises in leadership, and a minister who is also the head of a political party. Each addressed core issues related to truth versus perception.

The bishop warned that ordinary people are confused between the truth and perception in Malaysia and are, therefore, losing confidence in politicians as potential purveyors of much of the untruths.

The leadership issue is at the core with its concept of truth. Leaders are influential and rely on their personality and words to communicate the truth of their assertions.

True leaders inspire ‘followership’. They are almost able to make their truths a reality.

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For example, Vision 2020 was only a perceptual state dream in 1991. But it was so well and credibly communicated that all Malaysians believed in it and have worked hard towards making it a reality. If it was only a perception, Vision 2020 would have remained a dream without any followers.

As another example, the former Selangor government declared with so-called facts and figures, that it was a developed state. That was merely a perception because from the moment it was declared, there were questions and comments, including from me, criticising the absence of understanding of the real concept of a ‘developed’ state.

Today we know for a fact that Selangor is not yet a developed state because both civility and respect between residents and the rule of law – which are pre-conditions for any definition of a developed state – are still missing.

The minister-cum-politician who was introduced as ‘Yang Benar’ spoke about his truth and the struggles related to speaking the truth. He said the truth is defined by the principles of basic human rights and human dignity. Such a truth, to him, is non-negotiable.

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What then is this non-negotiable truth? All truth is always only the absolute truth. If one takes away the absoluteness of such truths, it is no more a truth in an absolute sense but a relative truth.

For example, in history, the Catholic church believed that the earth was the centre of the universe. After Galileo and Copernicus proved with empirical certainty that the sun, not the earth, was the centre of the universe, the Catholic church recanted.

The fact that the sun is the centre of our universe is an absolute truth. This will never be a perception but a fact.

Truth is always verifiable

A perception is simply only that: a perception. It would have been different if the federal economic planning unit had declared Selangor a developed state. The self-declaration was fraudulent.

A statutory declaration, also a self-declaration, is on the other hand, a legal basis for making a statement of fact. A problem arises when two contradictory statements are issued. Facts must now be distinguished from perception.

How then does anyone know the facts or perceptions of any matter? I once heard a story about a four kids coming in late for class. The teacher asked why they were late and they replied in unison, “Our car had a flat tyre”.

To which the clever teacher replied, “Fine. Please take your seats, so I can give you a verification test.”

They sat at their desks, apart from each other. The teacher told them to write down on a piece of paper which tyre was flat. They untruth was exposed!

Truth always remains verifiable, even beyond circumstantial evidence or perceptual truths. The real question then is whether one can gather enough evidence to corroborate the truth by the principle of triangulation of the facts from different perspectives and vantage points.

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That is the principle of investigative truth-seeking used by all investigators, from journalists to police officers. If any such evidence does not stand up in the court of law, as argued and presented by the lawyers on both sides, the so-called facts are dismissed as either fiction or simple perception.

Many statutory declarations have been made to date on matters of political import. The question goes beyond whether such a thing happened and who is guilty.

What also needs to be asked if why such things can happen in a country which claims to be on track to becoming a developed nation, according to our own mould at least. Maybe, currently, our mould includes small lies, cheating and back-door activities over which we close one eye.

Reason, logic and empirical validation become the parameters of the investigative truth of any matter. Therefore, I can only pray, that while the politicians in this nation continue to play with truths and perceptions, our courts of law and the halls of justice will leave no stones unturned to verify all criminal offences.

In the end, though, it is the court of public opinion that will define whether we are on the road to becoming a developed and civilised nation.

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I find the two headlines in last Friday’s New Straits Times intriguing. One said that Pak Lah will hand over the reins of Umno come June 2010 to his current deputy. The other said Najib will lead the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the next general election.

Perception or reality? What is the truth of this matter?

The truth is, as the pastor said, God cannot be mocked, and He will decide. The bible says, when we talk about the future, we must always acknowledge God who alone defines it. Therefore only God knows what will happen in 2010.

My advice to Pak Lah: just do what God has called you to do, and He might honour your desire to hand over the leadership of Umno to your deputy.

If Pakatan Rakyat does in fact take over the leadership, by fair means rather than foul, the equation within the BN too might change. However, all this will ultimately be decided by the people and the hand of God, not man – even an Umno man! God Bless Malaysia.