ABOUT 20 years ago over dinner, I was surprised by a challenge by the late Tan Sri Just Faaland who was among the formulators of the New Economic Policy (NEP).
He shook me by asking "young man, what are you doing about the neglected poor students in Pendalaman or rural Sarawak". I was taken aback and asked what could an executive like me do.
He said: "It is your generation's duty to ensure all Malaysians care for one another. That rural poor student you take care of may find the cure for cancer for the world. I did not work hard on the NEP to allow this to happen".
Faaland has passed away, but his demand for responsibility has never left me. He had me realize that all human beings are precious.
Valuing human life is essential to be made, as it is sad to see, in the 21st century, humanity still suffering from his fellow man's treatment of him.
War, exploitation, human trafficking, racism are some of the evils that have been, and continue to be done as a result of not valuing another human beings correctly.
We also have the fear now that humanity may become an economic externality for states and industries as well, instead of being the priceless creation of God that has so much potential to change the world.
A young starving child in some part of the world such as Gaza or Arakan may hold the key within him to someday save humanity through his research or work.
He or she may be grateful for being saved by his fellow humanity and make it his or her mission to save humanity.
All human life is precious, it goes without saying. To create a human being from scratch without genetic engineering such as cloning, which is only replication, is currently not achievable and may cost billions.
This is one way to value him. His physical characteristics, psychological character, personality, intellect, capacity to love and care, ability to lead are all different between men.
However, biological valuation may be impractical.
Another way is economic potential. Man has a finite lifespan. Which direction this person takes in his future efforts will determine his productivity.
If he stays at home and does nothing, then his potential will be limited. In finance, he will be valued in terms of the discounted cashflows he creates during his lifetime.
It can be high in the billions, like Bill Gates who can produce a million dollars a day or even an hour, but what about a poor man in a poor region who does so much less a year?
Is the poor man's life only worth a few thousand dollars? Of course, this is wrong, which is the limitation of finance. Unfortunately, this is the method most probably done by insurance companies for compensation purposes.
It is also one that has lasted the longest from the beginning of civilization. Debates on capital punishment probably have covered a lot of ground in valuing a man's life from this perspective.
The difference between successful and unsuccessful countries is, in my opinion, dependent on how much they value their people.
This can be the difference between a highly developed and prosperous nation like those with high living standards, like the Scandinavian countries with strong governance, social welfare, education and healthcare and, on the other hand, failed states with no government, much less security and food.
More important is what is needed for us to work towards understanding, what it means to be a human and feel empathy for all humans, no matter what race, religion or colour.
We cannot sit still when humanity is suffering from unjust acts. By not doing anything it will embolden those who commit war crimes to further commit them.
It is our moral obligation to fight this. Save a life and you save humanity itself.
The Conference and Declaration of the Sanctity and Value of Human Life recently held by the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC-IIUM) and International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) partnering with the Center for Human Rights and Advocacy (CENTHRA) on July 24, 2024 seeks to address and solve these challenges for mankind.
I pray that the conference's declaration on the sanctity and value of human life will be accepted by the world and be used to protect future generations of humanity.
* The writer is Director for Advocacy, Centre for Human Rights Research & Advocacy (CENTHRA)