by Raziz Rashid
Honour has long been a moral and social compass, shaping individual behaviour, public trust, and national identity.
Across civilisations, it has dictated the ethical foundations of leadership, reinforced societal cohesion, and provided a measure of personal integrity.
In Malaysia, honour has been deeply embedded in cultural traditions, religious teachings, and political ethics, influencing everything from personal conduct to governance.
However, honour is losing its traditional meaning as the world shifts into a digital era.
The modern world, shaped by social media, sensationalist news cycles, and political opportunism, has reduced honour to a mere performance rather than a lived value.
The recent controversy involving a local radio station in which the station aired a video mocking a sacred religious ritual, illustrates the decline of cultural sensitivity and ethical responsibility in Malaysia’s media landscape.
This incident is not an isolated one.
There have been similar cases involving insensitive remarks about religion, race identity, and the monarchy, all of which have contributed to an environment where honour is selectively defended or conveniently ignored.
These incidents raise a fundamental question about the nature of honour in a world driven by digital narratives, political survival, and fleeting outrage.
Is honour still relevant when public perception can be so easily manipulated?
Honour as a Civilisational Principle
The concept of honour is as old as civilisation itself. In ancient Greece, honour was a matter of personal virtue and public recognition.
A warrior’s reputation was built on courage, discipline, and loyalty, and any loss of honour required public redemption.
The Roman idea of honour extended beyond personal conduct to civic duty and political integrity, reinforcing the idea that leadership was a responsibility rather than a privilege.
In the East, honour took on a more structured form. Confucian ethics emphasised the importance of righteousness and respect within a hierarchical society, while the samurai code of Bushido in Japan placed honour above life itself.
The most extreme example of this was the practice of seppuku, where a samurai who had dishonoured himself or his master would take his own life to restore his dignity.
These traditions reinforced the notion that honour was non-negotiable, a value that could not be compromised for convenience or self-preservation.
In the Malay world, honour has been inseparable from the concept of dignity, known as maruah.
The principles of adat (customary law) and agama (religion) formed the foundation of ethical conduct, requiring individuals to uphold their family’s reputation and adhere to moral expectations.
Honour is not merely a personal virtue but a shared responsibility, deeply intertwined with family identity.
A person’s actions are seen as a reflection of their upbringing and any lapse in integrity or morality is not judged in isolation but as an indication of parental guidance.
In this societal framework, maintaining one’s dignity is also a means of protecting the maruah of one’s parents and family.
When an individual acts dishonourably, whether through rudeness, deceit, or moral failings, the shame does not rest upon them alone.
It extends to their family, particularly their parents, who are held accountable by the community. The concept of hilang maruah, or loss of dignity, is not just a personal consequence but a familial burden, where a single act of dishonour can tarnish the reputation of an entire household.
The Malay saying “jaga air muka,” which emphasises maintaining one’s reputation and avoiding public disgrace, underscores the importance of carrying oneself with dignity as a way of honouring one’s family.
To act with integrity, to uphold moral principles, and to show respect is not just about individual virtue, it is about safeguarding the name and dignity of those who raised and nurtured us.
In a society where character is seen as an extension of one’s lineage, the highest form of filial responsibility is to live honourably, ensuring that the legacy of one’s family remains untarnished.
The Erosion of Honour in Malaysian Society
Honour, once upheld as an uncompromising standard, has been significantly eroded in Malaysia.
In the political arena, principles that once dictated leadership ethics have been abandoned in favour of personal survival and power consolidation.
The practice of party-hopping, once seen as a betrayal of public trust, has now become a common strategy, often justified under the guise of political realignment.
Campaign promises, grand in rhetoric but hollow in commitment, are treated as mere tools to sway voters, only to be discarded once power is secured.
Instead of offering tangible solutions to economic instability and governance failures, politicians frequently resort to manipulating public sentiment, stoking religious and racial sensitivities, and fuelling outrage over symbolic issues to divert attention from their own shortcomings.
Religion, rather than serving as a unifying moral compass, is frequently weaponised to secure political mileage, while critics are silenced through calculated smear campaigns.
Dishonour in politics is further reflected in the increasing reliance on misinformation, defamation, and character assassination.
Substantive debates on policy and national progress are routinely derailed by false narratives, selective outrage, and baseless accusations aimed at discrediting opponents rather than presenting alternative governance strategies.
When deception and manipulation become the primary currency of political engagement, the real victims are not those in power but the rakyat, who are left with leaders more focused on theatrics than solutions.
How long can a political movement sustain itself when honour is merely a tool of convenience rather than a guiding principle?
The Erosion of Honour Is Also Evident in The Media
Once regarded as the fourth pillar of democracy, tasked with holding power accountable, a number of media organisations have now shifted their priorities toward sensationalism and clickbait journalism.
The recent controversy involving the particular radio station exemplifies this problem. A major media outlet allowed the release of content that was not only insensitive but also offensive to an entire religious community.
While an apology followed, the incident underscores a larger issue: the pursuit of engagement and virality has superseded journalistic integrity and responsibility.
The problem extends beyond isolated incidents. Sensational headlines, often designed to provoke reactions rather than inform the public, have contributed to misinformation and social fragmentation.
Many Malaysians consume news passively, reading only headlines without critically engaging with the content.
This has allowed media organisations to shape public discourse in ways that prioritise outrage over understanding.
In a country as diverse as Malaysia, where religious and cultural sensitivities play a significant role in social harmony, the decline of honour in media practices is particularly dangerous.
The reaction to the radio station’s controversy should have been a collective condemnation of cultural insensitivity, yet it quickly devolved into a divisive narrative, with netizens of one ethnic group diverting the issue toward the perceived lack of consequences for derogatory remarks against their religion and identity.
This response, rather than centring on the fundamental issue of respect for religious and cultural sensitivities, reflects a growing trend where public discourse is shaped by grievance politics rather than moral principles.
Such sentiments are not unfounded, as past incidents involving religion, race and even the monarchy have been met with inconsistent enforcement, fuelling a perception of selective justice.
However, the real danger lies in how these reactions are being deliberately stoked by partisan opportunists, who manipulate public outrage to deepen racial and religious divisions for their own gain.
Instead of fostering a universal standard of honour that compels all communities to respect one another, this divisive rhetoric reinforces a siege mentality, where every incident is viewed through the lens of communal victimhood rather than common morality.
The result is a society where people defend their own group’s dignity but show little regard for others, leading to a breakdown of mutual respect and national unity.
If left unchecked, this pattern will only entrench further polarisation, making honour no longer a shared ethical framework but a selective weapon wielded for personal advantage.
The Rise of Performative Honour in the Digital Age
If traditional honour required individuals to uphold ethical standards in both personal and public life, the digital age has redefined honour as a performance rather than a principle.
Social media has given rise to a culture where moral outrage is amplified but often lacks sincerity.
The rise of cancel culture, for example, has weaponised the concept of honour by turning it into a tool for public condemnation rather than a genuine moral framework.
The contradiction is stark.
On one hand, society demands accountability, but on the other, it rewards superficial apologies and performative virtue signalling.
Many public figures and corporations engage in crisis communications strategies that prioritise optics over meaningful change.
A carefully crafted apology, delivered through the right channels, is often sufficient to quell public backlash, even if no real corrective action is taken.
At the same time, the anonymity of digital platforms has eroded personal accountability.
In traditional honour-based societies, an accusation or insult carries real consequences.
In the digital world, individuals can defame, slander, and spread misinformation without ever facing responsibility.
Social media allows for a distorted form of honour, where individuals build reputations based on engagement metrics rather than ethical consistency.
Restoring Honour in Malaysian Society
If Malaysia is to reclaim the integrity of honour, it must begin with a conscious effort to reestablish ethical standards in governance, media, and public discourse.
Political leaders must be held to a higher standard, where public trust is not merely a campaign slogan but a fundamental requirement for leadership.
This requires a cultural shift where voters demand accountability rather than charisma.
Honour must be restored as an expectation of leadership, not an accessory to political convenience.
Media organisations must also take responsibility for their role in shaping national discourse.
Headlines should be crafted with precision and respect, ensuring that sensitive issues are handled with care rather than used for engagement-driven controversy.
Ethical journalism must take precedence over virality, and crisis communications strategies must focus on genuine accountability rather than damage control.
On an individual level, Malaysians must reclaim the values of integrity, respect, and personal accountability in their digital interactions.
Honour should not be reduced to a social media performance but should be reflected in everyday actions.
Engaging in public discourse should involve intellectual honesty, fact-checking, and constructive debate rather than reactionary outrage.
Digital literacy must be prioritised to ensure that misinformation and sensationalism do not dictate the national conversation.
The Future of Honour in Malaysia
Malaysia stands at a critical juncture. The erosion of honour in politics, media, and digital discourse has led to a society where reputation is fragile, trust is fleeting, and ethical consistency is rare.
However, honour is not an outdated relic of the past.
It remains a crucial element in governance, leadership, and community cohesion.
Restoring honour requires a collective effort. It demands that leaders uphold their commitments, that media organisations operate with integrity, and that individuals engage in ethical discourse both online and offline.
A nation’s strength is not merely measured by its economic growth or political stability, but by the moral character of its people.
Malaysia’s future will not be determined by how it navigates technological advancements, but by whether it chooses to uphold the principles that have defined its identity for centuries.
Honour, once lost, is not easily regained. It must be defended, upheld, and lived.
Raziz Rashid is a strategic communications consultant, former Head of Corporate Communications at the Prime Minister’s Department, and Chairman of Pertubuhan Sukarelawan Siber Selamat.
WE