Wisdom or wit? The most popular proverbs in the Kazakh parliament

The outcomes of the eighth convocation of Kazakhstan’s Parliament will be released shortly. The report will most likely include statistics on meetings held, as well as laws reviewed and adopted. Against that backdrop, we considered it worthwhile to examine not only what lawmakers did, but also what they said — and how they said it.

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After all, Parliament itself, as its name suggests — from the French parlement and the verb parler («to speak») — is fundamentally a place for speech and debate.

A separate ranking of lawmakers’ most memorable remarks — comments that drew public attention, spread widely and sparked discussion — has yet to be compiled. Our focus, however, is different: traditional proverbs, sayings and catchphrases that remain part of everyday speech rather than relics of the past.

Which of these expressions were cited by members of the Mazhilis, the lower house of Kazakhstan’s Parliament? And in what context did lawmakers invoke them?

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To answer these questions, we collected and reviewed transcripts of Mazhilis sessions held between March 2023 and May 2026 — about 140 transcripts in total.

The most frequently cited proverbs and sayings were as follows:

Every drop of water counts

This proverb appeared eight times in the session transcripts reviewed. Lawmakers generally used the expression to emphasize that water is the source of life, has become an increasingly valuable resource and must be conserved amid Kazakhstan’s growing water shortage.

«There is a meaningful Kazakh saying: ‘Every drop of water counts (even water has value).’ Our ancestors did not say this without reason. Today, water has become a valuable commodity. Although we are among the countries facing severe water shortages, we continue to waste water resources at a very high rate and fail to use them efficiently. For example, because of inefficient irrigation methods, deteriorating irrigation infrastructure and the lack of drainage systems, water losses in agriculture exceed 50%.» — Y. Zhanbyrshin, Nov. 27, 2024.

«My question is for the minister of water resources and irrigation. […] It seems we are only now beginning to understand the proverb ‘Every drop of water counts.’ It is no secret that this is one of the country’s most complex issues today. All these problems stem from our careless attitude toward water. Every spring, settlements are flooded, and by summer those same areas are suffering from water shortages.» — D. Turganov, Oct. 11, 2023.

Education begins in the cradle

This proverb appeared five times in the transcripts analyzed. Lawmakers used it in discussions about gambling addiction among young people, national education, the influence of social media, military training and the role of cinema in public life.

«In the middle of the last century, the great writer Mukhtar Auezov coined the phrase: ‘Education begins in the cradle (a nation’s destiny is written in its nurseries).’ Today, the meaning of that saying has evolved. We have entered an era when we can say, ‘Education begins at the cinema.’

“Cinema occupies a special place in the social and political life of any country. In recent years, many films of different genres have been produced in our country. However, concerns about their quality are growing. Cinema means ideology. Cinema means politics. And if it has to be, cinema means national security.» — Zh. Ashimzhan, Jan. 22, 2025.

Everybody’s business is nobody’s business

This proverb appeared three times in the transcripts. In the original texts, lawmakers used the Russian equivalent «With seven nannies, the child loses an eye.»

The saying was invoked in discussions about bureaucratic fragmentation, overlapping authority among government agencies and the lack of coordination between state bodies.

«As a result of additional education programs being regulated simultaneously by three ministries — the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Sports — major disagreements have emerged. As the saying goes, ‘Too many shepherds spoil the flock (everybody’s business is nobody’s business).’ Each agency focuses only on issues within its own jurisdiction, with everyone pulling the blanket toward themselves. A unified system of extracurricular education has still not been created.» — I. Smirnova, Jan. 14, 2026.

Debt is easy to get into, but hard to get out of

This proverb appeared three times in the transcripts analyzed. It is an equivalent of the Russian saying, «Anyone can spend borrowed money. But repayment isn’t play money — it’s your own, and once paid, it never comes back.»

Lawmakers used the expression in discussions about Kazakhstan’s growing dependence on borrowing and its reliance on transfers from the National Fund. All three references identified in the transcripts were made by MP Azat Peruashev.

«Every time the budget is discussed, the Ak Zhol faction raises the alarm, saying the debt has reached a dangerous level and demanding that the government break this habit. It is not without reason that people say, ‘Debt is easy to get into, but hard to get out of.’

“Government agencies promised to take our concerns into account. But in reality, the situation is quite different: Kazakhstan borrowed 252 billion tenge from external partners in 2023, in 2024 that figure jumped to 1.45 trillion tenge. In other words, the volume of borrowing increased sixfold in just one year.» — Mazhilis session, June 18, 2025.

Proverbs as a reflection of political debate

We also collected proverbs and sayings commonly used by Kazakh MPs on a range of other pressing issues. The collection covers topics including public administration, law and order, anti-corruption efforts, justice, the economy and natural resources.

• «There is no nation without discipline, and no one who submits to discipline is a slave.»
• «In a country struck by war, life loses its value; in a country struck by famine, bread loses its value; in a country gripped by unrest, the law loses its value.»
• «A nation that fails to account, fails to advance.» — used in discussions about poor budget planning (fiscal negligence).
• «They thought they could jump over a log, but stumbled over a matchstick.» — used by Rinat Zaitov in reference to officials’ negligence during a disaster (spring floods): «The government’s negligence was like people who thought they could jump over a log, only to stumble over a matchstick.»
• «Once he dipped into the common purse, he dipped deep.» — used in discussions about repeated withdrawals from the National Fund.
• «You can hide it in winter, but spring will show it.» — meaning that the eventual use of budget funds would become clear over time.
• «The one who drank the airan gets away; the one who licked the bucket gets caught (those who steal millions go free; those who steal bread go to prison).» — cited in discussions about expanded asset confiscation and claims that many corrupt officials evade punishment.
• «A single petty crime can cast doubt on an entire village.» — used in debates over asset recovery measures and prosecutorial powers.

If you steal with power, the victim goes to jail (justice is whatever the powerful say it is)

«According to the decision of our short-sighted officials, the owners of the subsoil resources — the people of Kazakhstan — should not know how foreigners are using their property? In other words, you cannot ask those who are stripping you of your wealth: ‘What are you doing?’

“Our black gold, our oil, is the economic lifeblood of the country. Do we not have the right to know who is draining that lifeblood, and how? This can be called the international legalization of the Kazakh proverb: ‘If you steal with power, the victim goes to jail.’» — K. Isa, June 12, 2024.

A declining state multiplies its decrees (laws)

Lawmakers also cited foreign proverbs. One example was a Chinese saying used during discussions on science legislation.

«There is a Chinese proverb: ‘The surest sign of a dying state? An avalanche of legislation.’ We are reviewing the law on science for the second time. Let us pass one proper law that will never need to return to Parliament again!» — Y. Zhanbyrshin, March 6, 2024.

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