8/12/09 NO FEAR NO FAVOR....let hold to it!

Few incidences triggered me to write on this subject matter. Firstly, yesterday, I was driving with a friend to MyKampung. We talked about problem facing Bumis business people in getting their Bank Loan to be processed. I was told, it seem to be a practice nowaday that there must be a syndicate (consultancy) need to be arranged for this, and that would cost the applicant an amount of 5% of the Total Loan Value. If this is true, I would say, we are in the verge of colapse!The Bumis, will have difficulty to venture into business, and over time they would be less and less Bumis into this field. Worst, the Bumis economy will be in great pain (and limited), and thus forever the Bumis be just a bystander to the overall nation development. I'm sad to hear this, and this seem to be said being practiced by Bumis Executives: the Bumis killing the Bumis; Harapkan Pagar, Pagar membawa rebah! God, your mercy please!

(2) Secondly, the whole week end I was reading a book titled Samurai Wisdom by Clark Cleary and Kisah Ringkas Kehidupan Rasullulah by Nawawi Dusuki.

(3) The Samurai Bushido spirit is in fact the adoption of the Confucius Doctrine that placed hard discipline on its followers. Many times, the term bribery and corruption were mentioned and these were among the habit that must be strictly avoided. I believe, Confucius must had withness the devasting effect of bribery and corruptiuon on the olden day Chinese Kingdoms, that made him preached for a serious anti-corruption culture. The spread of Buddhism in China, Southeast Asia, and even Japan about 3,000 years ago also seem having to do with the anti-corruption movement in those days. Samurai Wisdom is about one deep interest to sacrifice for the good of the State. That would include one's willingness to the extend to loose one's life in protecting the fate of the State. Thus, in today Japan culture, corruption and bribery is a real taboo, and who ever founded to practice as such, either he has to go or kill himself. In summary, Samurai is agroup of people who submit themselves to the future of the Country and Community (Japan)!

(4) 20 September, 622, of which was on Friday (and this year first day of Hijrah also falls on Friday) Muhammad first set his feet to Madinah on the Muslim second Hijrah which was headed by him. The Ans and Kharaj tribes whom later being united into the Ansar were the dominant populance of Yatsrib which then changed to Madinah. The Jews formed the third majority of the Madinah, but they controlled all the trading business and economic sphere of Madinah. In order to gain maximum profit, it was noted that all sort of unhealthy business practices were adopted by the traders, which made Muhammad not happy. Among them were bribery, corruption and high interest rate (riba). He and his loyal followers, the Muhajirin later infused themselves into the system, introducing all the good trading practices (probbaly now we called as Good Corporate Governance), of which thereon, the business growth of Madinah expand beyond it tradition boundary making Madinah as the Center of Trade of the day. Muhammad had shown the way that maximum profit and greater prosperity could be achieved without the need for bribery, corruption and riba.

(5) Thereon, I believe, the Arab had mastered and expanded their trading skill beyond their tradition boundaries and with the guidance of Muhammad (Islam), the trade spread both to the Western and Eastern World. They not only later trade, but becoming messengers spreading the Holy Teaching of Islam. From this historical perspective, the Bumis (especially Malays) Executives who are incharge of helping the development of the Bumis Entreprenuership should take the spirit of Muhhammad in ensuring the good deed of his people, not sucking up their blood, to meet their (our) personal greed!

(6) Thirdly, late last night the National Geographic Channel displayed the seriousness of Corruption in Naples, Italy. This is a place whereby 'black market' products from all over the world could enter Europe more freely. Corruption is the main facilitating environment for such activities. Due to such issue, the Government lost its main revenue (taxes), and thus was not able to support the citizen in term of employment generation and all sorts of social services. As a consequent, the nation is suffering. Poverty becoming a good scene all over the places. The community became inflitrated by serious drugs problem, which later lead to many others social ills!

(7) From such displayed, let us visit how countries such as Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Laos, all those surrounding us are badly affected when the corupption system are deeply engraved into their Political and Management System. The once prosper Cambodia, Myanmar, Philipines, etc are now in the verge of pariah just because they allowed their system to be badly infiltrated by corruption, internal and externally. We are now seeing this happening among our brother muslim countries: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi, and all those, especially by the 'dark Uncle Sam cronies' just to ensure that these countries forever be 'kerbau cucuk hidung'. A price, a nation, the people (majority) had to pay just due to the greed of the few!

(8) All these remind me of few bribery (and corruption) incidences that I have to face during my last 23 years in service (joining service in 1986). I'm writing these, hoping that, kin readers out there could share with me and others what bribery and corruption can caused on us as a person and a nation. I hope this would be my 2009 year end good learning article for those tasked to serve the nation!

(a) Firstly, in 1992, I was handling Big Study (I've been handling lots of Studies in fact during mt serving), funded by a Foreign Country. As one of the Condition of the Study, the State was to provide good and safe housing for the experts. We need five units of those, and I managed to get an Appartment at RM2,500/unit. After signing the Rental Contract with the owner, three months later, a friend approached me to help to negotiate the '3 months saguhati' for the rental arrangement, of which would amount RM37,500.00. I didn't really get what he meant, and just take it lightly, but he seem pastering me almost daily and later he said he will work hard on it and want a split gain of 50:50. Fortunately I consulted another friend, and he described me in detail on the real meaning of my friend intend and adviced me to distance myself from him. Thereon, I begin to understand the term 'kick back', and as a price, I lost a friend, but I began to earn my dignity!

(b) In 1996, I was to go for my Study in the USA. My salary at that time was hardly above RM2,500. With two very young kids and some other relatives affairs to take care, it was real tough for me to split 'my periok nasi'. After 10 years serving the Government, I'm still a poor man. Nonetheless, since I was handling lots of good Project during those 10 years, a nice foreign friend offered me 'some cash' as a 'help out'. I turned down his offer, despite deep in my heart, I love to have it. But, as my brain still work well, I could uphold my dignity on him till today, and argue with him ' that not all third world men' could be 'easily help out'. If I have taken his 'help out', I would have no courage to 'look and speak into his face' as I'm today over corruption and 'favor taking' issues. Today in fact I can easily 'say no' to lots of his requests!

(c) As I was serving the R&DO Bintulu in 1999-2001, I was offered lots of 'help out' especially if I could put some weight on various Projects in 'favor' of certain groups. Gifts, invitation to special lunch and dinner were normal, and I used to accept all those invitations by counter inviting them to a simple 'teh tarik and roti canai' at the public 'kedai kopi'. When they turned up, they normally being accompanied (surrounded) by many others, which later, they got the signal that 'I'm not interested with all their intended treats'. With this 'denying' attitude , I remain a free man. I can easily say 'no' or 'yes' to those within my authority. Equally important, the subordinates that are working with me have much easier and straight forward way in dealing with the clients. They can easily aggree to the right things, and disapprove to those that are wrong! Later in a book titled Courage, I learnt that one could only be a real freeman if he can easily say (with courage): YES and or NO preciesely when to say it! Of course there is a price tage to all these, I remain unpopular among the 'few', and some really work hard to get rid of me from the R&DO, which I never bother! I just focus to my works and get things done 'the way I see the future demanded on me'!

(d) On 2/1/2002, I returned to serve as the Director of my old office. In fact I love working at my Old Office ie the State Planning Unit (SPU) of the Chief Minister Department (CMD). Despite we are handling Projects worth Billion of Ringgit, we have least 'corruption and bribery risk advevse affect'. This is the place, where we just use our heads to think and plan what good for the State. I really missed working in such a professional and clean working place, though most of the time 'people' seem to missed us in 'career promotion and compensation matters', but our spirit was hard on the believe that 'everything comes from God, Allah, and He will do what best for us', our duties are just to serve 'smart, hard and honestly'.

(e) On Oct., 2002 I was asked to take up a Corporate oriented job. This job is really something that I never know, despite I have deep intetrest in doing business (dreaming of having nice retail shop in the Kampung). When seeing the State Secretary and then the Chief Minister on this new assignment, in fact I put up my 'surrender hands' to both of them. I even, requested to be posted back to SPU 3-6 months after doing some analysis on this new jobs. Fortunate or unfortunate, after tabling my report to the YAB CM, he asked me to stay on to get thing moving. The first three years in this new Organization is a real horrible years for me.

(f) In SPU, I can spent and burned my candle till dawn, with less worries. But in this new Organization, my mind, my heart were really being put to test. Lots of things were not properly organized. The course of the Organization had diverted to the pheripery. Worst, lots of unfinished business which placed this Organization into great financial trouble! I was really nervous. The meaning and concept of the terms such as Turn Around, Consolidation, Merger, Acquistion, Restructure, Salvage, Buyover, Sell Out, and all those were totally different from what being laid out in the Oxford Dictionary. All those were totally alient to me. I don't really understand the meaning and the operation of those words! In fact, I cried deep in my heart. I began to figure out, my career is finish and I'm dead! I look for friends, really none can come to my desk/bed!

(g) Fortunate, God really help me. I have a real forgotten friends: Books. I rushed down to KL and spent real lots of monies in buying all sort of Business Management Books. I burnt my candles going through all those books. Then one by one, I began to work out with the help of some good dedicated staff, firstly by cleaning the Organization from passengers and leeches! That, I believe created great havoc in the Organization, but I made it clear, my business is not to take care of passengers and worst leeches, but to get everybody on board to serve the State dedicatedly, and honestly! There are some of the staff, trying to 'befriend' me, 'saying nice good things about my moves while saying all sort of bad things of the past', and God, He has warned us enough: 'Hati-hatilah dengan orang-orang yang bermuka-muka!' Of course lots left, not because they are not good, they are just tired of the mess and the robust clean up exercise! A lots left for they are no more compatible! It took three years for us to put our Internal System into a better working machine! But, the price that I have to pay, is my worsening health effect, and a very unpopular image!

(h) Later I began to work out the Outer System of the Organization. I have a believe, in order for us to be and remain clean, both the Inner and Outer System must be clean. With few dedicated staff, we began to look for the details of all our investment. We hit on any non-compliance. We demand our right! We just used our different heads to think hard, and we just used our hard heart to begin to hit! With such, I began to be harrased externally. I accept the challenge and take them real hard. My mind is clear, I don't mind to suffer for good rather being 'look good' for being bad! I'm used to hard life anywhere!

(i) As I began to embark on cleaning up our investments: Monies (once I was offered cash instant RM1.00 million), women, gift, luxury cars, oversea trips, and all sorts of sweet promises were alured on me. I even also got threat and smear campaign just because I don't give in to some 'demands'. I took those as Last Man Stand attitude. I remember, in 1984, after my return from my study, I visited both my mum and dad. I prayed on their graveyard, that I will serve the State the best I could accord, as a reward for them for bringing me to this world. I sweared in their name and Allah, I'll do the best for the disadvantages, and I'm not interested to be diverted from such course (by what and who so ever). My promised to my Dad and Mum is to keep myself at bay on all these offers and deception. I pray to Allah, I just want to be a normal servant of Him, in my way that I believe 'the future demanded on me'.

(j) Till now, I believe we had done Restructuring, Merging, Acquisition, Consolidation and Downsizing worth not less then RM1.50 billion. All were done with the staff high spirit of dedication, determination, and honesty. Just imagine, with such amount of money transaction, under normal 'Consultancy' deal, the staff (or even me) would have been pocketing (legally, indeed) an amount of RM22.50-45.00 million. But I still remember what Mr Mahathir Mohammed had said: Legally we may be right, but morally????

(j) In fact to this day, I was shocked being approach by once a very senior civil servant who want me to take up a Project and to agree on some small return to the Organization. I was offered a good 'equity deal'. I just smile, but in fact I cried in my heart on seeing this person, that way! I turned him down quietly, and get a much better return for the Organization.

(k) Since joining this Organization from the 14 Oct., 2002 till today, I'm happy and may Allah protect us and keep us to be that way, that our people who serve this Organization had sticked to their professionalism. Our duties are to serve the State a place one day we would pass it down to our kids, grand kids, our relatives and our communities to stay and die, so we must never make this State a bad one due to our greed anhd short term gain! We must have this strong spirit to serve our future generation the most 'baraqah way'.

(9) With all these spirit, I'm happy to see that our people remain being free to do their job within the spirit of NO FEAR NO FAVOR! Congratulation and do keep up! InsyaAllah, He knows what best for us as and individuial and community. What is ours will be ours, doesn't matter what, just be 'syukur dan sabar'.

(10) Happy New Year, 2010 a Friday New Year! A great day which He had given us lots of 'kelebihan', if just 'that we must think and understand'.

Kuching, Sarawak
28-29 Dec., 2009