8/1/10 WE ARE TOO WESTERNIZED....

After almost 24 years serving the Public Service, from Central to Ground, and now at the Corporate Level, I begin to see that how we in the Civil Service had not change much. Yesterday, two 'cases' made me feel agitated. Firstly, in the way we handle the poor, and secondly how we handle Public Projects.

(2) An Institution, which had been assigned to take care of the Poor, had chosen to eleviate poverty through education. That is great. Nothing wrong with it. A nobel strategy! But, they only want to take the kids of the poor to be housed at the centralized hostel, and thereon send them to nearby schools. Feed them well. Give them good uniforms and all sorts. But these kids, most of them are below 15 years old. They need more than that. They need 'love and care' of their parents, brothers and sisters and relatives!

(3) I was one of those 1970s product. The product of such theory: take them away, give then everything, surely they be great. I'm one of those whom can be classified as successful (the officer try to congratulate me on that, but I refused to accept his hand shake!), but I've also seen lots of my frineds didn't succed as theorised! And, that was 1970s. At a time where proper facilities were not there. No road. No electricity. No pipe water. No proper library. The time, where, one teacher take all (teach almost all subjects). Today I argued with the Officer of the Institution, we can't work on a One-Way System anymore. Thing have to be changed.

(4) As a Muslim, we must remember, the Mount Hira didn't come to Muhammad, but Muhammad khalwat in mount Hira to get His wahyu (knowledge). What would be the rational for this? Is it now not the time for us to think seriously, that these kids of the poor, would be better, if they just left in the care of their parents, where they are? Why are we not just making a serious effort to improve their educational facilities as in-situ (on site): by providing uniform, stationaries, books, study room at home, their fees, and if there are sufficient fund, take them to places where they could be inspired especialy during the school holidays! Or even council and inspired their parents. Why are we up rooting them out of their parents. taking them away 'from the natural ground for them to learn about real life?' Why are we not looking at this option!

(5) I'm worried, by taking these kids to town, placed them in a hostel, away from their parents, their brothers and sisters, their relatives, their communities, over time they would loose their sense of 'being with the parents', 'being with the families', and worst this may develop into 'no sense of community'. If a person lost his 'sense of being with a parent, with the family', would he in the future 'able' to be a real parent himself? We are taking them away 'from a hard role model!'

(6) For those that have no choice, we can place them in the hostel, but we must then be more carefull in up bringing them. Let learn from what Hitler had done to 'purify his Arian breed' by having 'selected Arian kids schooled and trained in special places!' Once grown up, these 'New Arian' became a 'National Robot', that only know to serve the Nation on Robotic System. Unless we have such Plan, then I believe, that fine! If not, better don't do half cooked job. Let learn form history.

(7) The guys who are incharged of all these, they are just thinking to their convinient rather to really building the nation: the much civilised way! We are just interested to take care of our interest: getting thing done on our easy way! A situation and culture of 'Self Comfort'.

(8) Later, I chaired one meeting to look at a Public Project that had been 'turtle moving!' This Project had been dreamt to be a Gift to the Families in Kuching. Most people are looking forward to the completion of the Project by this May. Nonetheless, from the 'crawling stage of everything', I doubt the People Wish could be realised!

(9) As I start questioning everybody to dig to the root of the issue, everybody seem to point fingures to each others. Planners, Quantity Surveyors, Engineers, Financiers, Legal Persons, Coordinator, Contractor, everybody pointing at everybody! No body say or even been thinking.....hey look, we have an obligation here for the Public, the People, Our People....whom are our kids, our relatives, our friends...though might be least ourselves! Focus ourselve to the Objectives of the Project! Let find ways to get it done!

(10) My analogy of all Public Project are simple: (a) We must stick to the approved Design (b) We must comply to the Specification (c) We must comply to the approve Cost/Price (d) We must comply to the Time Shedule. Those are the four Key Controlling Factors (KCF).

(11) In between there bount to be lots of adjustments that need to be made. Thus in the interest of achieveing the Project Objectives and comply to the KCF, we must use more of our head and heart to achieve the Project Objective(s). As long as all the necessary adjustment are made on strict Professional basis, there is nothing to fear off! I wonder, why are we so coward to stand for the good of our people, and so lound to stand at our stinginess!

(12) Unfortunate, most of us, or all of us, don't have the courage to see thing from a more flexible but professional ways ( I wonder, what do they understand about being professional?). When things goes wrong, instead of finding all effort to get thing right, we seem to work hard 'just to protect ourself'. This is Western Culture, blame others, rather 'let see how thing should be reorganised and all our expectation met: design, specifications, cost, time'. See how Bush handled the Palestine and Terrorist attack and their Financial Crisis! He pointed figures at others, then followed by all the rest 'self interest' west!

(13) I urge our Civil Servant to read the following books: (a) The Toyota Leaders, by Masaaki Sato; (b)How Toyota Became No 1 by David Magee; (c) The Toyota Way by Jeffrey K. Kliker; (d) Toyota Culture: The heart and Soul of Toyota Way by Jeffery K. Liker; (e) Extreme Toyota by Emi Osono et al; (f)Toyota Kata by Mike Rother

(14) Let revisit the Taurah, the Bible, the Quran: The Story of Moses and his followers whom God had commanded to sacrifice a cattle to clean up their sin! Instead of quickly, get a cattle, and immediately do the sacrifice, his followers request Moses to keep meeting and asking God, the sex, the size, the health state, the color of the cattle. At last, God gave His command which they couldn't make it, and God being God, with all His authority, He smashed all these 'stuborn followers to dust'. In fact I was tempted, to FIRE all those responsible for their 'stuborness and blindness' just to be 'comfortable and take care of their interest' without thinking the 'need and want' of the people. They deserve to be BLASTED, I believe! I wish I have the power to turn them into ROCK for their 'rock head and heart to be rock solid indifference: kepala batu tak peduli!

Kuching, Sarawak
26 January, 2010