What good is form without substance?

For those old enough like me, we have been through 22 years of Dr. Mahathir's 'Bersih, Cekap dan Amanah' (which introduction of clock-in led to the invention of 'clocking for someone else'), 5 years of 'Islam Hadhari' (somehow, this particular slogan stays in my mind for Pak Lah and mocked by Raja Petra for its 'limited to daytime'), and now Najib's '1Malaysia' which had its precursor in the infamous 'Perak power grab', we are resigned to the 'same old, same old' administration which can be described as 'old wine in new bottle'.

Hopefully, we can see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, when good men like Tunku Aziz, Zaid Ibrahim and Chua Jui Meng, who are willing to draw lines in the sand. Good retired men like NH Chan and Koon Yew Yin, who are willing to speak out and as well as even fork out, to redress the situation. Will it start an exodus from one side to the other of the political divide? Hopefully, more will do so before the next general election, because it would be more honourable than say, after the results.

I used to be able to write letters which were published, as well as appeared as the day's top letter in Malaysiakini, but I have lost the will, maybe the skill rather than the thrill, of anxiously waiting for it to happened. I am still grateful to Malaysiakini for having published them before, which helped my confidence and kept me going. I hope they do not mind me posting some letters now and again, after all I am only into countering big brother's big propaganda machine.

Today's top letter in Malaysiakini:

What good are laws without values?
Masterwordsmith Jul 21, 09 7:32pm

Have we become blase, numb, calloused or de-sensitised because such news seems to be the norm? Or are we part of the voice that is rising in crescendo to object to current trends?

In the light of recent events which have triggered silent national outrage, some leaders seem to have forgotten that values underpin good and bad, right and wrong.

What happens when one goes about one's duties without a value system? What happens when one's action, even in the line of duty, reflects a lack of morals?

Let's not forget professional ethics. They are the rules or standards governing the conduct of a person or the members of a profession. Any organisation will have a code of conduct for its members.

One begins to wonder if a particular organisation which is making headlines has a code of conduct and, if so, what is being done to ensure that its staff members adhere to this. Or is it a free for all with no CCTV cameras around?

Far too many unanswered questions have stirred the rumblings from the north to south, east to west and these rumblings are rising to a higher pitch day by day.
One of the problems of upholding morals and values in business is that the morals and values of one person may differ from that of another.

But what happens if its leaders do not seem to place an emphasis on fairness, justice and non-discrimination? It is an obligation of leaders to define basic values, morals and values that they want their staff members to adhere to.

Responsibility and team effort

Any organisation or leader must encourage honesty and high moral standards as the actions of an individual in the team can affect the moral ethos of the entire team as recent events have shown.

The current negative political climate whereby dirty linen is washed in public and members of one party attack another is most unhealthy.

If one values others highly, one will be considerate and act with compassion and moral sense. One will consider the effect one's actions will have on others and will want to do what is right and good.

However, if one feels that others have hurt one and are against one, one may lose empathy for their feelings. And that is exactly what we can see in the current scenario.

One may not recognise their value and worth and may not feel compassion for their welfare. No wonder, some show no compassion at the death of a poor young man with a promising future.

Being the idealist that I am, I believe that human nature is basically good and most people will not try to "gain" or "win" at the expense of harming or disabling another - unless they are evil personified.

Ultimately, it is important to remember that somehow, we are all connected and any action that we take in life or business should not hamper the success, health or welfare of another. As humans, it is our obligation and duty to contribute to the growth and success of us all but alas, as society progresses, Man seems to have regressed in many ways and what we are witnessing in many parts of the world is the de-fragmentation of society.

Small steps vital to bring about change

The current mood is quite depressing. The situation seems bleak with little hope of change and wherever we turn, we can read more and more depressing news. In fact, I know of many who have stopped caring but indifference and passivity can only exacerbate matters and stunt growth or catalysts for change.

We can do something in our own little ways as long as it does not break the law. All it takes are small steps we take to stir the collective consciousness and moral ground of others for them to know that the next time round, they must vote by their conscience and not by party or any other reason to right the wrongs in our beautiful country.

In closing, when I was in Year 1 in the late 1960s, I sang Berjaya proudly. My parents thought I was beyond redemption but even at that young age, I remember how my heart swelled with pride and how I stood upright and sang one of my favourite songs with so much gusto.

That song still holds meaning for me because no matter what, if each and every citizen or leader were to speak, act and work with a clear conscience and full realisation of their vital role in nation-building, certainly Malaysia will 'berjaya" (succeed)....

Ernest Hemingway in Death in the Afternoon said: I know only that what is moral is what you feel good after and what is immoral is what you feel bad after.

(I think I am at least 10 years older because I was in Form 6 when I was one of those in Stadium Merdeka singing 'Muhibbah'.)
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