Leadership by example?

Good or bad depends on the circumstances. A leader should lead by his own good conduct is commonly expected, but what if the leader has shown an example not exactly above criticisms?

When I was in Methodist Boys’ Primary School, Sentul, I was appointed as a Prefect. The problem was I did not have shorts of the right colour. Only Gian Singh, of Mountbatten Road (now Jalan Tun Perak) is the official supplier. Our local tailor promised my mother that he had the correct material. It turned out a few shades lighter!

When I was on duty, some boys questioned me, ‘Hey Prefect, where is your uniform?’ Because of this, I was not on duty a couple of times and the Head Prefect reported to the Prefect Master and I got a slap on my face!

Mr. Suppiah was actually my brother’s friend and he actually used my brother’s Morris Minor as bridal car! But he was one who is quick to react. How could I ever forget such an incident? I do not think slapping is acceptable in schools now.

The reason why I mentioned this incident was when I watched a television news clip recently, showing our JPJ officer in charge of safety, a turbaned Singh informing the public about using proper crash helmets. I know he had good intentions but with due respect, I find it funny when he himself was wearing something which was allowed as an alternative to a crash helmet for riding motorbikes for religious reason, but obviously unsafe! Wouldn’t those caught using an unauthorised and obviously unsafe helmet, question him?

With the introduction of seatbelts for rear seat passengers, I could not believe my ears when I heard him saying it is not an offence if there were four passengers in the back! Why can’t our authorities make up their minds? Either it is an offence or it is not, no buts please! Imagine enforcing a law for two or three persons and then, never mind because you have a fourth passenger!

I have just read the Sunday Star with a headline: ‘CJ mulls seniority of judges based on merit’ and it was reported that he is mulling the possibility of departing from the current practice of determining the hierarchy of judicial officers, which is based on the number of years and days served in the judiciary.

Under a new proposal, a judge now ‘senior’ on the judges list could be replaced by his junior in terms of length of service.

‘Leadership by example’ comes to mind as he has already shown the way! His route to become CJ was nicknamed, 'hop, step and jump' by Lim Kit Siang when he predicted the ultimate intention of PM when he was first appointed President of the Court of Appeal, straight from private practice, over and above some very senior judges, who must be fuming mad.

Public perception and public opinion are obviously unimportant to the powers that be. We have the mandate, remember?