4/08/09 LOOSING GRASP LOOSING GROUND...
On my flight back to Kuching (5/8/09), I was sitting next to a lady passenger who was flipping a book titled Ground....and at the same time I was going through Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR) cartoonic version biography published by MPH. What a coincident, the illustration made by E Yu of TAR, reflecting strongly of TAR Grasp of the Ground. While in the pocket of MAS seat in front of me, I saw a pleasing photo of Nik Aziz holding a white lamb, while Najib is patting on the lamb's head with both having a sweet smile. I hope, the wisdom of Muhammad s.a.w being a 'gembala kambing', before his prophecy, would serve both Najib and Nik Aziz to really talk and decide fast to unite the Malays. I believe the upheaval task to unite the Malays is well reflected in Muhammad's boyhood time 'being a shepherd of the sheep' before he took up the supreme role as the Messenger of God and Muslim leader.
(2) Earlier at the airport, while at the Boarding Hall, I met a senior x-state civil servant. We chatted on the recent changed in the Sarawak State Civil Service leadership.I was asked in fact, on the possible significant impact of the changed, especially wrt to the serving of the Rakyat, in grasping the issues of efficient and effective delivery service management.
(3) These incidents, especially the Question posed by the X-Civil Servant, made me wonder, while siting back, on the title of this article, Loosing Grasp Loosing Ground. Over the years of my public service, I have been traveling almost the full breath and length of the State. I have seen and experienced four era of the Sarawak State Civil Service leaderhip. I could see, being part and felt (the focus and style of)their Grasp and Ground Control especially in serving the Rakyat.
(4) In the TAR Cartoonic Illustration, few things that make me smile and 'tabik' TAR when he was assigned as ADOs and DOs of many districts in Kedah, ie his grasp of the Rakyat Problems, which gave him the courage even (if need be) to challenge the authority of Alor Setar, in his course and believe what the Rakyat deserved. And surely due to his grasp, he made a strong ground control of his tasks. His detail knowledge of the issues, made him a different administrator.
(5) TAR character, I believe had been closely followed by Tun Abdul Razak (another TAR), and Tun Dr. Mahathir (TDM) before and when they were PM. But most important, I believe, one effectiveness and efficiency is not only about understanding the ground issues, but one must also be creative and surely one must have great courage in resolving the ground issues tactically and strategically.
(6) To me, it is vital now that the present Sarawak State Civil Service leadership be working hard to develop our young officers to have strong dedication, creativity and courage to make steps forward (no more siting back, 'tunggu arahan dan ambik gaji')to ensure our State being United, Prosper and Healthy (my Malay term: Bersatu, Makmur dan Sejahtera).
(7) To me, when the Civil Service lost grasp of their Core Service, the government will lost ground of the Rakyat, and surely we can't achieve our dream W2020 and or even 1 Malaysia!
Kuching, Sarawak
6 August, 2009
I believe its not easy the 'grasp' is lost some way or another in the midst of self interest and self building among civil servants.Though not all may succumb to it, a majority has successfully carried out "tunggu arahan, ambik gaji". Lack of proactive actions and dying ambitions in nation building have combatted the very effort to make civil servants an energetic bunch with an open mind to engage on desirable solutions.
ReplyDeleteThe era of TAR politics is obviously gone, with our current political leaders living a life full of self interest. Just look around us here in Sarawak....some of the people are still struggling just to get clean water to drink and where are our leaders. Some leaders have been there for the last twenty years...and conditions haven't change much for the ppl in their areas, reason being ppl are remotely located.
I remember one incident in a district when a DO was asked on how many villages there were in his district...his reply was , many. But exactly how many he didin't know because he just reported to work two months prior to that. Two months is sufficient to get to know a district, it a matter of whether the DO wanted to do it or otherwise. Our ground reps are not well grounded, whatmore with the rest.
Perhaps the people that are in business, not in the civil service, are more attentive. At least they open their eyes for problems that may be of opportunities to them. For as crude as it may sound, these are the people who seem to care, and when they get to become or be part of bigger corporations, they are involved through their corporate social responsibility. People who made it hard, tend to realise and see many things because things do not come easy to them. Our civil servants, perhaps, regardless of fulfilment of duties, still get paid no matter what, a situation that has led to the decline in civil servive performance.
This is the reality of our life today, perhaps only not applicable to a few numbered civil servants who work hard to earn honest ringgit, but holds true for many out there. Complacency inhibit a majority to to grasp the loosing ground...