THE Reader’s Digest publication placed Kuala Lumpur’s rudeness
and inconsiderate behaviour level almost at the bottom of a list of
least Courteous Cities – at number 34 out of 36 major cities in the
world (The Star, July 24).
Six years ago the same publication placed Malaysia’s rudeness level at 33 out of the 35 countries ranked.
While
we are not sure what was the criteria used to do the assessment, the
fact that it comes from a reputable publication is a matter that cannot
be ignored.
On the contrary, we should be concerned about the findings and address them in the best possible way.
Some
of the issues highlighted related to lack of courtesy, smoking in
toilets, ignoring signs against smoking, littering in public places, not
giving up seats for pregnant women and the elderly, rushing into lifts,
trains and buses before allowing passengers to exit.
Other
problems include ugly driving habits, poor toilet etiquette, talking
loudly on phones even in places where there is supposed to have privacy,
not saying “thank you” when assistance is given, and leaving trolleys
in parking lots.
Judging from the behaviour and attitude of a
large number of Malaysians, I have serious reservations about the
effectiveness of the ongoing campaign to promote courtesy among the
people and make it a way of life.
Despite our technological progress we are confronted with the issue of decaying morality in our daily lives.
The
time has come for all strata of Malaysian society to ask whether they
have done enough to ensure the success of the national five-year
campaign to promote courtesy and noble values among Malaysians.
Based
on my observations, courtesy, politeness, patience, humility, tolerance
and respect have yet to become our way of life. Courtesy is very much
lacking in large sections of our community.
Emphasising on
campaigns to inculcate public courtesy and noble values is very
essential in view of the deterioration of such values and virtues
particularly among young Malaysians.
Having a campaign to promote
courtesy and noble values is important but what is even more essential
is to put into practice the values we are helping to promote.
Leadership
by example is essential for the success of the campaign. In this
connection all ministries, government departments and agencies should
instil noble values among their staff.
The civil service, for example, should promote courtesy among counter staff dealing with the public.
Basic
civilities and courtesies such as responding to calls and replying to
letters from the public must be adhered to by all those in authority.
This should be followed by the private sector and the Malaysian public at large.
The success of any courtesy campaign must start from schools.
In
this connection, Moral Education or Pendidikan Moral should be
reinforced to emphasise the importance of learning and practising the 36
noble values in schools.
Memorising the values for the sake of
passing an exam is certainly not desirable. What we want is to put the
noble values into practice in our daily life.
The attainment of
vision 2020 will only be meaningful if we are able to inculcate a
culture of courtesy and noble values among Malaysians.
TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE
Trustee
1Malaysia Foundation
Source: The Star, July 30, 2012
Tuesday, 31 July 2012
Friday, 13 July 2012
7 Deadly Interview Sins
Having trouble getting job offers? You might be committing one of these seven deadly interview sins:
1. Being late. While occasional lateness may be
excused in other situations, it's often a deal-breaker in a job
interview. Hiring managers assume that you're on your best behavior
while interviewing, so if you aren't on time for the interview, they'll
assume you'll be unreliable if they hire you. Always allow more time
than you'll need to travel so that you have a buffer in case something
goes wrong.
2. Badmouthing a former employer. As tempting
as it might be to explain that you left your last job because your boss
was crazy or that your previous company was mismanaged and corrupt,
sharing these feelings will reflect badly on you. Rightly or wrongly,
the interviewing convention is that you don't badmouth
a previous employer. Hiring managers are looking for evidence that you
know what is and isn't appropriate to say in business situations.
3. Not being prepared with examples that illustrate why you'd excel at the job.
If you claim that you excel at strategizing or that you're an
innovative genius, but then aren't able to give specific examples of how
you've used these skills, interviewers aren't going to give much
credence to your claims. Make sure to come to the interview prepared
with specific examples from your past that show how you've turned your
skills into real accomplishments at work.
4. Telling an off-color joke. Interviewers are
scrutinizing you for evidence of what kind of judgment you have. No
matter how friendly your interviewer might seem, inappropriate jokes or
off-color language have no place in a job interview. You'll call your
judgment into question, and will make your interviewer wonder what
you'll be like when your guard is down after you have the job.
5. Not asking any questions. You might be spending
eight hours a day in this job, at this company, with this manager. Are
you sure there's nothing you're wondering about? Interviewers want to
know that you're interested in the details of the job, the department in
which you'll be working, the supervisor's management style, and the
culture of the organization. Otherwise, you're signaling that you're
either not that interested or that you just haven't thought much about
it. So come prepared with thoughtful, intelligent questions about the work you'd be doing.
6. Sounding bitter. Job-searching is tough, and it's
easy to feel discouraged. But if you sound even the tiniest bit bitter
or negative about your job search or a previous employer, you'll turn
off potential employers and almost guarantee that you won't get offers.
No one wants to hire someone who seems angry or resentful.
7. Not being likeable. Interviewers are human and
want to work with pleasant people. If you're unfriendly, arrogant, or
rude, it won't matter how qualified you are; interviewers won't want to
hire you. So be friendly and open, and show genuine interest in the
people with whom you're talking. Don't feel you have to hide your
personality, or be so formal that you become stiff or impersonal.
Alison Green writes the popular Ask a Manager blog,
where she dispenses advice on career, job search, and management
issues. She's also the co-author of Managing to Change the
World: The Nonprofit Manager's Guide to Getting Results, and
former chief of staff of a successful nonprofit organization,
where she oversaw day-to-day staff management, hiring, firing,
and employee development.
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