MM2- When development means building character

My second entry in Malay Mail on May 15th 2008



OVER teh! tarik the other day, my friend Ridwan shared his grand plan of improving rural students’ standard of English. Although it was a back-of-an-envelope proposal, it was not without its merits.

His plan was actually well thought out – form a group of English-speaking young professionals (with wives and children in tow) to spend their Sundays with rural primary school students. The objective? To supplement what is taught in schools, by improving English via conversation, and by asking the students to participate in exciting group exercises like discussing news in the English language dailies.

A few days later, I received a facebook message from an old schoolfriend, Yap, inviting me to participate in a community project in Kelantan.

I have yet to contact him, but immediately it gets me thinking: “Wonderful, there are many young professionals still thinking of ways to contribute to society. “ Let me elaborate, Ridwan and Yap are not politically inclined. In fact, they distance themselves from politics whenever possible. Ridwan is an accounts manager in a multinational company and Yap runs his own business.

With their career paths defined, they are utilising their spare time to give back to society, without political baggage and agenda.

Heartfelt initiatives like these which are aimed at enhancing the quality of life of others, are the cornerstone of civil society. To me, more than skyscrapers and hypermarkets, these represent the values that de! ne progress and development. However, while such isolated initiatives are effective in pockets, just imagine the impact of a wider, collective effort.

Of course, too many proverbial cooks may spoil the broth, but managed well with effective leadership and communication, such programmes, I dare say, will de! nitely have a wider span of success. Galvanising the talent of young professionals who want to enrich the lives of others and in turn, their own, is important. But who will lead the way? There is an urgent and pressing need to fill the vacuum for a united and credible voice for young professionals.

When I was a fresh graduate, I was lucky to be in the midst of setting up a young professionals society called Promuda.

With corporate sponsors on board, the membership quickly swelled. Promuda became a household name in a relatively short time.

The mention of its name gave credibility to its programmes and members.

For fresh graduates, the unseen bene! t is its networking element. From our peers and those more established in the industry, we were able to gain new and essential perspectives of working life.

I am still able to call some of those who willingly showed me the ropes friends today.

Promuda’s activities also helped its members nurture the spirit of sharing and working together to achieve a common objective. More often than not, the objectives had a positive impact on nation building.

Now and then, I get questions from younger graduates on my experiences in Promuda and how they can start a society of their own.

With the bene! t of hindsight, I believe that in this day and age, for a young professional society to work, there must be minimal internal politicking (this is based on the reality that every society will have some degree of politics).

Some argue that there should be no of! ce bearers at all; rather a patron to oversee the whole society. However valid this argument, I believe responsibility generates enthusiasm and commitment.

The result? Successful and sustainable programmes.

Another important element frequently missing is a balance in the membership of both local and foreign graduates. My time in Akademi Pemuda has made me realise that discussions conducted by groups with a mix of local and foreign graduates very often resulted in a fusion of superior ideas.

Local graduates, I observed, were apt to provide more practical ideas as they were more familiar with the realities of Malaysian bureaucracy. The foreign graduates gave input on international best-of-breed practices and ideas.

Suggestions for improvements are non-exhaustive.

The onus is on the current crop of young graduates to get together, brainstorm, reflect current prevailing sentiments and build a platform that would ensure Malaysia is on the right path of development.

My immediate contribution? I am going to introduce Ridwan to Yap. How does improving the standard of English in Sekolah Rendah Jeli in Kelantan sound to you?