Work Ethics of Malays

Blog entry 6^th’ March 2017 – 2am.

(Some thoughts I had a month ago while getting my Art show set up at the Museum Galleri Tuanku Fauziah-USM)

Twelve thirty, midnight, arrived home from a long day at the Museum Galeri – USM achieving very little about the curating of my works, especially the captions; tedious if not boring. My bad! Then off to Ah Huat to  work my feelings out as I was very angry with the whole situation   and an escape to Ah Huat’s shop helps me to unwind and recuperate my mind and by  the time I left the shop we had emptied two bottles of red wine; Ah Huat was also in the same kind of pissy mood and said screw it all and lets unscrew a bottles.

I told him of the situation at the Museum with the major issues the employees were having between themselves and how laid back and unproductive their days were as I watched them day in day out. Listening to the Imam spilling his guts or being humorous on the You Tube or turn the radio  on loud for the benefit of no one really as the office most of the time is empty. It is very sad indeed when one cannot express one’s feelings because one is not a staff member; I am only a squatter. I have been a squatter for the more than ten years at the Museum doing my own work like writing the Blog or listening Satsangs , or talks and good choice of music to go with.

I have no right to comment on the fact that the misunderstanding between two groups of the Museum staff members is counterproductive if not harmful to the running of the Museum. A Museum Gallery such as this MGTF _ USM is a place where creative energy and passionate expressions should be manifested to draw as many students and adults to learn and be inspired. It should be a place where an inquisitive mind finds a treasure trove of thoughts and ideas that they can emulate and expand upon.  MGTF is becoming another waste of time and money as far as I can see. The place sadly enough although has all the qualities of becoming an attractive venue is slowly becoming an unproductive dead weight. Hardly a handful visits the place each day and there is practically no change in the activities made available for the public.

Sometimes I feel that the Malays especially the government servants have a very poor work ethics. I have held a few positions working in this country and among all the races, those who work under my care and those who work as my superiors. It is hard not to notice that there is a sense of lack of commitment towards duty. The Malays although not in general, I find would rather be served than serve others. Most I find lack a sense of professionalism and genuine caring when they carry out their duties, like they were meant to be paid because they hold a position and not because of what they were paid to do. With higher positions comes not higher responsibility but bigger ego and lack of self discipline and often a sense of arrogance. The pride is in the position and not in the performance.

With this kind of works ethics, it is a wonder how much work is done and to the fullest satisfaction. It took me ten years to get my two children to be naturalized Malaysian citizens and one of my nephews with four children the eldest being 20 years of age, to become a citizen. I wonder if it is in our human nature to be so removed and insensitive towards our fellow beings and their plight simply because they are strangers or anonymous entities that appears as paper works of forms and numbers. Suffice to say that in many government offices and agencies such as the Postal services, the Immigration, the Registration and so forth are practically run by petty tyrants.

The Malays that I grew up with were soft spoken, light hearted and caring people who by virtue of they being Muslims were trustworthy in carrying out their duties. Like the postman who rode his bicycle with a bag full of mails on the handle bars delivering his mail with a big smile on his face and a greeting of peace. There was a whole lot more human connection back then and people really know one another at work and the government agencies were not as foreboding a place to visit. Sometimes in this day and age instead of getting a, “How may I help you?”, you get a “ What the hell you need?!” kind of response with the looks that could kill a horse. Perhaps it’s the times and today most people are too busy to pay attention to little things such as eye contact or an innocent smile to help ease the way; a smile would cost extra. I genuinely hope and pray that the Malays one day will rise above the materialistic, self serving and self aggrandizement habit and become more humane and caring as their forefathers were in carrying out their paid duties towards serving the public.