Aspirational Goals & Doublespeak

By: Natalie Shobana Ambrose

theSun, Malaysia (pg 13 )
December 13, 2012
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/columns/onpointe

Every year since 1974, the National Council of Teachers of English issues a Doublespeak Award as an "ironic tribute to public speakers who have perpetuated language that is grossly deceptive, evasive, euphemistic, confusing or self-centred".

Yes, you guessed it; the illustrious award list is filled with names of public figures or organisations except for one year. In 2008, the award was given for the term "aspirational goal". Individually, the words mean the same thing, as cited by the NCTE, however combined, the word means "a goal to which one does not aspire all that much." This was cited in two instances involving George Bush – in setting a deadline to remove troops from Iraq and again at an Apec forum to reduce carbon emissions and slowing global warming .

Doublespeak and aspirational goals are the expected norm in politics it seems. No one really knows what anyone is saying any more, especially when an election is near. We have days when the politicians advocate a one nation for everyone and then later in the week, there's a whole slew of racial speak. It's almost like the leaders are saying "stop me when you hear something you like and ignore the rest." This is when the people start feeling like their intelligence is being insulted and they are repeatedly being taken for a ride.

It's an epidemic that happens around the world. But lets talk about Malaysia's doublespeak in regards to UN conventions especially since Monday marked Human Rights Day. Of the nine core Human Rights Conventions, Malaysia has only signed three. Countries within Asean – Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, the Philippines and Vietnam have signed or ratified at the very least seven. Malaysia may have signed three, but we have major reservations on two of them making our three years (yeas/ yes) close to void.

Perhaps we should pat our politicians on the back for not willy-nilly signing things they can't deliver or fully implement. Neither does signing on to something translate to an automatic change of how things work. That's one way of looking at it I suppose but then again, shouldn't we be working towards improving our laws and beliefs to agree to these conventions with conviction? If we are, it's taking too long.

It's understandable, if what is being asked goes against sane moral judgment but these include the 1951 Convention on Refugees and withdrawing reservations to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and on All Forms of Discrimination against Women .

Imagine our diplomats overseas having to answer why an almost developed status country is pussyfooting on conventions like the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Convention Against Torture and the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Racial Discrimination. It must be pretty difficult not to be apologetic when responding especially since we are regional members of the Human Rights Council.

Our doublespeak echoes too loudly declaring "do as I say, not what I do". We pride ourselves in signing the Asean Declaration on Human Rights, yet locally that document carries no weight in how our laws, privileges and discriminations are being fortified and endorsed. It's time our parallel worlds of domestic and foreign policy merged to avoid being deemed hypocrites insulting not only our culture as Asians but our honesty, integrity and our religious beliefs.

I guess the question is do we really want to be leaders in all aspects of governance championing causes that are right, not just those that are right for us? Then every claim, speech, promise, declaration, law, convention that we put our name to needs to be verified true not just on paper or at a time of pre-election campaigning but continuously matched before we be given the doublespeak award.

These are issues that should not be "aspirational goals" especially since next year Malaysia will have to present its Universal Periodical Review detailing how our leaders have improved the state of human rights in the country. This being the second time we present will mean we cannot hide behind an accumulative trophy chest of improvements from the past 55 years since independence as we did the first time we presented in 2009. This time it will be tougher and rightly so.

Natalie is reaffirming her right to voice her opinion without fear, shame or threat in the spirit of this year's Human Rights Day theme 'Inclusion and the Right to Participate in Public Life' 
Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

Daily Sexism

By: Natalie Shobana Ambrose

theSun, Malaysia (pg 11)

November 29th, 2012

http://www.thesundaily.my/news/columns/onpointe

A defining moment in Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard's political career was when she fiercely took charge of the dispatch box to address Tony Abbott during question time saying, "I will not be lectured about sexism and misogyny by this man. Not now, not ever".

She continued saying, "The leader of the opposition says that people who hold sexist views and who are misogynists are not appropriate for high office. Well I hope the leader of the opposition has got a piece of paper and is writing out his resignation".

She did not mince her words as Abbott moved uncomfortably, looking visibly shamed as she chastised him. Three cheers for such eloquence and boldness from a politician of the highest office to speak against sexism.

Yet, there are others who do not share the sentiments of Gillard as a feminist hero only because her words and works do not seem to match – this list includes Aboriginal rights and treatment, human rights, racism, views on war and the like.

It's important for speeches, laws and regulations to tally with reality, if not we run the risk of losing credibility. In that sense, I do applaud the move to amend Dewan Rakyat's Standing Order 36(4), to state: "It shall be out of order for members of the House to use offensive language or make a sexist remark."

In this case, sexist remarks have been equated to safeguarding the honour of women to quote the minister in the Prime Minister's Department, which should extend to both sexes.

Though a praiseworthy move, it is hard to take it seriously when questions of what constitutes sexism and who ultimately decides to take those found guilty to task are not clear.

Given the subjective manner of this issue and the absence of gentlemanly behaviour in politics, it may just become another sentence in a rule book that looks nice but does not do much. The question of parliamentary immunity also does not add weight to such an amendment .

There are two levels where there is a disconnect with regard to sexism in Malaysia. The first involves what is written in the rule books and how it is translated into policy – domestic and foreign. The second is what is written and how it relates to daily behaviour.

As a country, how do we weigh issues of sexism against the wise words of politicians? Clearly we do not lack in examples of the first disconnect. From dismissing the needs of women's rights groups to be active in Malaysia to twisting vile comments condoning rape, not to chastise those who utter such disgraceful attitude but to use it for personal political leverage.

Then we have politicians who have been found guilty multiple times of sexist comments in the court of public opinion, who confidently remain adamant that it's acceptable to be sexist if provoked. These are the people who get air time. Mind you, every day women are provoked by sexist behaviour, can we then retaliate without consequence, Mr Politician?

This leads to the second disconnect, how sexism is an almost default behaviour for many men. Comments on body parts, catcalls, hotness ratings, and valuing aesthetic above aptitude, intelligence and capability, are common place even in high office positions what more rampant in lower ranking ones.

It doesn't just end in the office, it is something women face on a daily basis, so much so there is a dedicated website that records daily stories of sexism by women across the world called Everyday Sexism.

It is one thing to want to increase women participation in the workforce by 55% within the next three years, or pushing for more female representation in director positions, all this is secondary to how women are treated and how men are raised.

Fighting for the principle to respect women may seem noble but on the flip side it shows how unequal our society truly is.

Inequality is clearly not just a serious issue in Malaysia alone, even former French justice minister Rachida Dati is defined more by her personal life than her contribution to office while male counterparts with equally or more colourful private lives are not as tainted.

Evidently equality and respect for women vary not just between classes but between borders and even within the ranks of more "advanced" societies.

Paris-based feminist activist Anne Cécile Mailfert succulently sums up the argument in a Guardian article on the issue of sexism, "Our fight for parity is also about questioning our ability to fight sexist diktats, and the system of male domination, and to construct male-female equality in every field: to recognise the competence of women to exercise power is central and transcends the political sphere".

On paper, sexism may now not be tolerated in Parliament, but as a society, we still have a long way to go in treating women equally in the way we think, speak and act on a daily basis.

Natalie hopes more men and women start standing up against everyday sexism.                                                                                                              

Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

 

The Honourable Thing To Do

By: Natalie Shobana Ambrose

theSun, Malaysia (pg 13)

November 15th, 2012

http://www.thesundaily.my/news/columns/onpointe

 

 
The past week has been an interesting one – mainly the re-election of a president and China's leadership transition. To add to that, the week has seen two influential people step down; BBC's director-general George Entwistle, and CIA head David Petraeus.

Not to glorify their deeds, but it is however worth noting that in the midst of all these allegations and proof of misdeeds, they 'did the honourable thing' and stepped down. The same can be said of Montreal mayor Gérald Tremblay who stepped down after being accused by his party for allowing corruption and electoral misspending.

At the news conference where he announced his resignation, he said, "The city's functioning is much more important than my own personal interest." Of course, it would be preferred that he carried out his responsibilities with this mantra instead of leaving it as a parting word, but nonetheless, he too stepped down.

What should be pointed out here is that these men have been accused of alleged wrongdoings, all have yet to be charged, yet they stepped down. This almost never happens on our side of the world.

This past year a sequence of blatant abuse of public funds has been exposed, yet no one has stepped down. In fact, the reverse happened; they became party leaders, continued with business as usual and added insult to injury by making unintelligent statements about not being their child's lover, not knowing what their husband did or vehemently denying that there is a conflict of interest when a politician's kin amasses an obscene amount of wealth through government projects or gifts. Perhaps our politicians need some serious family counselling for such communication breakdowns.

While Russia fired its defence minister, Anatoly Serdyukov, for a US$100 million (RM306 million) corruption scandal this past week, little can be said of our fight against the culture of corruption.

Corruption occurs in many forms – graft, nepotism, cronyism, bribery, extortion, patronage – and it extends to facilitating criminal enterprise. The reality is that, no country will ever be free of corruption – that is a fact. Yet we can strive to stop it, and not accept such gross abuse of power – the question is, are we willing? If we are, then how do we do it?

It's time we started challenging the culture of corruption instead of waiting for transformation programmes to take effect. We need to champion leadership that is clear on its mandate against corruption – and not one that meanders. Why? Because we risk losing our economic vitality in the long run and that money is not for the benefit of an elite few but for our country as a whole. Thus far, such practices have crippled the efficiency of services and public goods. In this day and age, there is no room for rent-seeking behaviour and neither is there room for secrecy when it concerns a 40 million lump sum donation to a political party.

We need to start championing leadership that does the honourable thing and take lessons from people such as Malawi President Joyce Banda who is taking a 30% pay cut in an act of solidarity with her people who have been affected by a 25% inflation rate after the devaluation of their currency.

In that vein, we may not fully agree with Obama's politics but a leader who fights to increase his own tax rate is worth championing. Instead, in Malaysia we have leaders lining their pockets to ensure that their heirs are well taken care of for generations to come.

Balance, accountability and transparency are what our country needs yet lacks. It's telling that year after year, Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index looks like it spilt its red marker all over our part of the world.
 
We still have yet to take corruption seriously in Malaysia. Even in China, where stories of corruption run deep, things might be changing with the country's premier Wen Jiabao's request for the Communist Party to investigate New York Times' allegations against him and his family for amassing US$2.7 billion in 'hidden wealth' during his tenure.

This sentiment against corruption was reiterated in Hu Jintao's speech at the 18th Party Congress last week where he said, "If we fail to handle this issue well (combating corruption), it could prove fatal to the party, and even cause the collapse of the party and the fall of the state. We must thus make unremitting efforts to combat corruption."

If only our politicians could be that honest with themselves and with the people who determine the extent of their power.
 
Natalie believes that bottom-up anti-corruption mechanisms are most effective.                               
Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

Why It's Greener On The Other Side

By: Natalie Shobana Ambrose

theSun, Malaysia (pg 12)

November 1st, 2012

http://www.thesundaily.my/news/columns/onpointe

 

Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, there is a bitter exodus of brain drain in Malaysia. It isn't a new phenomenon for us, so much so that it has forced organisations to actively lure back talented Malaysians through targeted career and job fairs. It has also seen the birth of initiatives such as TalentCorp.

While acknowledging the good efforts of those trying to address this concern, there are many realities that a flat tax rate and cursory benefits cannot make up for, and these realities have yet to be addressed. Let's be clear and honest in calling a spade a spade. It's time to have real discussions about this important issue, without feeling slighted and told to leave the country if you are so unhappy.

In order to address issues accurately, we need to be able to critically engage leaving emotions to one side. Hopefully this article captures some of the reasons in a pragmatic manner and will create space for meaningful discussion that will feed into the greater discussions of true transformation.

Why is it greener on the other side? One overarching reason is the reality of affirmative action, bluntly put it is institutionalised racism. Being a second-class citizen in a foreign country may not be ideal, but being one in your own country is a far bitter pill to swallow.

Many countries accord similar citizenship benefits to contributing foreigners, perhaps not immediately but definitely after a few years. So in the long-run, the knowledge and surety that, at the very least, your offspring will have equal rights and freedom, plays an important role.

Many Malaysians who have left are not first generation Malaysians. Yet, to waste energy and emotion on basic equality rights is tiring, degrading and eats away at self-esteem – so why bother?

In this day and age, merit should not be based on race, religion and family connections. But sadly, it is in many places and such bias grates deeper. So the option of moving to another country, where merit is based on capability, seems to be a much easier and workable environment.

Can a fatter paycheque make up for this? When house prices, university entrance requirements, job designations, promotions, preferential bonds, loan approvals, scholarships, tax rates and the likes are dependent on the colour of your skin and belief system – money can only soothe so much.

Another factor is the quality of the work environment. Is credit and promotion given according to merit, do people carry their weight, are local organisations professional and is intellectual honesty honoured? In many instances the answer is no, so not only are these concerns persuasive in luring talent back but it is also important for retaining them.

Part of earning a decent living is being able to enjoy a decent living. This includes good infrastructure such as public transport, education system and security factors. If the risk of theft, kidnapping and sexual assault is high, why put yourself and your loved ones in harm's way? Can my children walk to school feeling safe, or play in the playground without fear? Is it safe to walk down a street with your handbag without getting robbed?

It does not mean that these things do not happen elsewhere, however, with the rising security concerns due to increasing crime rates, people are more likely to prefer living in a country where the legal and security system will truly make them feel safe and favours the rights of children. No amount of money thrown into perception management can take away the fact that more Malaysians feel unsafe.

Modern nomadic migration can come across as ungratefulness that plagues younger generations. While there is some truth to that, the quality of life plays an important role too.

For local talents, the cost of living on a Malaysian salary can be very trying. In order to minimise travel time and avoid getting stuck in traffic jams, we try to live close to the city. However, paying for a Kuala Lumpur zip code can be too pricey. It would also mean living in a smaller space and not owning land. So we move out into satellite cities but end up spending more time on the road, taking away precious time that can be spent with the family or for recreation, which then affects our quality of life and not to mention our moods.

The list of reasons is far longer than what's been mentioned. It includes exorbitant car prices, rising food cost, political and media freedom, inflated house prices, a weaker ringgit and a growing sense of ethnocentric attitudes.

We can kick up a fuss about patriotism, but it also boils down to a sense of belonging and ownership. Many would love to return if the circumstances improved and these concerns are seriously and meticulously addressed.

There are large Malaysian diasporas in many developed countries and it is growing rapidly – we should be asking why and how to address this. The brain drain and retaining talent is a serious issue that needs real solutions, if not it will continue in the inexorable manner it is today and Malaysia will be at an even greater loss.

Natalie lives in Malaysia but wonders for how long. 

Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

Under The Guise Of Patriotism

By: Natalie Shobana Ambrose

theSun, Malaysia (pg 13)

October 18th, 2012

http://www.thesundaily.my/news/columns/onpointe

 

During a recent anti-Japan protest in Xi'an, China, over the much disputed Diaoyu Islands, also known as the Senkaku Islands in Japan, a Chinese man was beaten up so badly because he was driving a Toyota Corolla. Used as a punching bag and smashed over the head with a U-shaped lock, he is now partially paralysed. In an outrageous reprimand from protesters, such violence was deemed as an act "of patriotism".

 

Far from what real patriotism is, the understanding that people are allowed to protest, in this case to express disapproval against Japan, was appropriate. But violence like that seen in over 80 Chinese cities is unacceptable.

 

On our shores, there are many issues that are brought up under the guise of patriotism. But really, it's just for the sake of pushing those delicate buttons and fanning the flames of sensitivities, mainly surrounding the issues of race and religion. It can be from anything, like the implementation of hudud law across the country, to the strengthening of affirmative action, to allegations of a secret takeover by the Christians, Chinese or the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community.

 

If none of this is causing enough discomfort, then the next level of below the belt are from the conjuring of un-classy allegations such as a coup d'état by political communist, to the absurd notion of a lack of water in a tropical country where the city centre now seems to be flooding with daily evening rainfall.

 

This is all done under the guise of patriotism. Each side of the political spectrum is protecting us from the ultimate destruction and ruining of the country. But here is what's ruining the country – greed, dishonesty and the lack of love for our tanah air, or to quote our national anthem "tanah tumpahnya darahku" (the land where my blood was shed). Clearly, we have little regard for Malaysia to allow such bad behaviour to not just continue, but to escalate.

 

Looking at the Auditor-General's Report 2011 with the blatant misuse of funds, I'm disappointed that the politicians are actually still so smug. Perhaps their alternate universe does not accord for feelings of remorse. Surely the realities that families, regardless of their race and religion, who struggle to make ends meet must evoke some feeling of shame for the millions that have been siphoned and can never be returned. Where then is their patriotism and love for the country?

 

Leaving aside the wrongness of releasing the AG's report after tabling the budget, clearly there has to be some mandate furthering the implementation of an accountability index. There has to be mechanisms to ensure that errant ministries, officers and politicians are charged for raping the country and if accountability indexes are low, then there are consequences to be faced. How long will it take before we use the AG's report for more than just a jaw-dropping index of true corruption levels or as multiple article fillers?

 

Having interacted recently with people from Asean countries, learning about their progress and development in economy and more pointedly in the area of human development, my observations lead me to a different understanding of our country.

 

On the façade, we are seen as a developing country – a striving economy and moving in the right direction – but when we peel away the niceties of our so-called success story, what we gravely lack is patriotism. Not the slogan of patriotism but the detailed translation of patriotism which means more than just upholding the laws. It is going beyond the basics of upholding the wellbeing of the country, which is the hallmark of patriotism.

 

Maybe it's because our multiculturalism means that no one truly feels like Malaysia is their country and so we don't love Malaysia more than we love ourselves, but are trying to get as much out of it as we can – a very different mind-set from other Asean countries.

 

History has shown us that it's not the names of those in power that we remember most, it is those deemed as trouble makers fighting for a better country. It is the progressives that make the difference, highlight the cause and spark real change.

 

Teddy Roosevelt was not popular when he said this but I believe his words hold true till today: "Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public office, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country." Maybe the next time a Malaysian leader fans the flames of disunity, we might measure him to these words.

 

Natalie believes that leaders and those in authority should be strengthening the state, not undermining it under the disguise of patriotism.

Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

A Sense Of Entitlement

By: Natalie Shobana Ambrose

theSun, Malaysia (pg 12)

October 4th, 2012

http://www.thesundaily.my/news/columns/onpointe

There are certain expectations when we buy a non-budget air ticket – 20kg luggage allowance, toilet facilities, some leg room, reclining seats, food, entertainment, and oxygen masks to name a few. It's a privilege we pay for and our expectations of it equates to a sense of entitlement.

What happens when some of these basic expectations are not met? We become unhappy bunnies, like I am right now as I write this column on a flight with legs squished, knees pressing against a fully reclined seat in front of me, while I angle the lap top to a decent position and having one-year-old twins and their parents next to me in seats that do not recline. Yes, it's a full flight, and I can't help but wonder if it's fair to place these young parents in such seats. To add salt to the wound, it is unfortunate that the adult family sitting in front of us have chosen to exercise their entitlement for their utmost comfort. Is this fair?

We all have a sense of entitlement in different areas of our lives including for the companies we work for to meet certain basic expectations. But perhaps more accurately, our first experience of this is the sense of entitlement we have within our families as it's a privilege of being part of a family. Similarly, I would imagine that as Malaysians we have a sense of entitlement of being Malaysians. Yet entitlements are not absolute and neither do they have to be used just because they're available.

As a Malaysian, my sense of entitlement comes from the concept that I am Malaysian first. I expect to not just be protected but accorded the same privileges as every Malaysian. This is because the circumstances of my birth or ethnicity are not of my doing. To paraphrase famed Harvard professor Dr Michael Sandle, my race is an arbitrary fact and having my life options determined by this is unjust. Sadly, in Malaysia we have a skewed perception of equality.

This problem arises because generations have been taught to tolerate and not accept that differences should not divide, but make us an adaptable nation ready to accommodate the multiculturalism of the world onto our shores. So we are stuck, stuck because our sense of entitlement has been partnered with an unwillingness to compromise and accommodate with a non-negotiable expectation for everyone else to cower to our entitlements. This only creates friction and just like twigs rubbed together create sparks, chaffed feelings create disunity, disloyalty and only deepen the wounds of discrimination.

Proponents of affirmative action believe that we need to level the playing field. I agree, but the focus also needs to be on bringing everyone to the same starting point – a challenging task made impossible by race-based affirmative action. So we go in circles, lose talent and create a people who are limited.

As a Malaysian, my expectations of the government are honesty and integrity. You may laugh at my naïve words, but honesty in all spheres of politics is necessary. I also expect for logic to prevail. When tabling a budget, one needs to know what previous spending was like, hence why the Auditor-General's Report has to be tabled simultaneously or earlier, but definitely not weeks after the budget is debated on. How then will the budget be honestly debated? Even the layman's chequebook has a balancing chit for each cheque written, acknowledging the importance of knowing what is being spent and how much is left – how much more necessary is it for a country to do so.

Last year, the A-G's report was delayed and many discrepancies arose. There was a gaping misuse of funds involving the meat industry and military spending to name a few. Little has been done about it, but to delay the report only spells danger and creates suspicion as our spending goes further into the red zone and the priority of perception over addressing issues has become the norm.

So as a Malaysian, these are some entitlements I count as basic not just for me but for every Malaysian – and something I think we all need to exercise fully to discredit those who continue to exercise a false sense of entitlement.

Natalie is glad that the plane has now landed and she's back on Malaysian soil.  Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

 

Mud On The Wall

By: Natalie Shobana Ambrose

theSun, Malaysia (pg 11)

September 24th, 2012

http://www.thesundaily.my/news/columns/onpointe

 

It’s been used many times to teach a valuable lesson. Someone holds up a big blank piece of paper and asks the crowd: "What do you see?"

"A white sheet of paper," they say. Then a big dot is drawn on it.

"Now, what do you see?"

"A black dot!" they shout back.

It's true isn't it? What most of us would see is the black dot and not the big white surrounding the dot. It's an automatic human response for us to see the imperfections and stains instead of the good, especially when it is in someone else, even more so when the person is a perceived threat.

History is a telltale to this behaviour. During the pre-Middle East uprising, everyone was quite happy to mingle with the Mubaraks, Gadhafis, Salehs and Bashar al-Assads of the desert. Famous artists performed at their parties, presidents made good friends, royalty socialised with them, even the head of prestigious education establishments schmoozed and accepted money from these men.

And just like that, as the turmoil began, what do you know? The very same people who bragged close proximity are hurriedly distancing themselves and even disregarding state sovereignty. That big black dot mutates into many more dots that keep growing and growing and growing.

In politics, one can go from being a close friend to a dangerous foe in a split second. We've seen this happen multiple times on home ground. Strike before they strike you, and we will be safe. That seems to be the modus operandi strategy that our politicians are taking, in light of impending elections.

Though instead of tomahawks, grenades, guns, drones, bombs and weapons of mass destruction, our politicians have taken to simple mudslinging. A more civilised method of annihilating the perceived threat – those with opposing views, belief systems and some that just challenge the 'norm'.

In politics, I suppose mudslinging is part and parcel of office life. But Malaysians are getting hit in the crossfire instead of real issues being addressed.

We all know if you throw mud on a white wall, the mud won't stick but it will definitely stain. It's very easy to throw mud, but it takes effort to clear the damaging stains. So why not discredit a politician by any means if they are a perceived threat? It's a strategy that works after all, especially in a country with a growing Pharisee Complex.

The sad thing is we claim to be a democracy, not a guided democracy as we used to be, but a straight unadulterated democracy. So how come our politicians didn't get the memo? A democracy is only a democracy when there are options, when there is more than one capable party, when voting allows for leadership to be challenged instead of all powers belonging solely to one party. It also helps to know in advance when campaigning will start and when the elections are – that is what a democracy is.

We need to adopt and increase the mentality of 'I love my country more' and stand up for the injustices, not just in the political sphere but in the social sphere.

Get involved in influencing the many draft laws and blueprints, speak up against guidelines that advocates discrimination such as the one on how to be a good lady boss or that v-neck t-shirts and buff bodies are not allowed freely in this country. We may think we are living in peace but each time a baby is dumped or thrown, each time racial and religious sensitivities are played, each time corruption wins, we move further away from peace and justice.

World Peace Day was celebrated last Friday, where the world called for a ceasefire on every level to make peace for one day. One day may not seem like a big deal but in war torn countries where aid workers are allowed to enter without fear of attack, it means life to many. Did Malaysia stop mudslinging on that one day and look beyond all our innate discrimination to say 'I love my country more and I want peace'?

Natalie knows that the majority vote does not equal the truth, though it's always nice to win!

Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

No Subsititue For Good Service

By: Natalie Shobana Ambrose

theSun, Malaysia (pg 13)

September 6th, 2012

http://www.thesundaily.my/news/columns/onpointe 

 “Excuse me, do you sell pine nuts” I asked. “It’s very expensive” the shop owner replied.  As the saying goes, ‘my blood boiled’.  Customer service in Malaysia truly is a force to be reckoned with.  It’s just frustrating at times. I’m sure many of you reading this, have your own encounters with careless sales people.  There are a few categories I’d place them in.  The ‘you’re not rich enough so why bother’, ‘I can see you, but I’ll just stand here pretending I don’t”, the “I don’t know Ma’am syndrome” and the cop out ‘it’s our policy’ customer service.

Then there are the overzealous that follow your every move like you’re about to steal something. Or maybe that just only happens to me.  “Can I help you?”

“Just looking thanks”

“We have this in all sizes and three different colours, would you like to try it?”

“Em, no thank you,  I’m just looking but if I find something I’ll let you know”,

“Ok, this is a new arrival item Ma’am, would you like to try it?”.  This is what I call, induced blood boiling.

What about the sales people that pretend they don’t see you, especially when you’re trying to get service.  The food would not have gotten cold had I waited for the chopsticks to arrive.  Then there are the waiters that don’t speak any comprehensible language and don’t understand any of the languages I speak. 

Though one thing that I find in Malaysia, is that our customer service people lack knowledge of the product they are selling.  They just want to make a sale or like standing around talking. An experience at a famous bookshop drove the point home.  I was looking for a particular book but the sales people just did not know how to answer any of the my questions.   It was rather disappointing, as I thought back to an experience at a bookshop in India, where the guy sorting out the shelf, could explain which books were a good read and why!  Maybe we’re just not a country and reads as much, but I’d expect some basic knowledge about books if they were working at a bookstore, or was this just a case of “this is what you get for the salary I’m getting paid”?  There is little pride in the work some customer service people do.

“Where is this made?”

“I don’t’ know”, said with a blank stare.

“Can you go check?”, “Em ok.” Person goes away, talks to someone else that looks equally as clueless. “Don’t know la Ma’am, but do you want to buy it?” 

Then there is the ‘if I say it’s made in a European country, the price hike is warranted’.  Case in point happened in a reputable leather goods store where the item in question was an expensive leather bag apparently made in Italy.  Not only was the Italian grammar on the information tag all wrong, the English was appalling.  This trend of misleading customers is really unbecoming and leaves a bad taste.

The worst has got to be a teleco company’s ‘customer care line’.  I had been charged double and only realised when the credit card bill arrived. So I called them to clarify and wanted to know why I was not informed. “I’m sorry Ma’am, there was a problem with the system, it’s not our fault that we charged you twice, it’s the system.”

 I replied,  “It’s your system; therefore it’s your problem. So why was I not informed and charged double?

“Sorry Ma’am, it’s our policy.  Anyway it has been rectified, so it’s not a problem anymore”.  I think my blood boiled over for the little care received!

It’s not all bad though. Our postman does a good job.  He’s conscientious and delivers our letters in the smelting heat.  When a second New Zealand parcel had not made it to the house, I went to the post office.  I was directed to the sorting room and spoke with the chief postman about it, giving him the details. The parcel was never found but I was very impressed with the service given.

Service at local councils and other government run ministries have definitely improved. Definitely service with a smile, something the private sector can learn from, because if you don’t care for your customers, someone else will. 

Natalie believes, there’s no substitute for good customer service.

Comments: letters@thesundaily.com