THE public image of non-government organisations (NGOs) has                                                                                           
always been a varied one. Some are mere pressure groups.                                                                                              
Others are genuinely involved in just causes. Yet others are                                                                                          
seen as self-interest groups of professional and trade                                                                                                
associations.                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
It has always been a difficult task, therefore, to reach out                                                                                          
to NGOs and to get them to develop a new role in the                                                                                                  
fast-changing context of Malaysia.                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                      
If the NGOs do not change, it is nearly impossible for them to                                                                                        
survive into the next century. There are many things NGOs can                                                                                         
do to develop a new role for themselves.                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
Take membership for instance. It is widely observed that some                                                                                         
NGOs are restricting membership only to certain ethnic or                                                                                             
interest groups.  There are examples of NGOs which apply other                                                                                        
restrictive criteria for membership. Ideally, all Malaysians                                                                                          
should be able to become members of any organisation they                                                                                             
choose to belong to.                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
In the case of their activities, some NGOs are seen to exist                                                                                          
only in name. Some conduct their activities in secrecy. There                                                                                         
is a place, of course, for NGOs that support public welfare                                                                                           
efforts such as those which run centres for abused children                                                                                           
and women and centres for the disabled.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
Likewise, we can see a need for NGOs which advocate human                                                                                             
rights and environment issues. But the existence of                                                                                                   
self-interest groups should not be relevant in a society like                                                                                         
ours that is catapulting itself into the 21st Century.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
Groups that have to go are the various clan and trade guilds.                                                                                         
Associations that organise activities for interest groups such                                                                                        
as those representing people from a specific state or district                                                                                        
must also go.                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
Management is one area that the NGOs will need to concern                                                                                             
themselves with. This applies to their organisation, their                                                                                            
office-bearers and their handling of finances. Many have                                                                                              
welcomed efforts to get their staff trained in modern                                                                                                 
management skills. But a majority of them feel that some                                                                                              
management principles are only "good to know" and not entirely                                                                              
workable in an NGO environment.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
This is a short-sighted view. Generally, it is recognised that                                                                                        
for NGOs to make themselves relevant, they need to keep up                                                                                            
with new management ideas and techniques. They are required to                                                                                        
keep in step with what is going on around them. Above all,                                                                                            
they must be seen to support the Government in its efforts to                                                                                         
realise the objective of becoming an industrialised nation and                                                                                        
to build a society that is robust, dynamic and resilient.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
Realising a need to garner the combined resources of the NGOs                                                                                         
in this country and to channel their energies and efforts                                                                                             
towards achieving results, the Malaysian Institute of                                                                                                 
Management has started a series of training programmes for the                                                                                        
NGOs. The programmes have been designed to pass on to NGOs the                                                                                        
how-to of management.                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
Last year, MIM invited 138 officers and staff of NGOs and                                                                                             
nonprofit organisations to take part in a three-day seminar on                                                                                        
Converting Good Intentions Into Results. In a similar effort,                                                                                         
MIM with the support of the German-based Konrad Adenauer                                                                                              
Foundation, will organise another seminar to be held in Penang                                                                                        
and Kuala Lumpur next month and in August.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
The theme of this year's seminar is Developing Supervisory                                                                                            
Skills. It is aimed at imparting understanding and knowledge                                                                                          
of management practices that can improve the effectiveness of                                                                                         
NGO supervisory staff.  Participants will learn about the                                                                                             
supervisor's job and the skills needed, developing leadership                                                                                         
skills, how to motivate staff, marketing and public relations.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
The new role for the NGOs in the years to come can be examined                                                                                        
in terms of job functions, leadership, motivating members,                                                                                            
marketing their products and public relations.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
NGOs need to be more conscious of their job functions. This                                                                                           
will mean attention is to be given to getting the right people                                                                                        
and trained staff. The system of hiring part timers will no                                                                                           
longer ensure a smooth administration.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
NGOs will need to respond by providing job opportunities for                                                                                          
the public. They can also function as a training ground for                                                                                           
our youths to acquire extra skills outside the school                                                                                                 
curriculum. Schools can develop collaborative learning                                                                                                
experiences for their students by linking up with NGOs.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
It is observed by many that as most NGOs are run by part-time                                                                                         
or voluntary workers, the NGOs are not managed properly nor                                                                                           
led by dedicated and committed people. These shortcomings can                                                                                         
be overcome by giving proper training to supervisors and staff                                                                                        
of NGOs.                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
There are enough of ideas, issues and problems that can                                                                                               
motivate people to join NGOs. But the aim is to get the right                                                                                         
people. There is surely no place for bystanders and                                                                                                   
hangers-on.                                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
People can also be motivated by offers of huge sums of cash by                                                                                        
NGOs outside the country anxious to buy the support of naive                                                                                          
Malaysians.  This is the sort of negative motivation that we                                                                                          
can do without.                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
We, therefore, have to motivate members in a different way. It                                                                                        
can be done through raising the enthusiasm level, increasing                                                                                          
the participatory index and pushing the members to go the                                                                                             
extra mile.                                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
NGOs need to repackage their products to ensure maximum                                                                                               
acceptance by the public. High sounding names and gimmicky                                                                                            
presentations will attract only negative respect.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                      
Applying the principles of marketing, a good product to be                                                                                            
sold must have appeal, utility and intelligence. NGOs can take                                                                                        
pride that if their products are acceptable, the country and                                                                                          
the people can benefit.  Attention should be given to                                                                                                 
espousing only worthy causes.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
NGOs also need to clean up their image as a pressure                                                                                                  
instrument or a voice for anti-government activities. They                                                                                            
should seek to build strong bonds of coalition with other                                                                                             
like-minded groups. Contacts with other NGOs outside the                                                                                              
country are to be encouraged but not to the extent of                                                                                                 
undermining the independence of the Organisation.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                      
NGOs need to be reminded of their role in society. They must                                                                                          
strive for transparency in all their dealings- otherwise,                                                                                             
society will lose confidence in them. This has relevance to                                                                                           
the financial management of their organisations.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
Far too much has been said about loss of integrity, lacking in                                                                                        
honesty and crisis of confidence. NGOs should take the cue                                                                                            
from the Prime Minister and proceed with their tasks to build                                                                                         
the nation as a team.