By Ashraf S. Had                                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
YOUTH need guidance, inspiration and leaders whom they can                                                                                            
follow. I am a youth, and like many people my age I have my                                                                                           
own perception of a leader.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
This "leader" is the person I would like to become when I grow                                                                              
up; the one I idolise and dream about.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
Who is this person?                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                      
To be selected, he or she will have to go through some                                                                                                
rigorous and uncompromising tests. I have my own criteria -                                                                                           
four basic qualities which I call RICE: Responsibility,                                                                                               
Integrity, Charisma and Ethics.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
My dream leader must be responsible, have integrity and be                                                                                            
charismatic and ethical. Few can actually meet these demands.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
Responsibility is being accountable, reliable, answerable and                                                                                         
liable for one's actions. It means that if you make a decision                                                                                        
and unfortunately it turns out to be a disaster, you must be                                                                                          
man (or woman) enough to admit that it is your fault.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
A classic example of this is the Bank Negara issue. Our                                                                                               
central bank had then made a loss of RM5.14 billion because of                                                                                        
some unfortunate Forex investments. Although the loss was only                                                                                        
"on paper," fact remains that damage was done.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
Despite all the mess, there was something that I, as a                                                                                                
Malaysian, was proud of. Instead of the usual finger-pointing,                                                                                        
Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Jaffar Hussein took                                                                                                      
responsibility. The mistakes could have been his or someone                                                                                           
else's. What was important here is that as a leader, he did                                                                                           
not run away, and for that I take my hat off to him.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
The second attribute is integrity.  When we speak of                                                                                                  
integrity, we speak of uprightness, honesty, purity and                                                                                               
"soundness of character." And who is this person with a                                                                                     
character so "sound"?                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
One such person is Tun Ismail Ali.  Even renowned social                                                                                              
activist Dr Chandra Muzaffar once said that Tun Ismail is                                                                                             
"clean and honest."                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
Tun Ismail was our central bank's first governor. He did a                                                                                            
great job and made Bank Negara one of the best central banks                                                                                          
among developing nations at that time. He went on to Sime                                                                                             
Darby and helped it to become one of Malaysia's leading                                                                                               
multinational companies. Later, he was appointed chairman of                                                                                          
Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB).                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                      
Throughout his service, his integrity was beyond question.                                                                                            
Today, it is difficult to find someone with a reputation equal                                                                                        
to that of Tun Ismail.                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
The third element in RICE is charisma, which can be best                                                                                              
defined as personal appeal or the power to attract others. A                                                                                          
charismatic person is capable of inspiring people and                                                                                                 
motivating them.                                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad has this                                                                                                
attribute.  He is firm and outspoken domestically and                                                                                                 
internationally.  Malaysians love him. With that charisma and                                                                                         
a lot of hard work, he has brought Malaysia to where it is                                                                                            
today.                                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
Let me share a personal experience.  In 1990, my family and I                                                                                         
were on holiday in England when we went to Manchester's Old                                                                                           
Trafford stadium, home of the Red Devils.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
We met an Englishman who asked where we were from. When my                                                                                            
father answered that we came from Malaysia, the man blinked                                                                                           
several times. He did not know where Malaysia is!                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                      
We had to say that we were Singapore's neighbour, only then                                                                                           
did he know where we came from. I am proud of my country and                                                                                          
the last thing I want to do is to refer to tiny Singapore                                                                                             
every time I have to tell someone where I come from.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
But that was in 1990. Last year, I was in England after                                                                                               
attending a debating championship in Ireland.  Again the                                                                                              
locals asked where I came from.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
I answered Malaysia and was pleasantly surprised when they                                                                                            
said: "Oh yes, Malaysia ... Kuala Lumpur, isn't it?"                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
They know us. A few of them even said "Oh yes, Malaysia ...                                                                                      
mandatory death sentence for drug traffickers."                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
Some of them have been to our country and said they loved it                                                                                          
so much that they would not mind a second visit. That was one                                                                                         
of the proudest moments in my life. It took a long time.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
Dr Mahathir told the people of the world that we are Malaysia,                                                                                        
not "Singapore's neighbour," and for that I cannot thank him                                                                                
enough.                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
Last but not least a leader must be ethical, one who follows                                                                                          
the principles of ethics. Don't confused with integrity and                                                                                           
ethics. A person with integrity is upright, honest and pure; a                                                                                        
person who is ethical follows a system of accepted principles                                                                                         
and practices set by a particular society and he always puts                                                                                          
the society's interest above his.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                      
I have to say here that I cannot think of a Malaysian who fits                                                                                        
this fourth description. It could be because I have not read                                                                                          
about such individuals.  But it is also part of their duty to                                                                                         
come out and "tell the tale" to youngsters like me.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
From childhood, we have been taught to follow. But young                                                                                              
people need proper role-models, figure heads and examples to                                                                                          
follow. There are many leaders in our country today, some good                                                                                        
and some not so good.                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
Personally, I think there is a lack of role-models in our                                                                                             
country. This development is not good for our youth. They have                                                                                        
few people to look up to, to idolise, to tell them how to                                                                                             
realise that ambition, success and dream.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
Something should be done to remedy this misfortune. There                                                                                             
should be a structural change, a change of rules and                                                                                                  
regulations, or even a change of policy. Something should be                                                                                          
done so that leaders with all the four qualities of RICE will                                                                                         
surface in the future.                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
However, if we look at the international arena, there is a                                                                                            
person who by and large has all four qualities.  He is                                                                                                
Konosuke Matsushita of Japan.  He started off in 1917 when he                                                                                         
was 23 by making electric sockets. The small business he                                                                                              
started is now a multinational corporation.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
His golden rule in business was: working together within                                                                                              
industries, peace and prosperity for all of society and                                                                                               
co-operation with other members of the world society. During                                                                                          
his lifetime, there were many instances in which he                                                                                                   
demonstrated all four qualities again and again.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
Malaysia may have leaders with the four qualities; perhaps I                                                                                          
have unintentionally missed them.  However, it is their                                                                                               
responsibility to society to come out and tell it to others,                                                                                          
especially the youth. They should write, talk at seminars and                                                                                         
forums.                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
The media can help to find such people, write about them and                                                                                          
help to propagate their ideals. They should be uncompromising                                                                                         
in doing so. Only then will the youth, followers and leaders                                                                                          
to-be take heed and look to them as mentors, role-models and                                                                                          
idols.