THE Malaysian Institute of Management (MIM) recently launched                                                                                         
a new initiative for concerned CEOs to address, in an open and                                                                                        
frank manner, the various key issues affecting the nation.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
As the national management organisation, MIM has long realised                                                                                        
the need to voice the unease felt by the management community                                                                                         
towards declining social and moral standards.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
If the country is to move forward, the situation now demands                                                                                          
its own momentum of change.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
The content of such a change must be determined against                                                                                               
today's realities.                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                      
The social fabric of our society is marked by its members'                                                                                            
inability to think through the common problems.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
The resulting absence of motivation causes people to be easily                                                                                        
influenced by the media and pressure groups. We end up                                                                                                
becoming followers instead.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
Another reality that has surfaced recently is the impact of                                                                                           
civilisation on our lives.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
It has seriously undermined our tradition-bound conduct and                                                                                           
behaviour.                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
If we look at the behaviour of youths today, their lifestyles                                                                                         
have foreign roots.                                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                      
Likewise, the corporate players are themselves guilty of                                                                                              
copying what has become trendy from the West.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
As a result, our citizens are paying scant regard to our                                                                                              
cherished and treasured values.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
The final reality is the monster that has made us so dependent                                                                                        
on officialdom. Nothing moves us unless we are told to do so.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
We fear to speak the truth and to deal bravely with the truth.                                                                                        
We accept half-truths and distorted information.                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
Our quest for modernity must be balanced with a sincere effort                                                                                        
to preserve our heritage.                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
A start can be made by working together to introduce different                                                                                        
levels of change - within the individual, the family unit and                                                                                         
the community.                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
CEOs can play their part by voicing their concerns as a group.                                                                                        
They need to reinvigorate themselves by supporting this                                                                                               
exercise and preventing our society from further erosion of                                                                                           
sense and sensibility.                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
At the new initiative by MIM, Tan Sri Datuk Professor Harun                                                                                           
Mahmud Hashim, a distinguished Malaysian personality, gave the                                                                                        
30 CEOs present his personal reading of the social situation                                                                                          
in the country.                                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
Speaking on "The root causes of our social ills and challenges                                                                                   
for their future management," Tan Sri Harun said the main                                                                                        
social problems and needs were: drugs, corruption, social and                                                                                         
moral decline, housing, healthcare and education.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                      
He traced the development of these problem areas from their                                                                                           
probable causes and provided a rich background drawn from his                                                                                         
days as a senior civil servant.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
On the drug problem, he believed that the Government should                                                                                           
nip the menace in the bud before it went out of control.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
Likewise, for corruption; the need is to be ever-vigilant and                                                                                         
there should be political will to prevent and eradicate it.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
On social and moral decline, Tan Sri Harun mentioned the                                                                                              
excessive influence of Westernbased lifestyle, urban migration                                                                                        
and lack of family togetherness as contributing causes.  These                                                                                        
have led to housing and healthcare problems.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
On the education system, he said his only regret is that it                                                                                           
has not produced thinking Malaysians, who seem to be only                                                                                             
trained to pass examinations.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
Tan Sri Harun provided interesting and firm views on how to                                                                                           
manage some of the issues raised. He felt education, housing                                                                                          
and healthcare should be the responsibility of the Government                                                                                         
and not left to the private sector.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                      
Finally on corruption, Tan Sri Harun said its eradication,                                                                                            
both within the Government and private sectors, should be                                                                                             
everybody's concern.                                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
The corrupt should be looked upon as enemies of the public.                                                                                           
Corruption should not be the way of life.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
Tan Sri Harun also shared some of his thoughts on the economy,                                                                                        
politics, agriculture and Islam.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                                      
On the latter, he was categorical in saying that in embarking                                                                                         
on the policy of propagation of Islam, the Government should                                                                                          
be aware that it has unleashed a force which has gathered its                                                                                         
own momentum, and there would be no turning back.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                      
Both Muslims and non-Muslims would have to live and deal with                                                                                         
this aspect of the Malaysian society. But he cautioned,                                                                                               
however, that while belief in God and observance of moral                                                                                             
values should be the cornerstone of our society, extremism of                                                                                         
any kind must be checked by enlightened education, knowledge                                                                                          
and understanding.                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                      
Tan Sri Harun thinks it is necessary to look at the political                                                                                         
establishment itself for a resolution of our social ills. He                                                                                          
advocates that politicians should have at least a first degree                                                                                        
from a university.                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                      
On top of that, they must have had the experience of earning a                                                                                        
living and would like to enter politics as a career.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
He called for elections of local authorities. He also felt                                                                                            
that there should be a review of the system of election to the                                                                                        
Dewan Rakyat and the Senate.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
On the economy, he opined that the management of companies and                                                                                        
banks should be left to the professionals right up to the top.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
The idea is to let each private commercial organisation to                                                                                            
prosper on its own. Government involvement should be in the                                                                                           
area of infrastructure.                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
From the ensuing dialogue, it was realised that the list of                                                                                           
our social ills contrasted glaringly with the successful                                                                                              
development of the economy.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
These realities have to be dealt with in an open and frank                                                                                            
manner. Honest deliberations must replace narrow and skewed                                                                                           
thinking.                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
The hope is to build upon a constructive dialogue that can                                                                                            
steer the country confidently forward.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
MIM hopes to involve more CEOs in the deliberations in future                                                                                         
talks so that together a memorandum can be prepared and                                                                                               
brought to the notice of the authorities.