MALAYSIANS were shocked yet once again in April by events of                                                                                          
racial disorder near Petaling Jaya outside Kuala Lumpur.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
The racial nature of the social breakdown attracted people's                                                                                          
attention and caused them to ask whether this could have been                                                                                         
prevented.                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
To many it was all May 13 once again. To others it would appear                                                                                       
that the affirmative action that was put in place after May 13                                                                                        
lad not been effective enough.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
Yet others were saying that the well- meaning policies that                                                                                           
were implemented had come too late.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                      
There was also a host of other, reasons or excuses that had                                                                                           
been suggested for inaction or over-reaction.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
Whatever the people's perception, the right way to appreciate                                                                                         
the situation, is to, try And understand the social environment                                                                                       
and whether, we have sufficient human talents that can manage                                                                                         
the problems.                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
What is needed, is for a trained pool of social managers that                                                                                         
can be mobilized to plan, implement and evaluate the success of                                                                                       
any social enhancement programmes either at the Government or                                                                                         
public level.                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
The social environment actually consists of five related                                                                                              
elements.                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
Firstly, it has to do with the level of tolerance that is                                                                                             
acceptable to the people.                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
This is determined by the attitude of most people towards the                                                                                         
question of ethnicity.                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
Social managers are inclined to believe people should be made                                                                                         
to feel comfortable with the fact that we are different                                                                                               
racially from one another.                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
This is the best recipe for encouraging people to tolerate one                                                                                        
another.                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
To be aware of one's differences is to ac- knowledge the fact                                                                                         
of our racial mix and move us to be more creative in dealing                                                                                          
with any racial tension.                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
Accepting this truth will relieve us of always harbouring guilt                                                                                       
feelings about how not to hurt the other person feelings of                                                                                           
another race.                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
Secondly, we have to consider an element that is closely tied                                                                                         
to the first one, the positive use of our diversity.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
As most people would like to believe there is a value in our                                                                                          
diversity.                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
We have a he richer resource pool to pick from.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
The melting pot nature of our society contributes to a clearer                                                                                        
understanding of the era of globalisation that we are moving                                                                                          
into now.                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
Imagine the whole battery of talents we have in our midst,                                                                                            
which if creatively applied to nation building, will surely                                                                                           
catapult us into the competitive league of the developed                                                                                              
countries.                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
Thirdly, having recognized the fact of our diversity and ethnic                                                                                       
differences, we must be prepared to act voluntarily.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                                      
Solely relying on the Government is not the answer.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                                      
More can be gained from volunteering our time, effort and                                                                                             
services either to help the unfortunate or the downtrodden. ,                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                                      
As a wise man once said, the rich must share their wealth with                                                                                        
the poor, the abled needs to assist the disabled and the long                                                                                         
on good things must offer to sustain those who are short on                                                                                           
things,                                                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
The attitude of leaving it to other will also not do.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
To make the difference in combating our social ills, we need to                                                                                       
call upon a higher spirit of volunteerism.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
We need to get involved in the community.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
Fourthly, there must be an honest appraisal of our faults in                                                                                          
trying to find a quick - fix to solve every social evil.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
Part of the problem is our age-old habit of seeing ghosts where                                                                                       
there is none.                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
Consigning people into corners will not result in racial                                                                                              
harmony.                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
More room should be given for people to mix and interact with                                                                                         
one another.                                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
Interesting starts have been made with mix housing, open                                                                                              
playgrounds and joint businesses.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                                      
For all the talk about campaigning for racial harmony, we are                                                                                         
also guilty of sloganeering.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
Such questions as what is in it for me are still prevalent to                                                                                         
our society.                                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
Fifthly, the erosion of traditional values must not be allowed                                                                                        
to go on.                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
Children must be taught a new idea of excellence, new attitudes                                                                                       
on acquisition and possession and finally new approaches to                                                                                           
motivation.                                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
Achieving this can help take away the What is needed is a                                                                                             
programme to teach lifelong values to guide one's life.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
Ultimately the education system must be called to answer.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                      
The root of most of our social problems can be traced to the                                                                                          
inadequacies of an education system that emphasises only                                                                                              
learning from what others have already learned.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
Scant attention is given to self-discovering knowledge and                                                                                            
being original or creative.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                      
Other pertinent issues to be looked at include the position of                                                                                        
the English language itself, segregation, quality of teachers,                                                                                        
standard of teaching material, and the school curriculum                                                                                              
generally.                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
Having delineated the various elements that make up the social                                                                                        
environment, we can now try to see how an action-plan can be                                                                                          
drawn up to deal with the different problem.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                                      
To begin with, let us not bring politics into the picture.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                                      
It can only cloud the issues.  A national unity formula must be                                                                                       
found. As its tenets of affirmative action, we need to start                                                                                          
desegregation in all aspects of our community and social life.                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                      
Another positive consideration is to Establish an Non                                                                                                 
Governmental Organisation (NGO) to spearhead discussions on                                                                                           
social issues and focus public attention on the need to take a                                                                                        
more holistic approach to solve them.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                      
The target of our action must include the poor, both urban and                                                                                        
rural, students and youths, women, the corporate world and of                                                                                         
course the government machinery itself.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                                      
To drive the action-plan, a corp of social managers must be                                                                                           
trained.                                                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                                      
These are people who have the qualifications to deal                                                                                                  
passionately yet rationally with the different social problems.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                                      
The NGO referred to above can be the basis of networking for                                                                                          
these social managers.                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                                      
Their motto should be "what can I do?" their                                                                                                          
thought-influencers can be as follows: "pay it forward" and "I                                                                                        
have nothing".