Lack of Personal Development in Schools

TMM,Wednesday 4 April 2012 

Skill to harness our emotions still not learnt

(Take a personality test)

Blood tests are common. They are necessary for those who wish to recover or maintain their physical health. 

Similarly, personality tests can help those who wish to perform better or develop their full potential. 

This is essential, as our education system from schools to colleges, lack emphasis on personal development. 

As a result, we may produce graduates who may be learned in their field of studies but are not considered educated when they do not display courtesy. 

Lack of courtesy is prevalent at all levels of our society causing disharmony in many homes, work and public places. 

The root of all this is our unbridled emotions. We tend to react on how we feel rather than what we think. 

We are simply a product of our own experience and environment, and our perception is shaped by these two factors. Thus, our interpretations often differ with others. 

However, when it comes to personality styles, the experts are able to place people into a few broad categories such as those who are more open, accommodating, analytical, relational or decisive. 

A proper test can identify correctly our personality profile. Contrary to popular belief, our profile is not totally confined to only one style of personality. 

Although we are stereotyped by our dominant personality profile, we are also likely to have some traits found in others. 

In addition, there is no good or bad personality as each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Recognising the difference in personalities is vital for building better relationships with others. 

As much as we enjoy developing our strengths, it is also imperative that we address our weaknesses where there is a greater room for improvement. 

The most suitable personality tests for Malaysians have already been developed by our academics from several local public universities. 

These psychometric assessments have received international acclaim and should be put to greater use, as they are effective tools for raising the level of courtesy and productivity. 

A blood or personality test may tell us something more about ourselves. Change can only be effected when we realised the consequences and take the necessary action. 

Attending one or several workshops on emotional intelligence, interpersonal communication skills and courtesy can help us reach the tipping point sooner. 

Human beings are empowered by emotions that can be creative such as love and passion or destructive such as hate and anger. 

We will be much more successful and happy when we harness our emotions to be our source of strength and not allow it to be our weakness. 

It is a skill and habit that can only be acquired through training and practice. 

YS Chan 

Kuala Lumpur 

Change begins with the authorities

TMM,Thursday 22 March 2012 

Our leaders ought to realise that transforming our nation remains a distant dream as long as violation of traffic rules and regulations continue unabated as can be seen almost anywhere anytime.

Lack of courtesy in using public roads and walkways coupled with lackadaisical enforcement have made our society crass to the extent that Malaysians are now nonchalant with the scourge. 

Sadly, many of those who consider themselves morally upright and proud of their Asian values would not see the lack of civility in themselves and those around them. 

Those who claim to be religious or virtuous lose credibility if they do not display or promote courtesy. 

Among the many “broken windows” that need to be fixed, perhaps none is more urgent than what is happening on our roads and walkways. It is apparent to everyone especially foreign visitors. 

However, this perennial problem can be fixed by adopting a more intelligent approach to enforcement and believe or not, without incurring an extra sen by the government. 

Private companies can be appointed to assist in surveillance without eroding the closely guarded power of the various enforcement agencies to summon and prosecute. 

Ex-servicemen can be recruited and trained to be camera crew for recording traffic violations such as jumping red lights or hogging yellow boxes, driving on bus and emergency lanes, illegal parking, reckless driving and speeding. 

The camera crews must wear bright uniforms and be highly visible to deter traffic violations. They should not hide behind pillars or bushes. 

Static cameras, if noticed, are often treated as non-functioning. They are not effective deterrence and merely record the offence after the act. Besides, it will cost millions of ringgit to install and maintain a sufficient number. 

The camera crew are bound to be efficient as they are to be paid incentives based on the evidence submitted. 

The coffers of the enforcement agencies would swell from the higher collection of fines and their systems can be upgraded to cope with the increase in summonses. 

Those caught on camera are to be notified by post and the evidence can be viewed online by keying in the notification and vehicle registration numbers. 

Motorists should be left off the hook for the first offence so as to forewarn the public that they can no longer get away with impunity. 

Our roads would be safer as the presence of many camera crew would deter street crimes such as snatch thefts. 

Our environment would be cleaner as these camera crew can also record vehicles emitting excessive smoke or illegal dumping. 

It would be unwise to open the paid surveillance scheme to all as ordinary citizens can be assaulted for indiscreetly pointing their camera at the offenders. 

I have been advocating for the appointment of private companies to assist in the surveillance for our enforcement agencies since 2003 but there has been no response. 

Lack of courtesy on our roads has permeated into the Malaysian psyche. The fifth tenet of our national philosophy “Courtesy & Morality” is given lip service and seldom practised. 

Education alone has little effect in an environment teeming with bad examples. When given the liberty, new drivers tend to follow bad examples and young people pick up bad habits without being taught. 

Our country will never achieve developed status until our citizens abhors bad behaviours. Concerned Malaysians are too few in number. A concerted effort can rally the critical mass needed to scale the tipping point. 

For this, our enforcement agencies hold the key. They have the mechanism to compel transformation of our society. 

YS Chan 

Kuala Lumpur 

A job for camera squads

TS,Wednesday 21 March 2012 

I refer to “Make errant motorists pay” (The Star, March 16) and wish to commend the writer for his astute observations. 

Our leaders ought to realise that transforming our nation remains a distant dream as long as violation of traffic rules and regulations continue unabated as can be seen almost anywhere anytime. 

Lack of courtesy in using public roads and walkways coupled with lackadaisical enforcement have made our society crass, to the extent that Malaysians are now nonchalant with the scourge. 

Sadly, many of those who consider themselves morally upright and proud of their Asian values cannot see the lack of civility in themselves and those around them. 

Among the many “broken windows” that need to be fixed, perhaps none is more urgent than what is happening on our roads and walkways. It is apparent to everyone, especially foreign visitors. 

However, this perennial problem can be fixed by adopting a more intelligent approach to enforcement, and - believe or not - without the Government incurring an extra sen. 

Private companies can be appointed to assist in surveillance without eroding the power of the various enforcement agencies to summon and prosecute. 

Ex-servicemen can be recruited and trained to be camera crews and record such traffic violations such as jumping red lights or clogging yellow boxes, driving on bus and emergency lanes, illegal parking, reckless driving and speeding.

The camera crews must wear bright uniforms and be highly visible to deter traffic violations. They should not hide behind pillars or bushes. 

Static cameras, if noticed, are often treated as non-functioning. They are not effective deterrence and merely record the offence after the act. Besides, it will cost millions of ringgit to install and maintain a sufficient number. 

The camera crews are bound to be efficient as they are to be paid incentives based on the evidence submitted. 

The coffers of the enforcement agencies would swell from the higher collection of fines, and their systems can be upgraded to cope with the increase in summonses. 

Those caught on camera are to be notified by post and the evidence can be viewed online by keying in the notification and vehicle registration numbers. 

Motorists should be left off the hook for the first offence so as to forewarn the public that they can no longer get away with impunity. 

Our roads would be safer as the presence of many camera crews would deter street crimes such as snatch thefts. 

Our environment would be cleaner as these camera crews can also record vehicles emitting excessive smoke or illegal dumping. 

It would be unwise to open the paid surveillance scheme to all, as ordinary citizens can be assaulted for indiscreetly pointing their camera at the offenders. 

I have been advocating the appointment of private companies to assist in the surveillance for our enforcement agencies since 2003 but there has been no response. 

Lack of courtesy on our roads has permeated into the Malaysian psyche. The fifth tenet of our national philosophy “Courtesy & Morality” is given lip service and seldom practised. 

Education alone has little effect in an environment teeming with bad examples. When given the liberty, new drivers tend to follow bad examples, and young people pick up bad habits, without being taught. 

Our country will never achieve developed status until our citizens abhors bad behaviour. Concerned Malaysians are too few in number. A concerted effort can rally the critical mass needed to scale the tipping point. 

For this, our enforcement agencies hold the key. They have the mechanism to compel transformation of our society. 

YS Chan 

Kuala Lumpur 

Poor execution can negate govt efforts

TMM,Tuesday 20 March 2012 

The “Malaysian Cohort” is a national project involving health information, dietary habit, lifestyle, and blood and urine collection from 100,000 Malaysian citizens to identify diseases such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, stroke and various other diseases. 

Malaysians aged 35 to 65 are invited to join by filling a questionnaire for the project secretariat to evaluate. An appointment for a free medical checkup will then be scheduled and volunteers are informed that it will take about 2 hours. 

The project was initiated in 2004 and is still ongoing because of the large number involved. Perhaps in an effort to speed up the process, a canopy was erected near the Jalan Ikan Emas wet market at Cheras, which I visited last Saturday. 

Two young female workers wearing uniform T-shirts were seen seated behind their desks, one handling registration, and the other with a handheld device that can read the glucose level from a drop of blood. 

Passers-by were under the impression that the exercise was a good initiative by the government in reaching out to the common folk, and some stopped by to have their glucose level tested. 

However, many soon went away disappointed, especially those who could not communicate well with the workers. They were also bitter with the double standard as only some were entertained. 

Even I could not make out what the workers were trying to say. I had to go online to find out what Malaysian Cohort was all about. 

Instead of telling younger people that the project was only for those above 35 and below 65, I was asked to give my age. Anybody could have easily seen that I am clearly well within the range. 

Many others were confused when they were asked whether they have had their medical checkup at HUKM. 

The exercise could have been carried out in a smoother manner. Anyone interested should be allowed to register and fill up the questionnaire. It would then be up to the secretariat to schedule the free checkup or otherwise. 

All those who wish to have their glucose level tested should be entertained, whether they are participating in the project or not. This is what the public would expect upon seeing a worker handling the glucose-test device. 

Although the workers were not rude, they were far from courteous. Their facial expression and body language exposed their feelings. They acted as if they were doing the public a favour and did not respond to requests for a glucose test. 

Many people felt rejected and left without registering or having their glucose level tested. 

Sadly, such situations are not isolated. Government initiatives that are poorly implemented can result in alienating people. 

The success of this project hinges on reaching out to a cross section of the Malaysian population. As such, the local demographic must be taken into account and workers engaged to deal with the public must be able to communicate with all levels of society. 

A combination of weak procedure, poor training, loose monitoring and bad attitude is bound to negate the efforts of the government. 

YS Chan 

Kuala Lumpur

Some plans can backfire

TS,Tuesday 20 March 2012 

The “Malaysian Cohort” is a national project involving health information, dietary habit, lifestyle, and blood and urine collection from 100,000 Malaysian citizens to identify diseases such as cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and stroke among others. 

Malaysians aged 35 to 65 are invited to join by filling a questionnaire for the project secretariat. An appointment for a free medical checkup will then be scheduled and volunteers are informed that it will take about 2 hours. 

The project was initiated in 2004 and is still ongoing because of the large number needed. Perhaps in an effort to speed up the process, a canopy was erected near the Jalan Ikan Emas wet market at Cheras, which I visited last Saturday. 

Two young female workers in T-shirts were seen seated behind their desks, one handling registration, and the other with a handheld gadget that can read the glucose level from a drop of blood. 

Passers-by were under the impression that the exercise was a good initiative by the Government to reach out to the common folks, and some stopped by to have their glucose level tested. 

However, many soon went away disappointed, especially those who could not communicate well with the workers. Even I could not make out what the workers were trying to say. I had to go online to find out what “Malaysian Cohort” was all about. 

Instead of telling younger people that the project is for those above 35 or older ones that it is for those below 65, I was asked my age. Any person can easily see that I am clearly well within the range. 

Many others were confused when they were asked whether they have had a medical checkup at HUKM. 

The exercise could have been carried out in a smoother manner. Anyone interested should be allowed to register and fill up the questionnaire. It would then be up to the secretariat to schedule the free checkup or otherwise. 

All those who wish to have their glucose level tested should be entertained, whether they are participating in the project or not. This is what the public would expect upon seeing a worker holding the glucose-test gadget. 

Although the workers were not rude, they were far from courteous. Their facial expression and body language exposed their feelings. They acted as if they were doing the public a favour and did not respond to requests for glucose tests. 

Many people felt rejected, dejected and left without registering or having their glucose level tested. 

Sadly, such situations are not isolated. Government initiatives that are poorly implemented can result in alienating the people. 

The success of this project hinges on reaching out to a cross section of the Malaysian population. As such, the local demographic must be taken into account and workers engaged to deal with the public must be able to communicate with all levels of society. 

A combination of weak procedure, poor training, loose monitoring and bad attitude is bound to negate the efforts of the Government. 

YS Chan 

Kuala Lumpur 

BR1M: Smooth and efficient affair at new Cheras mall

TMM,Wednesday 14 March 2012 

 

There were numerous reports of people queuing for long hours to receive their Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) cash vouchers at many locations across the country. 

I learnt that successful applicants in the Cheras parliamentary constituency would receive their’s last Saturday morning and decided to take a first-hand look. 

The venue was the 15th Floor of Kenanga Wholesale City. Apart from the basement, parking was also available from the eighth floor upwards in this modern building. 

Upon arrival, I noticed a continuous stream of cars driving in and out of the car park and many workers were stationed at strategic locations to ensure a smooth flow. 

Motorists were directed to the 11th floor where there was ample parking and elevators were all within a short walking distance. 

The 15th floor was the highest and it was indeed an impressive sight. The covered rooftop was like a huge aircraft hangar. 

It was bright, airy and column-free. There was no air-conditioning but it was comfortable because of the high cover and good ventilation. 

Scores of people on duty were seated behind several long counters. 

Although the crowd was large, no one appeared agitated. Those in a queue were making steady progress. 

A number was given out at the first counter and the voucher issued at the second. Recipients could approach any of the many workers seated behind each counter. 

As a result, no queue was formed at these two counters and it took only a couple of minutes to complete this initial process. 

The only queue was at the third counter where vouchers were cashed. The process took about 30 minutes - a breeze compared to other locations that took several hours. 

However, many of those who had hurriedly joined the queue after arrived were disappointed to discover they needed to collect the voucher first. 

As there was no signage, it would have been better if they had been ushered to the first counter. 

Those at the back of the queue went through some anxious moments, as it was disorderly. However, they soon discovered that everyone had to fall in line according to their numbers upon reaching the head of the queue. 

Although BR1M was meant for the lower income group, many recipients travelled to the venue by car. 

It would be more caring to include in the notice that parking was free in this newly opened mall. Cars that had parked illegally by the roadside were issued with summons. 

Overall, the arrangements were superb as the vouchers were smoothly disbursed and cashed. Many Cheras folks went home with a smile on their face. 

Those who could not turn up on Saturday could collect their vouchers at the MCA Service Centre at Taman Segar as stated in the advice slip. 

I visited this centre on Sunday morning and found the workers there friendly and efficient. The vouchers were issued within a couple of minutes and they can be cashed at any of the three participating banks. 

However, the envelope and letter should have been returned to the recipients. Instead, the envelope was thrown into a wastepaper basket and the letter retained by the workers. 

The voucher could have been placed in the envelope and the letter would have served as a reminder for the grateful recipients. 

It was heart-warming to see the joy in the faces of the poor, especially the elderly. Some felt as if the RM500 cash in their hands had just fallen from the sky. 

YS Chan 

Kuala Lumpur 

BR1M: Efficient from the start till the end

NSS,Wednesday 14 March 2012 

There were numerous reports of people queuing for long hours to receive their Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) cash vouchers at many locations across the country. 

I learnt that successful applicants in the Cheras parliamentary constituency (P.123) would receive theirs last Saturday morning and decided to get a firsthand look. 

The venue was held on the 15th Floor of Kenanga Wholesale City. Apart from the basement, parking was also available from the 8th floor upwards in this modern building. 

Upon arrival, I noticed a continuous stream of cars driven in and out of the car park and many workers were stationed at strategic locations to ensure a smooth flow. 

Motorists were directed to the 11th floor with ample parking. Elevators were within walking distance as they were installed at several locations. 

The 15th floor was the highest and it was indeed an impressive sight. The covered rooftop was like a huge aircraft hangar. 

It was bright, airy and column-free. There was no air-conditioning but it was comfortable because of the high roof and good ventilation. 

Scores of people on duty were seated behind several long counters and some chairs were placed in the central open area for the weak to be seated while waiting. 

Although the crowd was large, no one appeared agitated. Those in a queue were making steady progress to the front. 

A number was given out at the first counter and the voucher issued at the second. Recipients could approach any of the many workers seated behind each counter. 

As a result, no queue was formed at these two counters and it took only a couple of minutes to complete this initial process. 

The only queue was at the third counter to cash the voucher, which took about 30 minutes. A breeze compared with other locations that took several hours. 

However, many of those who had just arrived hurriedly joined the queue, only to discover later that they needed to collect the voucher first. 

As there was no signage, it would have been better if they were ushered to the first counter. 

Those at the back of the queue went through some anxious moments, as it was disorderly. However, they soon discovered that everyone had to fall in line according to their numbers. 

Although BR1M is meant for the lower income group, many recipients travelled to the venue by car. 

It would be more caring to include in the notice that parking was free in this newly opened mall. Some cars parked illegally by the roadside were issued with summons. 

Overall, the arrangements were superb as the vouchers were smoothly disbursed and cashed. Many went home with smiles on their faces. 

Those who could not turn up on Saturday could collect their vouchers at the MCA Service Centre at Taman Segar as stated in the advice slip. 

I visited this centre on Sunday morning and found the workers friendly and efficient. The vouchers were issued within minutes and could be cashed at any of the three participating banks. 

However, the envelope and letter should have been returned to the recipients. Instead, the envelopes were thrown into a wastepaper basket and the letter retained by the workers. 

The voucher could have been placed in the envelope and the letter would serve as a reminder to the grateful recipients. 

It was heartwarming to see the joy in the faces of the poor, especially the elderly. Some felt as if the RM500 cash in their hands had just fallen from the sky. 

YS Chan 

Kuala Lumpur

Ways to drive industry on right path

TMM,Wednesday 7 March 2012 

Public Land Transport Commission (SPAD) chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar recently disclosed that a tourist was charged RM450 in taxi fare from KL Sentral to KLCC and Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen had announced plans to engage 4,000 cabbies to be tourisms’ driving force. 

Getting errant cabbies to change their ways is akin to roping in Mat Rempits and turning them into role models. Such attempts are likely to fail unless new and effective measures are introduced. 

The standard of taxi service in any city or country reflects the level of society and the action of cabbies form a lasting impression on the passengers, especially foreigners. 

As such, the tourism ministry has announced plans to conduct one-day courses from March to churn out 4,000 tourism taxi ambassadors. 

It will take at least 40 batches of 100 cabbies each to reach the targetted number. The response from the cabbies will depend on the compensation given for their loss of income for the day. 

Such courses should have been conducted earlier by the defunct Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board that issued taxi permits and driver registration cards, or the Road Transport Department that renews driving and Public Service Vehicle licences of the cabbies. 

During a half-day course for taxi drivers organised by the Tourism Ministry in 2006, it dawned on me that many participants were there not on a voluntary basis when I noticed that they were finding our from one another why they were caught by enforcement. 

After the course, I personally handed in a written report to the Tourism Ministry giving my feedback on how such courses could be more effective. 

One of the salient points was to have some of the courses conducted in in English and Mandarin so that it would have a deeper impact on those more conversant in these languages. 

It can also help participants who wish to brush up their English or Mandarin as large numbers of foreign passengers speak these languages. 

Such courses should begin on a right footing. Hammering in the need for cabbies to behave right would be counterproductive. It will be like water off a duck’s back. 

Participants should be given the chance to air their grievances first. Then they will become more receptive after getting the load off their chest. 

However, if every participant was allowed to do so, it may take up the whole day and be a waste of time as many issues would be repeated and some cabbies can be very vocal and long-winded. 

This can be avoided if a comprehensive list is prepared in advance and presented to them before briefing on the importance of tourism and their role. 

Many offences are committed by errant cabbies but the good ones also break some rules. For example, they may have to refuse some passengers or risk being robbed or injured. 

An recent report on an ex-cop who was jailed and fined for accepting a bribe from cabbie is another issue to be addressed. A constable solicited a RM300 bribe after finding a cabbie ferrying two illegal immigrants in his taxi. 

Short of cash, the cabbie had to make several payments until the constable received the full sum. Most cabbies eke out a living the hard way. 

Is it an offence to have illegal immigrants in a taxi? How would cabbies know? Other than a police or immigration officer, isn’t demanding for identity proof a serious offence? 

Conducting courses offer good opportunities to engage with the cabbies. When invited, some are capable of providing solutions to many of the challenges faced by the industry. 

This approach is far more effective than merely telling them what they should do through monologue lectures and briefings. 

For courses that start at 9am or earlier, it is common to find half of the participants arriving late and 15-minute tea breaks normally stretches to half an hour or more. 

To encourage early arrivals, refreshments that are normally provided for the morning break should be made available during registration with only beverages served during the break. 

Allowances should be split with the first payment made to those who arrive on time and second payment at the end of the course together with the attendance certificates. 

It would be a fallacy that cabbies will make significant changes after attending a one-day briefing. Some may be inspired or motivated but such feelings will wane over time. 

Knowledge alone does not translate into action. Many citizens can recite the Rukunegara by heart but the number of Malaysians embracing our national philosophy appears small. 

Many people may “Believe in God” but their actions show that they are not God-fearing. The understanding of “Courtesy & Morality” is superficial as many people of all levels lack courtesy; not only to strangers but also to people they know, including family members. 

It would be better to conduct several training workshops, limited to 25 participants per batch, before embarking on seminars for 100 cabbies at a time. 

Training is much more effective when participants are placed in a U-shape seating allowing them to engage with one another and the facilitator. 

It is hard to stay awake, especially after a heavy lunch when seated passively theatre-style listening to lectures. 

Cabbies who can communicate well in Malay, Mandarin and English are to be selected for the workshops and their input can later be shared with those attending the seminars. 

This is better than any top-down approach and will be better received as the recommendations were made by their peers. In addition, it takes a thief to catch another. 

We ought to bear in mind that transformation of our taxi industry can only be achieved by setting short, medium and long-term plans and not through knee-jerk responses. 

The initiative by the tourism ministry is timely. It will be successful if the various authorities combine to make concerted efforts to upgrade our taxi services. 

Sadly, the work culture of many Malaysians leaves much to be desired. Those who are too proud of themselves tend to be discourteous and often do a lousy job. 

Those who wish to declare “Proud to be Malaysian” should earn it by taking pride in their work and do an excellent job. 

If we can do that, even foreigners would be proud of us. We can surpass the 36 million visitor arrivals targeted for 2020 by changing our mindset and behaviour. 

YS Chan 

Kuala Lumpur

Changing cabbies’ behaviour

TS,Tuesday 6 March 2012 

SPAD chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar recently disclosed that a tourist was charged RM450 in taxi fare from KL Sentral to KLCC and Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen has announced plans to engage 4,000 cabbies to be tourisms’ driving force. 

Getting errant cabbies to change their ways is akin to roping in Mat Rempits and turning them into role models. Such attempts are likely to fail unless new and effective measures are introduced. 

The standard of taxi service in any city or country reflects the level of society and the action of cabbies form a lasting impression on the passengers, especially foreigners. 

As such, the Tourism Minister has announced plans to conduct one-day courses from March to churn out 4,000 tourism taxi ambassadors. 

It will take at least 40 batches of 100 cabbies each to reach the targeted number. The response from the cabbies will depend on the compensation paid for the day’s loss of income. 

Such courses should have been conducted earlier by the now defunct Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board that issued taxi permits and driver registration cards, or the Road Transport Department that renews driving and Public Service Vehicle licences of the cabbies.

During a half-day course for taxi drivers organised by the Tourism Ministry in 2006, I noticed that many other participants were not there voluntarily. They were asking each other where they were caught by enforcement. 

After the course, I personally handed in a written report to the ministry on how such courses could be more effective. 

One point was to have some of the courses in English and Chinese (Mandarin) so that it would have a deeper impact on those more conversant in these languages. 

It can also help participants who wish to brush up their English or Mandarin as large numbers of foreign passengers speak these languages. 

Such courses should begin on a right footing. Hammering in the need for cabbies to behave right from the start would be overzealous. It will be like water off a duck’s back. 

Participants should be given the chance to air their grievances first and they will become more receptive after getting the load off their chest. 

However, if every participant is allowed to do so, it may take up the whole day and be a waste of time as many issues will be repeated and some cabbies can be very vocal and long-winded. 

This can be avoided if a comprehensive list is prepared in advance and presented to them before a briefing on the importance of tourism and their role. 

Many offences are committed by errant cabbies but the good ones also break some rules. For example, they may have to refuse some passengers or risk being robbed, raped or injured. 

The report “Ex-cop jailed and fined for accepting bribe from cabbie” (The Star, Mar 1) is another issue to be addressed. A constable solicited a RM300 bribe after finding a cabbie ferrying two illegal immigrants in his taxi. 

Short of cash, the cabbie had to make several payments until the constable received the full sum. Most cabbies eke out a living or “Kais pagi makan pagi, kais petang makan petang”. 

Is it an offence to have illegal immigrants in a taxi? How would cabbies know? Only police officers and immigration officers are empowered to ask people to show proof of identity. 

Conducting courses offer good opportunities to engage with the cabbies. When invited, some are capable of providing solutions to many of the challenges faced by the industry. 

This approach is far more effective than merely telling them what they should do through monologue lectures and briefings. 

For courses that start at 9am or earlier, it is common to find half of the participants arriving late and the 15-minute tea break normally stretches to half an hour or more. 

To encourage early arrivals, refreshments that are normally provided for the morning break should be made available during registration with only beverages served during the break. 

Allowances should be split with the first payment made to those who arrived on time and second payment at the end of the course together with the attendance certificate. 

It would be a fallacy that cabbies will make significant changes after attending a one-day briefing. Some may be inspired or motivated but such feelings will wane over time. 

Knowledge alone does not translate into action. Many citizens can recite the Rukunegara by heart but the number of Malaysians embracing our national philosophy appears small. 

Many people may “Believe in God” but their actions show that they are not God-fearing. The understanding of “Courtesy & Morality” is superficial as many people of all levels lack courtesy; not only to strangers but also to people they know, including family members. 

It would be better to conduct several training workshops, limited to 25 participants a batch, before embarking on the seminars for 100 cabbies at a time. 

Training is much more effective when participants are placed in a U-shape seating allowing them to engage with one another and the facilitator. 

It is hard to stay awake, especially after a heavy lunch, when seated passively theatre-style listening to lectures. 

Cabbies who can communicate well in Bahasa Malaysia (Malay), Chinese (Mandarin) and English are to be selected for the workshops and their input can later be shared with those attending the seminars. 

This is better than any top down approach and will be better received as the recommendations were made by their peers. In addition, it takes a thief to catch another. 

We ought to bear in mind that transformation of our taxi industry can only be achieved by setting short-, medium- and long-term plans and not through knee-jerk responses. 

The initiative by the Tourism Ministry is timely. It will be successful if the various authorities co-operate to make concerted efforts to upgrade our taxi services. 

Sadly, the work culture of many Malaysians leaves much to be desired. Those who are too proud of themselves tend to be discourteous and often do a lousy job. 

Those who wish to declare “Proud to be Malaysian” should earn it by taking pride in their work and do an excellent job. 

If we can do that, even foreigners would be proud of us. We can surpass the 36 million visitor arrivals targeted by 2020 by changing our mindset and behaviour. 

YS Chan 

Kuala Lumpur 

Original and meaningful car stickers

TMM,Monday 27 February 2012 

The windscreen and bumper stickers found on many cars are confined to a few popular ones. As such, these readymade stickers lacked novelty. 

I wish to share some of the stickers that I have created and pasted on the taxis driven by me. 

My first sticker was on the window glass of the front doors of my premier taxi stating, “This taxi is free for nice people”. 

Many passers-by stopped, especially tourists, and with a smile on their face, took photographs of my taxi. 

Yes, I have given free rides for some passengers. One was Japanese who could hardly utter a word of English and yet had the courage to travel alone on a wheelchair! 

I did not realise that my heavy passenger was a woman until I lifted her into my taxi. Using all my strength, it was more like wrestling. 

The second was a group of schoolgirls out to collect cash for a donation drive. They just could not believe when I refused to collect the fare. 

On hindsight, I should have done so and immediately dropped the money into one of their sealed cans they were each clutching. 

I remembered a very elegant lady who upon reaching home asked me in a lovely accent whether my taxi was indeed free for nice people. 

I replied sweetly, “If you are prepared to be nice to me, it would be free”. She promptly paid although I would have preferred otherwise. 

At the top of the partition that separates the driver and the passengers in the premier taxi that I drove, I placed a notice “I don’t like being asked or told to use the meter. I always use the meter and don’t select passengers or trips”. 

To debunk the notion that cab drivers are fond of taking longer routes to clock higher fares, I added, “Please tell me your favourite route or deduct RM1 if you think I have driven an extra kilometre”. 

Many people noticed the sticker on the rear windscreen of my taxi “Nice people enrich my life more than money can”. It was photographed and published at the back page of a national daily. 

Unlike other premier taxi drivers who preferred to wait indefinitely at the hotels for their trips, I did not have the patience and preferred to pick passengers by the roadside or taxi stands. 

Taxi queues outside popular shopping centres used to be long. Quite often, those at the head of the queue were afraid to board my premier taxi, fearful of the high fares, while those behind do not wish to jump queue. 

At the rear door just below the windscreen, I assured onlookers with “If you don’t have enough money, you can pay me later or just donate the money to charity on my behalf”. 

Later, I drove a budget taxi with a sticker at the boot lid “Each time we give way willingly, our hearts grow a little bigger”. 

On the dashboard, I declared, “I speak, read, write and dream in English” which made many tourists at ease but to the consternation of some locals with a narrow sense of patriotism. 

Nevertheless, the world will be a better place if more people take it as their personal social responsibility by doing what we can. Most of us do not have a treasure to share. The least we could do is to contribute our talent or time. 

I have taken a break after driving taxis from 2000-2010 and am keeping my options open by renewing the Public Service Vehicle (PSV) licence annually. 

Among the other slogans and quotations that I have created, I will probably choose the one below for my next taxi. 

“Anyone can be successful in life by being happy and making others happy, with courtesy leading the way”. 

YS Chan 

Kuala Lumpur 

Focus on health of commercial vehicle drivers

TS,Saturday 26 February 2012 

In a joint study with the Road Safety Department (JKJR), the Sleep Disorder Society Malaysia (SDSM) found that 30% of bus drivers are affected by sleep disorders. 

Its president Dr Muhammad Muhsin Ahmad Zahari said 8% had chronic conditions and needed to be treated first before they could resume driving. 

More shocking discoveries would be unearthed if similar studies were conducted on the mental and physical health of those driving lorries, buses and taxis. 

Commercial vehicle drivers are required to renew their Goods Driving Licence (GDL) or Public Service Vehicle (PSV) licence annually at the Road Transport Department (JPJ). 

The renewal form must be stamped and signed by a medical practitioner who has examined the applicant to certify he or she is fit to drive a commercial vehicle. 

However, GDL and PSV licences are swiftly renewed at JPJ without the authenticity of the signatures being checked. 

It is no surprise if 50% of commercial vehicle drivers fail a stringent medical examination, especially if drug and eye tests are included. 

Many of them are overweight or obese and suffer from hypertension, diabetes and other lifestyle diseases. 

Many are likely to be dehydrated and constipated for working long hours behind the wheel. Some binge on food and cigarettes during breaks. 

If a National Health Service scheme is in place, they will be among the 20% of the population that will gobble up 80% of the expenditure. 

If all unhealthy commercial drivers are taken off the road, our road public transport will be crippled. It will also be unnecessarily cruel to them and their families. 

As such, the various authorities such as JKJR, JPJ and the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) should institute measures to promote the health of these drivers as part of an overall road safety campaign. 

The initiative by SDSM ought to be lauded, and for every driver treated for chronic sleep disorder, it is as good as having a time bomb removed from our roads. 

YS Chan, 

Kuala Lumpur