Thursday, July 17, 2008

Has wrong become right? Does corruption corrupt?

This may be old news but the Ren Ci/Shi Ming Yi alleged CBT case reminds me of what MM Lee Kuan Yew said in January this year of ex-President Suharto of Indonesia: "Yes, there was corruption. Yes, he gave favours to his family and his friends. But there was real growth and real progress. I think the people of Indonesia are lucky. They had a general in charge, had a team of competent administrators – including a very good team of economists to build up the country."

There was "real growth and real progress" in both NKF and Ren Ci! The "general in charge" and their "team of competent administrators' were at their best when it came to
milking money out of the public with their song and dance!

Breach of trust, criminal or not, leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. The father-in-law of the Great-Grandma of my grand-daughter, yes, my Grandpa, taught me this when I was a kid:
"When you lose your wealth, you lose nothing;
When you lose your health, you lose something;
When you lose your integrity, you lose everything".

He taught me that if I lose my money, I can get it back through hard work and enterprise. If I lost my health (like my heart attack) it depends on how bad the health challenge is. However, if I lost my integrity, my trustworthiness, nobody would even touch me with a ten-foot pole. It's the beginning of the end!

It's been more than forty years since Grandpa passed on and it's more than fifty years that he passed me this gem that has been my guiding light. Does not make me rich but helps me build honest lasting relationships with many and makes me happy even after suffering a heart attack :)

What have I learned from NKF since Durai was judged guilty? What am I learning from Ren Ci where Ming Yi is now under the heat? Great-Grandma of my grand-daughter says, "Gian Lui, Gian Chay Wee, Hai See Kar Ki, Lor." roughly translated: "Greed for Money and Power/Position Hurts/Kills Oneself". Root of All Evils?

Going back to MM Lee who said of Suharto quoted from ChannelNewsAsia:
"I feel sad to see a very old friend with whom I had worked closely over the last 30 years, not really getting the honours that he deserves. He deserves recognition for what he did."

Honours and recognition? Let's read some from transform written by Indonesian Martin Manurong and MM Lee: Lucky Indonesians written by Choo Zheng Xi to know more.

Are we as lucky as Indonesians?

Or has the value of Integrity hit the pits and gone the way of the Dinosaurs?

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Great men are almost always bad men."
John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, first Baron Acton (1834–1902)

feedmetothefish

9 Comments:

At July 18, 2008 at 1:25 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Money and progress justifies everything, according to old lee. Just goes to show how low he has sunk to these days.

 
At July 18, 2008 at 4:35 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Remember the Singapore pledge.....Regardless of race language or religion....
Father Joachim Kang
Ming Yi
TT Durai.
God bless us all.

Rgds Familyman

 
At July 21, 2008 at 8:49 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dear Mr. Fish,
"When you lose your wealth, you lose nothing;
When you lose your health, you lose something;
When you lose your integrity, you lose everything".
In what language or dialect did your gran teach you this?
Please share with us.
Best.

 
At August 28, 2008 at 2:39 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you for making your very clear stand on what I believe is one of the bedrock bottom line of the meaning, purpose & achievement of life - integrity! In the midst of the rapidly growing global tide of moral erosion, I concur 100% with your sense of grave concern, and that your late Grandpa's words of wisdom still hold strong & true.
On the other hand, I do not make light of MM Lee's years of genuine endeavours to upold integrity in both his private & public actions. Like many people, S'porean & foreign, I have great respect for him. When from time to time I think of his decisions & actions that have caused seriously negative consequences to so many people, I remind mysef that he is an imperfect mortal. In fact, a much less imperfect mortal than me & many. Thus I'll learn from his strengths & his weaknesses, his sucesses & his wrongs.
Finally, I will just reaffirm what most already know: INTEGRITY & ALL TRULY LASTING VIRTUES ARE PAINFULLY COSTLY (IN SOME EXTRAORDINARY CASES EVEN LIFE-COSTING). YET THOSE WHO PURSUE THEM TO THE END WILL THEMSELVES LAST.

Glad to have found your blog!

Blessings!

 
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