The Environment Maketh The Man
The Environment Maketh The Man
Reposted from The Sun April 27, 2006
Years back I attended a picnic at a California public park with some Malaysian students. What struck me was that despite the all-Malaysian participants, the gathering was no different from the others I had taken part in my community.
Meaning, the students carefully tidied up afterwards, did not litter, and were careful to dump their garbage into the bins. Yet if those same students were to have a similar picnic in Malaysia, I could just imagine the mess they would leave.
What gives?
They are the same individuals. In an American environment, they behave like Americans, very civic conscious. Back in Malaysia, they behave, well, as Malaysians, littering with abandon. The environment makes them behave differently.
An American public park is well maintained, with garbage cans conveniently located and thoughtfully emptied the day before, and park employees highly visible and ready to offer help. Even if you were the naturally untidy sort, you would be inhibited to mess the place up.
I once took my family to a public park in Malaysia. Hard as I tried, I could not find a garbage can to throw out our ice cream wrappers. When we did find one, it was overflowing, with debris all around. It seemed futile to deposit our rubbish there.
Nothing in the supposedly premier park encouraged me to keep it clean. The grass was uncut, shrubs overgrown, and of course litter strewn everywhere. The message was clear though unstated: The place is a dump, so go ahead and treat it accordingly! Law enforcement officials are familiar with the broken window syndrome. If you do not fix the broken window of a house that has been vandalized, it will attract other more dangerous mischief makers. Soon the
building will become the haunt of drug addicts.
New York successfully reduced its major crime rates by aggressively going after minor offenders such as panhandlers. Seasoned criminals rightly figured that if the police were tough on such petty offences, they would not tolerate more serious crimes. It was remarkably effective.
Never underestimate the influence of the environment. My favorite entertainment when living in Johor Baru was to watch the almost instantaneous transformation of Singaporeans when they came over. Back on their tiny and tidy island, they queued obediently and were careful not to litter or spit in public.
Once over the causeway, they would throw their cigarette butts out of their cars with abandon. The only reason they did not spit was it would splash their windows! At dinner buffets, they brazenly cut through the line, oblivious of the disapproving gazes of the other patrons.
In Singapore, there are threatening signs, “Do Not Smoke!” In California, “Thank You For Not Smoking!” Same behavior, but different environment; Singaporeans respond better to the big stick, Californians to sweet carrots.
Environmental influence can be consequential. Consider Benazir Bhutto and Shaukat Aziz, Pakistan’s former and current Prime Ministers respectively.
Bhutto graduated from Harvard and Oxford; you could not get a more sterling academic pedigree than that. She returned home immediately, eager to burnish her credentials as a patriot, and cut her political teeth by joining her father’s party.
Shaukat Aziz was the product of a nondescript Pakistani college but was fortunate to work for the local branch of Citibank. He thrived there such that he was considered at one time to be Citibank’s next CEO. As Prime Minister, he has been honest, effective, and responsible for Pakistan’s recent remarkable economic transformation. Bhutto’s tenure was scandal ridden and rife with corruption, with the country degenerating into an economic basket case.
At Citibank, talent and hard work are rewarded; in Pakistan’s retail politics, you acquire other less savory skills.
When I meet Malaysians attending elite American universities, I advise them to choose carefully where they work. Work at Shell, and rest assured that your talent will be nurtured and rewarded. Choose a GLC and you rapidly acquire the skills of sucking up to your superiors (kaki bodek). Join UMNO Youth and all you will learn are intrigue, back stabbing, and insulting and threatening those who disagree with you. Even if you do end up as Prime Minister, you will be a
Bhutto, carelessly pronounced.
The environment makes you, so choose carefully.
April 30th, 2006 at 3:40 pm
Dr Bakri
It’s not just picking up after yourself but include clearing the trays after eating at a fast food restaurant. In the US if you eat at McDonalds or Burger King you clear the table and empty the trash into the trash bin and place the tray in the tray section. I did this when eating a meal in Malaysia and I get dirty stares from other patrons.
The sad thing is that Malaysian students studying at US universities fail to pick up the good habits but instead belittle them. They can’t and don’t appreciate what the US has to offer. Upon returning home they join the anti US and western bashing group.
April 30th, 2006 at 6:50 pm
Ogre,
America can’t change you unless you want to be changed. Sounds familiar, Haji.
Malaysian students especially the Malays, with few exceptions, are sponsored by the Government. They live and study among themselves in their own communities within and around campuses, and rarely interact with Americans and other international students. They have their own Imams, or form Kelabs UMNO to learn how to get rich quickly!! We have two extremes among Malays who are educated abroad: the religious ultra (the Ulamak type) or the super materialist (the UMNOputra).
This is because (1) they cannot confidently converse in English, (2) they bury their inferiority complex by using Islam as justification for being exclusivist and obscurantist, and (3) they discovered the quick formula to get rich fast. Those who tried to break the mould by being direct, frank and outspoken in their views when they return home are penalised and marginalized or worse still, they are “kafirised”.
Conformity and bodekism are the keys to survival in Malaysia. So Dr. Bakri is right when he said in his piece that the environment matters and we must choose our environment carefully.
I note you admire America. Yes, there is a lot to be admired in America, but George W. Bush Jesse James type approach to international relations is certainly not one of them. Let us hope that in the November 2006 mid-term Congressional race, American voters will send a strong message to this trigger itching comboy in the White House, 1600 Pennslyvania Avenue, Washington D.C. that his policies of the right of military pre-emption and fiscal indiscipline or flagrancy are not acceptable to his citizenry and to billions of us outside America.
Bush is losing friends around the world and in order to strengthen his position and regain domestic support, he is now focusing on Iran. A threat of another military adventurism is looming on our screen and more American lives will be sacrificed. War against Iran is going to be counterproductive and I am not surprised that there is, therefore, a move in America to impeach the 43rd President of the United States.
Bush is not America, but an aberration of sorts. It seems strange to me to see smart people like Dr. Condoleesa Rice and former Vietnam Prisoner of War, Senator John McCain are still supporting him. Ask Colin Powell, the great General-Diplomat, or wait for his memoirs to find out why he did not choose to remain Secretary of State.
I would say that Bush was raised in a “wrong” environment, with due respects to his illustrious grandfather the late Senator Prescott Bush and his father and international coalition builder, President George H Walker Bush. Let us be clear we are not bashing America nor anti-US, but we are certainly anti-Bush. It is important that we make that distinction, I think.
Thanks.
April 30th, 2006 at 6:54 pm
Correction: “Dr. Condoleeza Rice”. She is brilliant but flawed by her uncritical support and loyalty to the President.
April 30th, 2006 at 8:07 pm
Bro Din
As you said it Bush is not America and America is not Bush. Don’t blame America for the actions of Bush, Bush the President and Bush the person.
America is a great country. With only 200 years of history America has risen to be the top nation as compared to Malaysia or Malaya with history that are over 600 years and still struggling.
There are lots of thing good about America which we should emulate. America is more Islamic. Their cars are left hand drive thus leaving the right hand free to eat or drink. Islam says use your right hand for eating and drinking. Their system of government is more Islamic process of musharakah. Each and every legislation is debated by representatives of the people and a majority is required to pass.
There is no compulsion in America and you can practice your faith freely be it against the teaching of Judeo/Christian/Islamic teaching. The number of Mesjid is increasing monthly. In LA alone there are now over 80 Islamic Centers and Mesjids most with Islamic Schools for the children who are taught Islam, English and Arabic alongside the regular elementary or secondary subjects. This year majority of students of New Horizon an Islamic School got accepted to top universities including the Ivy League and for those that qualify, with full scholarship. Going to Islamic school does not deter the students from excelling. Islam will rise to its greatness in the West.
April 30th, 2006 at 8:28 pm
Thanks, Ogre, for your comments. “Islam will rise to its greatness in the West”. You could be right on this. Wait and see. Thanks.
May 1st, 2006 at 12:14 am
M Bakri has done it again…..
But I think his comparison is unfair and unjust…..
At all times….for Pakistan…….I prefer Benazir Bhutto than any of those military lackeys “with no-balls”…. Shaukat Ali included….
So in Pakistan…. which had experienced one of the worst earthquake in its history …. many are still homeless… and yet…. the military will acquire more than 100 aircrafts… war planes from US and China…
see this:
http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2006/04/25/Navigation/177/206174/Pakistan+shops+for+F-16s+and+J-10s.html
Pakistan should be buying more helicopters for emergency relief operations…. not war-planes…..!
Of course…..Shaukat Ali who have no balls supports the idea of buying more war planes… after all you know who has the real power in Pakistan!
May 1st, 2006 at 12:16 am
sorry… Shaukat Aziz……. a typo….. I was confusing the name with a singer… ha ha ha….
May 1st, 2006 at 2:23 am
salam n salutations,
I accompanied a group of 12, mostly malay youths, camping in Taman Negara, this long mayday weekend. My objective was to observe and guide their survival skills, their appreciation of the environment and camping descipline.
They left the campsite cleaner than before and took the garbage back to Kuala Tahan. They were not bad. Others I observed thought TN was a theme Park, a picnic spot,a Hard Rock Cafe or a Pasar Malam.
To be fair to Umno, you have to include MCA, DAP and MIC, but I have a different opinion. I would encourage more brains to join political parties. I did not join any political parties , neither did 98% of my class. As a consequence the political landscapes at grass root levels now are dominated by the mid and low level local councils staff, the mandors and chief clerks, all good at butt-licking while the engineers and doctors become butt-gazers and armchair experts, the intellectual W**kers
In many organizations, GLCs and public universities included, I have come across, dedicated , professional , worldclass talents and they are a majority. Trouble starts when the leadership selections are politicised and criteria compromised by some bird brained politicians. Otherwise these organizations are intellectually led and prospering but not in the news.
So I advocate for more talents to join political parties and let them fight it out … may the fittest survive.
Alternatively follow the Guide of the Almighty gotravel the world, migrate and find the environment that allow you to prosper and be free
May 1st, 2006 at 3:55 am
should learn fron the Japanese….
They are highly a highly hygienic society….
And very courteous too….. not like Malaysian drivers who have no respect for pedestrians… and no respect for traffic rules too… ahh… I once was nearly hit by a motorcyclist…… the pedestrian crossing was green for walkers… I was at the middle of the crossing… and this motorcyclist insist on hitting me as I was in his path….. and he shouted four letter words at me too!!!
Now… what happened to the “Look East (Japan) Policy”…… ?
May 1st, 2006 at 9:41 am
what about look east policy?? dont tell me you buy into that look east rubbish…!
it was a slogan by mahathir in his anti-british signature sweep when he took over as PM. mahathir never liked the orang puteh because of his experiences in australia. he was discriminated against - but in the case of mahathir, he took it personally. and once mahathir felt a wrong was done to him, he never forgets the ‘evil doer’.
but there is another side to it. it was a ploy to get the japanese to dance to his tune. first of all, he needed to fill the void left by the ‘orang puteh’ for whom he had only contempt. no. that was not all. he later saw in the look east policy as an opportunity for him personally. apart from sending his son to japan for ‘training’ he saw the look east policy as a way to make millions through projects like the sponge iron project, proton and the exploitation and sale of LNG (petronas) - one common thread weaves through this fabric i..e. mitsubishi.
then his son joined the tokyo-mitsubishi bank in kuala lumpur - to safeguard family interests in some of those projects.
there is no other case than this to best illustrate that it is the ‘envrionment that maketh the man’ - as much as the man maketh his environment.
May 1st, 2006 at 11:46 am
Amit
Yes drivers in Malaysia think they own the road. Little do they realise that walking is a RIGHT while driving is a privilege. Just like the other traits Malaysian drivers just wont observe driving etiquette but if they go to Singapore they observe all traffic regulations.
May 1st, 2006 at 10:40 pm
Sir Bakri,
I graduated from Cal State, Sacramento about 8 yrs ago and living in the US for 3 years transformed my civic attitude tremendously. Like the students that you mentioned, I don’t litter, tidied up and throw away rubbish in the proper place. Infact, this behaviour comes naturally for all the Malaysian students in my community. Some of the guys I know, dont litter publicly but you should see their apartment. Bersepah macam kucing beranak. So I suppose, it’s the ‘American ways’ that changes our attitude. Probably these Malaysians think malu lah kalau mat salleh perceive us as pengotor.
However, I concur with Din Merican that “America can’t change you, unless you want to changed”. But coming back home to good ol’ Malaysia, I still keep the +ve civic attitude that I acquire back in the States: not littering in public, clearing up my trays after eating at McD etc. Actually some people perceive that as strange. Kenapa nak susah2 throw away the rubbish? The McD staff is awlays there to clean up after us. Sedih.. but I see more of this kind of mentality outside of KL.
May 2nd, 2006 at 1:31 am
Do you know how the Japanese in Japan drive?
You’ll be surprised…..!!!!!…. Compare that to Malaysia…..Like heaven and earth !!!
Of course… the Japanese are very civilised people…. unfortunate that our look east policy is just a politicians toy… there is so much to learn from the Japanese…… especially their “code of behavior”… honour… integrity and such… even their gansters have such codes….
But in Malaysia…. perhaps because Malaysian society has been half obliterated by colonialism…. and so much “foreign things” have been implanted superficially by the colonialists…..
In Japan… they keep the society pure….. with continuous societal development of over 2,000 years….. and they stave off colonialism with great success…..
Those are the things we should emulate from Japan…..
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:09 am
South Korea was colonoialised so was Japan, after the war but the people there can behave. So what’s wrong with us? Umnoputraism? NEPism? Cronism? Nepotism? Or plain Tidak Apaism.
Honestly, I don’t know and I don’t wish to blame the Brits for all our woes.
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:12 am
Sorry, I mean “colonialised”.
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:27 am
Hey…. South Korea was colonised by Japan… who else…. ha ha ha……
“….Honestly, I don’t know and I don’t wish to blame the Brits for all our woes…..”
But the facts said it all….. of course too long to say it here in the comment section…
Now….. I also said that Japan took that long to developed….. as you can see… even before Commodore Matthew Perry, the Japanese are very apt in architecture, buildings…etc…. The Edo period is well known as the height or golden age of medieval Japan……
So much so that the Japanese society managed to succesfully transform themselves with the coming of the white folks (gunboats)….
Compare that with China who at the same period was experiencing the drastic decline in her society….. of course… you got the British to blame as they insists on their rights to trade opium freely and openly in the name of “free trade” in China… Look at the Opium Wars…… ha ha ha……
Yes… among other things the British virtually destroy Chinese will power with opium trade….
“So what’s wrong with us? Umnoputraism? NEPism? Cronism? Nepotism? Or plain Tidak Apaism…..”
I would say… that is a really good topic to write another book…… ha ha….
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:35 am
Oh about Japan… McArthur used resources within Japan to run his administration….. he let the Japanese run things by themsleves… save certain rules like no zaibatsu… no cartel and no militarists tendencies…. of course as soon as McArthur left…. the zaibatsu reappeared as keiretsu…..
And US did not colonialise JApan like British colonialise Malaya or when US colonialised Philippines….. don’t you remember… the US made de-colonialisation as one of the stratgey to stave off the tide of communism….
Of course that is a long story made short………..
May 2nd, 2006 at 4:28 am
amit,
apparently you’re educated in japan or at least spent time there working.
but dont get overboard with the japanese. i worked for them for almost ten years.
yes, there is a lot to be said about their work ethics. the japanese don’t look up to themselves the way you ‘worship’ them if you will. they look up to malaysians and point to the similar characteristics among the two peoples i.e. them and the malays - like how we treat our women. and they admire us for being able to speak a language they could not do as well. the japanese are a homogenous lot - and are self sufficient. but really, the only people they look up to are the americans (especially after the war). they are the most americanised among asians. they take to baseball the way the americans do - even play golf on rooftops because membership at golf clubs is beyond the means of the middle managers even.
apart from their work ethics peculiar only to them, feasible only when working in a japanese environment, there is the japanese style management invariably referred to by the gaijins as the bottom up style of management - decision making is time consuming because decisions are not imposed from the top but take shape from ideas which emanate from the bottom of the hierarchy. though decision making is relatively slow when compared to western style management with the emphasis on individuals rather than group, once a decision is made and adopted, its implementation moves fast and without the questioning and criticism that accompanies decisions made in the western style management.
the japanese have a fetish about clean habits because places like tokyo for example are densely populated. it is important that they, for example, wear masks whenever they are down with the flu - else it spreads to their colleagues at work like wild fire with the attendant loss in productivity, something they want to avoid at all cost.
imagine if they were to drive like malaysians on malaysian roads, in tokyo! to the japanese they have to be organized to survive - a direct response to their environment. the japanese office workers wear the same colour shirts and pants - light coloured shirt and dark blue pants with a dark coloured tie. there is no rule that requires them to do so. their female counterparts wear uniform provided by the companies they work for.
in the U.S. they encourage diversity. in japan they frown upon individualism as foreign to them - as a sign that you don’t like to conform to group values, and that to them is bad. in japan conformity is expected and uniformity is encouraged. but there are no rules requiring to be so - it is embedded in their values.
when mahathir asked that malaysian emulate the japanese, he meant adopting their work ethics - and that is not easy because what is second nature to the japanese is not to us. the result of this look east policy is the proliferation of karaoke lounges all over KL. we have not progressed beyond that.
do you get to see office workers taking a break and exercising next to their desks when the music comes on?? do you get to see senior managers having their meals at the office canteens, sharing meals with ordinary office workers?? no- these senior members of the management would be lunching in places like the hilton, in posh restaurants entertaining clients and commuting in expensive corporate limousines during peak hours - but never seen sharing meals with ordinary office workers at office canteens, and taking the opportunity to ask them how they were doing.
it doesnt work outside the japanese environment.
May 2nd, 2006 at 2:09 pm
I am with Esham in this.
I could have worked as a professional on the outside, but I decided after much deliberation to work as a lecturer. I had to give up a few things and learned new skills. People my age own companies by now, but I have yet to get my professor madya.
I disagree mostly that the environment maketh the person. Apart from driving defensively, I pick after my rubbish, I take pains in making my students pick up the right skills and give them the right experience and help to visualise the right attitude for their future. I have principles but mostly I acquired them from my parents.
People can overcome the odds and make the environment bend to them. People can make and shape the environment. It is a matter of time.
Yes, more brains should enter politics and government departments.
We should not despair and give in.
May 2nd, 2006 at 4:09 pm
of course, the environment maketh the man perhaps as much as the man maketh the environment - though i am inclined to say the latter is less so.
any disagreement normally is on how little control we have over the environment.
as rousseau says man is born free but everywhere he is in chains.
May 2nd, 2006 at 6:48 pm
Capri and LecturerUM
I applaud your leadership by example. I just wish more people like you would show the example and Malaysia will be a better place. I know you get all kinds of stares and kidding and elbowing by your friends and other onlookers but keep up the good work The journey has just begun.
May 2nd, 2006 at 6:55 pm
This is an interesting subject and touches on the debate Nature versus Nurture. Parents whose children have had the benefit of an overseas education, in a British or American environment for example, can see the difference in their personality compared with the local product. I am not trying to demean local educational institutions. Here at home we are constantly told what to do and how to behave. You make or break and dropouts create all sorts of social problems. Adult bad examples are everywhere. Living in a foreign land where there is greater freedom of speech and action nurtures independence and responsibility. Honesty and trustworthiness are examples. In the UK you fill up your car before you pay. There are also non-attended newsstands, where you would think twice about picking up the paper without paying. I have three children, two educated overseas. The main difference I notice in the two is their sensitivity. They are more rounded and they don’t lie. We can see such differences in our politicians. Compare and contrast Malaysia’s prime ministers, the earlier with the later. And the MB’s too. The Malay saying, “Siakap senohong gelama ikan duri; Cakap bohong lama lama mencuri” has a lot of truth in it. Someone changed the second line to “Cakap bohong lama lama jadi menteri”. Din Merican and I know of a mutual friend who is a pathological liar. We should not lend him anything.
May 2nd, 2006 at 7:15 pm
SHM:
Thanks for the malay proverb
“Siakap senohong gelama ikan duri; Cakap bohong, lama lama jadi menteri”
I’m gaffawed! so much wisdom, so very true !
May 2nd, 2006 at 7:40 pm
Sorry, spelling needs correction, it’s “guffawed”
May 2nd, 2006 at 7:46 pm
SHM,
Greetings from Phnom Penh. Our mutual friend is not as what you and I think he is. We will surprise you and I soon. Salams
May 2nd, 2006 at 7:47 pm
Correction: “He” not “we”.
May 2nd, 2006 at 8:54 pm
Just wondering, is civic-mindedness just a function of economic wellbeing?
Arguments saying that Western / Japanese (First World?) citizens are civic-minded would gain more strength if even members of their low socio-economic strata generally behave as such. But aren’t the slum areas in America full of thrash?
It does not help either when the old folks don’t set good examples. I have seen old men from all races spit all over the place, throw thrash here and there. There was even once I saw one who casually spat on the train floor.
Another one: My neighbour sees her kid throwing rubbish in front of the her house. She scolds her: “You want to work me to death cleaning rubbish, hah?”. Then she says: “Throw it down the drain!!”. Amazing.
May 2nd, 2006 at 8:57 pm
Din, glad to hear you’ll be heading home soon. Re nature and nurture I’m sure you have read Matt Ridley’s book “nature via nurture”. If you have not I’ll be happy to lend you mine.
May 3rd, 2006 at 2:18 am
Do not despair,
Civic mindedness is a function of education - up to a point.
If you say, it is but a function of economic well being, then you mistaking the sympton for the disease.
May 3rd, 2006 at 4:22 am
“……Just wondering, is civic-mindedness just a function of economic wellbeing?
Arguments saying that Western / Japanese (First World?) citizens are civic-minded would gain more strength if even members of their low socio-economic strata generally behave as such. But aren’t the slum areas in America full of thrash?….”
Good argument there…. I would propose a so called “socialisation hypothesis”…
Presumably in societies with effective and efficient education institutions (capitalist based of course, where the rich go to better equipped schools and the poor go to run-down schhol…such as you may find in the US cities), those with higher socio-economic background will be more civic conscious as they would have undergone better education process…..
This still leaves the influence of parents…. regardless of socio-economic status…. parents are the ones that shape the young minds even before they go to schools…..
__________________________________________________
Yes… in Japan the poor and unemployed live in card-box houses…. but still… the situation is not rough as let say the poor in New York….. I mean the manners of the poor in New York is way below that than the poor in Tokyo… the poor in Tokyo behaves quite good….the poor phenomena is quite recent… I read in the newspapers (and watch in TV) that many of the poor were employed… but now unemployed due to bad times….I remember in the 80s and early 90s some Japanese politicians are boasting about the national wealth compared that to the US. Now they have to eat their shoes I suppose…..
Anyway… I have to say that Japan is experiencing social changes…. like increase in the number of single parent families…. increase in the number of divorce…..and increase in the number of people living under poverty…. perhaps now there is no hardcore poor in Tokyo Metropolitan such as you may find in New York or Washington DC or Chicago….. but perhaps if things are not getting better…. they may follow the social patterns like that in the US. What do you call it…. intergenerational poverty….. poverty across generations….
May 3rd, 2006 at 5:07 am
Dear Bakri,
Environment maketh the man? As you have clearly illustrated, well yes, to an extent.
What about the man? We are again talking about values here. The man’s conduct, the man’s attitude, the man’s value system in other words, in connection with his surrounding.
Inculcating values via the stick or the carrot, or put another way, via fear or love? Please let me confirm that values tend to stay with the individual through love and kindness and not fear. The carrot (love and kindness) always has staying power.
I say this as I laughed reading the incident of how Singaporeans change from being the civics-minded-law-abiding individuals (I’d like to qualify that there are real and genuine civics-minded Singaporeans as do Malaysians) to totally uncontrollable-unthinking rubbish thrower once they crossed the border.
I drove up from Singapore sometime back behind a Singapore car. With my own eyes I saw rambutan skins and brace yourself…aaaaand e-v-e-n durian skins (aaaaargh!) got thrown happily out the window on the highway, mind you! I was horrified! Double whammy horrified indeed. Sigh!
There and then I decided, wonderful environment moulds a person yes, but if it was through fear, it would just be a shallow kind of effect. Temporary…until they left the environment of fear, even though it is wonderful, clean and spiffing.
We still have a lot to learn in life, if we want to, that is.
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:01 am
Hello?? Knock, knock !
Man maketh the environment ?? Gimme a break!
What happened to Woman?? Yes, women. Hello..!
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:08 am
Amit,
Speaking of trash in the U.S., if you go to a trailer track you can find more than rubbish.
You find white trailer trash - i.e. spelt ‘trash’ and not ‘thrash’.
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:17 am
..and Cik Ruby,
It is true that Spore is much more cleaner and kinder or sensitive in the way it treats the environment. They don’t have that much land to pollute and destroy.
So when they cross the border to Johor, they do what is expected of them, by them - without their government at their backs. They come to Malaysia to release some of that pressure they are made to go through as part of their daily lives - by their government.
Some of the Spore men come over here to sow their wild oats too! They splash their money on girls this side of the Causeway - and as to how popular they are, all you need do is visit the brothels.
Yes, Man maketh the Environment.
May 3rd, 2006 at 7:45 am
Yes, that’s why they built a bridge that is not even straight - and one that joins one piece of land to the same piece of land, or the bridge that leads to nowhere….
May 3rd, 2006 at 10:31 am
talking about environment maketh man…
right now there’s talk about the chicken flu spreading to the U.S.
so far no one in the U.S. has contracted this flu. flu killed some 18 million people way back in 1918 when there was no antibiotic to fight the spread. i remember contracting the hong kong flu in the late 60s. man…! that was painful. you would run a fever and your joints would ache like hell.
today with the all the technology to destroy ourselves in an instant at our disposal, we are as close to getting a cure for the flu as we have always been.
there just insn’t enough stock of the vaccine for all - many of us would be collateral damage to the choices made by politicians.
so much for man maketh the environment.
May 3rd, 2006 at 10:49 am
Commentator
I don’t know what you are insinuating. Please say it straight not giving us the run around. Who are you referring to here?
Elephant man,
It’s not easy to develop the vaccine. It has to go thru rigorous test before it is put on the market. Releasing vaccine early may result in serious side effects. Evertime the scientist develop a vaccine to take care of a known flu virus, a new strain develops which in most instance is immune to the vaccine already on the market. It is a constant battle especially when the virus develop thru mutation. Wish there is an easier way to handle the more than 9000 known diseases affecting the world today.
May 3rd, 2006 at 12:12 pm
The current estimate is that some 15 million Americans will die, with 50 million infected with the virus - and nothing can stop it.
And this is with the current stock of vaccine. This vaccine will only slow down the spread of the virus but will not stop it.
I hope our Din Merican does not ‘import’ the chicken virus back from Pnom Penh. He is free to deal with the four legged feathered chickens so long as he uses protection.
May 3rd, 2006 at 12:14 pm
Sorry… it should read “two legged” chickens. Whoever heard of ‘four legged” chickens?? LOL
May 3rd, 2006 at 12:17 pm
…and I am not suggesting he has sex with his feathered friends either. Whoever heard of ‘chicks’ with feathers. LOL
May 3rd, 2006 at 2:33 pm
The same way that we make it a point to remind readers that all Americans are not GW, it bears remembering that there are Malaysians and there are Malaysians; Bangsar Shopping Complex crawlers and Jinjang Joes, Cub Med sun-tanners and 2nd mile PD family picnic-ers.
So, I think Bakri is right - if the municipalities can’t offer up and maintain something as basic bins, how can a clean-up culture develop?
Singaporeans will keep chucking durian skins on Malaysian h’ways as long as Malaysian treat their own country like a big dump.
Sigh….people get the municipality services [like the governments] that they deserve…….
May 3rd, 2006 at 2:43 pm
BREAKING NEWS
Moussaaoui is destined to rot in prison all by himself in United States maximum prison, deep under the desert - talk about man maketh environment!
I mean literally rot in prison. He has only one hour of daylight, with nobody to talk to and no TV and radio or anything to read.
Execution by lethal injection is much, much more humane. He is only 38 tomorrow.
Environment maketh the man, and then man maketh his environment.
May 3rd, 2006 at 4:55 pm
“The jury had already determined that Moussaoui, who was in prison on immigration violations on the day of the attacks, had lied to the FBI about his ties to al-Qa’ida and about the 9/11 conspiracy.
Had he told the truth the attacks of one month later might have been averted. ”
Talk about lying to the American people and in so doing failing to avert unneccesary deaths [of young able bodied US soldiers, innocent Iraqis, Italilans, etc..]
Methinks the environment of the White House and the proximity of one particular Defense Secretary maketh a liar out of any feeble-minded man.. ..
May 3rd, 2006 at 9:10 pm
Are we going to repeat the same thing everytime we discuss about this issue, environment maketh man…
Everything is decided by your ownself, how good is your mindset. I have been staying in Malaysia for 25 years, even finish my under graduate there, where I believe, we have excellence education system, but worst maintainance that I have ever see. Frankly speaking, I am from Johor, and it is true that Singaporean treat here like rubbish bin, but before that, ask ourself, who started it. Will we run up front to them and say, dont throw rubbish in my country?… What if they asked back, Who started it first??
A lot of problem that we are facing in Malaysia. My university studies was full with classes of Islamic studies, history and also computer. I believe it help, but will it help our future??. I never heard of an Islam word since i begin working, and those Ibnu name since then, and I believe it help to let us know how to appreciate them, but why waste our university resources in teaching this kind of information, where we can learn more item like language and other things.
So education really start at home. To be civic, ask our parent first. But it will never happen, cause I even see a government official act so uncivic and have the mindset of ‘who cares’. And all of them represent our government. So ‘Who cares’. Everyone is smoking around and throwing rubbish around, and sometimes I cant even find a rubbish bin near me in public places. Worst, I felt embarass to walk in public road and kerb, cos our road and kerb look like 30 years old, even it is just built 5 years ago. Where is our maintainance team, local authority and policeman…. Everyone is busy “corrupting’ and looking for extra income….
With Malaysia as such a big country, I suddenly realise you can compare it with Singapore. There is not extra road for you to run if you commit a crime in Singapore(only Johor). In Malaysia, Police is so scarce till you only see them when you need them. And there is one occasion where I have seek help from police, where only reply was, nothing they can do, you have to settle it yourself. So just imagine, how can you govern such a big country with this kind of attitude.
And think back, most of the government servant are mainly Malay. I am not saying that is not right, cos it is Chinese and Indian choice not to join them, but think about the education level that they are in, and also the salary level that they are in. Who want to join. And what i heard is a MP earn around 30K per month and PM earn around 150K per month. But a small clerk only earn around 800 per month. So how can you change the mindset of a low educated person when they are busy looking for money to feed their own children. So how can you expect courtesy, respect and smile from them. In your next life.
My oversea friend graded malaysia as a corrupted country. Just middle class only compare to other third world country. How can you be first class country with third world mindset. Policeman will drop the charges with RM 20, JPJ will cover your track with RM 50, you will get your licence activated with RM 200, Traffic will forget your offence with RM 50, your business licence application with local authority will speed up with RM 500, and custom office will forget that you bring in contraband with RM 50. How can we advance>>>>>??
Thats the mindset we have, and we expect people to be like saint in malaysia where our own citizen act like small kids. So why compare with Singapore, US, or Japan. We will never be compareable to them.
REVAMP is the only way, in government, education, transport and local authority. everything need to change, but who want to change.
May 4th, 2006 at 4:09 am
from the way you write i bet you’re a malay. it certainly is from the level of your english.
our undergrads are so immatured in the way they think and reason.
american high school kids have a different problem. recently they find that many do not even know where the state of lousiana or mississippi is. can you imagine our students not knowing where the state of kelantan is?
our knowledge of the world and of current affairs is much better than the knowledge shown by american high school kids. in this area we’re lucky.
their geography and history is so bad. some do not know who their secretary of state is. some thought abraham lincoln was the president during the second world war!
however, when it comes to expressing one’s own thoughts and reasoning, the malaysian student fails miserably. what they are good at is learning by rote for the exams and then regurgitate what they read during exams. beyond that they are hopeless - and some are so immatured, incapable of independent and logical thinking.
environment maketh the man.
May 4th, 2006 at 6:18 pm
Ergo, your opinion of the Malaysian students being immatured and incapable of independent and logical thinking is right to a point. You have seen some fine examples on this blog. In spite of this drawback they are prepared to be on the firing line and be hackled for their ineptness.
I believe this weakness is inherent in the system. The rot sets in when Bahasa Malaysia was made the compulsory medium of instruction in schools ten years after Independence in 1967.
Must we blame these students for their apparent lack of finess? I would rather take our so-called paragon of virtues to task for the current state of affair.
Any politicians worth their salt would claim that things were done in good faith. But you and I know at whose doorsteps the gravy train stops.
May 4th, 2006 at 6:24 pm
First of all, I am not Malay. Second, I can say I score quite well in English. Third, I am the fruit of Malaysia Education. So who to blame. IF you going to say I study for exam, yup, I totally agreed with it, because after exam I forget about everything, ADD math, Bio, and other all are HIS-tory. Never again remember it. And I am working as a professional, in Malaysia, so what do you expect. I did not expect anyone to look at the way I write my blog, since I also dont expect ppl to write perfect english here.
There maybe lack of some fluency in my blog, or so call essay, but to be truthful, I always check my essay 3 times before I pass it up and always get better than average. I forgot to do it this time, and dont expect me to do it.
As you know about my education, or my work, so are you going to come back, this is malaysia, and i can tell you the truth, i never been educated by a foreigner before, no one teach me perfect english and never went to USA as some of you did, so how is my english. AND there are many undergrads whose english are far worst than me.
Dont believe, come on, ask other undergrad from local malaysia Uni to speak up, and we compare.
May 9th, 2006 at 9:39 pm
Dr Bakri, the observation about Malaysian habits in public parks is spot on. However, I also noticed something else which is equally interesting and it happens at the local IKEA store in the Ikano Power Centre. Most diners at the check-out eatery actually clear the rubbish from their tables before they leave. The odd one who doesn’t gets stared at, whether he/she notices it or not. And invariably, most patrons who take up that messy table left by the earlier diner will clear the mess instead of waiting for the cleaner to do it. Malaysians are a weird lot, aren’t they? They can actually behave like first class citizens if enough social pressure is exerted upon them. Can the same be said about our politicians and civil servants?