I’ve just visited a wonderful place, a heritage site that’s been honoured by Unesco. I’m of course taking my own advice about travelling and am currently in a country far away from home and its comforts. Thank you for your care and concerns.
The site I mentioned is an old wooden mosque more than 900 years old. It has withstood everything from wars to famines to floods, and termites too, by the look of it.
It’s likely to survive for hundreds more years, unless a Malaysian property developer discovers it – then it’ll be bye bye Unesco heritage status.
What’s unique about the mosque is the many intricate wooden carvings representing symbols and signs of the many civilisations that have passed through the area, from Hinduism to Buddhism to Christianity and of course Islam.
The mosque is well-cared for by the local community. It’s in daily use, even if it can squeeze in only a handful of people at most. The people themselves profess a version of Islam slightly different from our own in Malaysia, but nevertheless one that the Muslims of Malaysia can certainly relate to.
They don’t seem to mind the various references in their mosque to other religions.
I can only conclude that their faith is stronger than that of many others. I had a wonderful day. Then I made the mistake of checking the news from back home. Wrong move. Alcohol seems to figure prominently, not for the first time admittedly, and certainly not for the last time either.
Making me want to stay away
I’m sure you’re very up to speed – perhaps even at Formula One level – with things, including whatever monumental changes there are vis-à-vis alcohol about where our public servants can and cannot attend meetings.
Safe to say, the twain – public servants and alcohol – are not supposed to meet, or even be under the same roof.
So here we go again. My immediate reaction was that I don’t want to go back home. I’d rather stay at places where Muslims aren’t afraid of their shadows and don’t declare war on “easy” enemies so they can distract us from the other bigger enemies.
I certainly agree that a champagne shower, even if commemorating a win at the most boring Formula One race in existence, is too much.
It brings up questions of how much money we’re spending to deserve such showers, and whether the money can be better utilised elsewhere rather than in trying to get drenched with alcohol.
I would certainly like to hear some explanation from the big corporate boss involved.
When it’s safe to ‘drink water’
As for the other aspect of the champagne shower – the one that got our learned and wise leaders of politics, society and religion in an uproar – I’d rather just assume said big corporate boss knows about the prohibition on alcohol for Muslims and didn’t take the opportunity to, as the Malay proverb says and I translate – while you’re swimming drink some water lah.
If he didn’t “swim and drink water” at the champagne shower, I believe he’d meet what is asked of him by Islam. Anybody who casts aspersions on his character and faith without any solid proof – if he did “drink water” accidentally, it doesn’t count – you’d need to go and cleanse yourself my brothers and sisters in Islam.
As for Malaysian civil servants not being allowed to attend meetings where alcohol is served, that’s a tough one.
Who makes the rule about where the civil servants can or cannot go to execute their duties? Their ministers? Union leaders? Social media? AI?
Public servants can’t always ensure no alcohol is served at the meetings and events they attend. While some may like the prohibition, others may feel uncomfortable about putting in place protocols and SOPs about the who and where and what and when.
Some rules of my own
But who am I to challenge the rulings made by people who are more learned than I? I’m not challenging anything at all.
However, I certainly am ready to suggest one or two rulings of my own, about what and where public servants and big GLC bosses can and cannot do, or appear, apart from what has been announced recently.
First: you shouldn’t be where your policies and SOPs say you shouldn’t be, such as being away from your place of work without permission or proper approvals.
This includes – and I’ll grant you some exemptions because I’m a reasonable man – being away from your office, desk, counter or worksite, unless you have valid reasons.
Such absences include – but are not limited to – taking long tea and meal breaks.
Your work SOPs have very reasonably provided for such breaks, and you can avail yourself to such breaks with the minimum of effort. I urge you to make such an effort.
An appetite for work
While I’ve often been successful in meeting such efforts, I’ve also been known to take two breakfasts, and occasionally two lunches too.
I often compensated for such infractions by starting work one or two hours earlier, as well as leaving the office after similar durations.
Note: I was never a public servant, so any money lost because of my runaway appetite wasn’t to the detriment of the rakyat. At most it made my employers slightly poorer, which in the scheme of things may not have been such a bad thing after all.
Stay away from all this
Second – apart from not taking any bribes or otherwise being corrupt, you also shouldn’t be where such activities take place, or where you are with those who take bribes.
This includes you being anywhere near your superiors, peers or subordinates who you’re certain are less than honest. You shouldn’t be around them, period.
You certainly cannot benefit in any way at all from what you know are illicit proceeds i.e. the “haram” stuff.
I’m sure you know there are such characters in the public service. I’m sure you know that saying “everybody does this” doesn’t excuse things.
You also know that merely averting your gaze from those partaking in such haram stuff is unacceptable in the eyes of God.
This could get really complicated. You may have to absent yourself from many, if not most, if not all, of the meetings where you know such haram stuff is at play or where such haram players are present.
Such meetings and events may involve fellow public servants, the public themselves or most of those in politics.
It’s a tough life
Sorry if I have made your life difficult. You do know though that God doesn’t set easy tests for us mortals.
Although it is easy to stay away from meetings and events where alcohol may be present, it is very much harder to stay away from being in the same room with corrupt people, given that many believe Malaysia has a rather large share of such people.
Three – Use your own brain and heart when it comes to balancing the “amanah” you’ve taken on in serving the rakyat versus the temptations that often get thrown in your way.
If the “amanah” is not delivered because you’re more concerned about not succumbing to temptations, that’s more of a problem with the strength of your faith, and not the temptations.
Stay away from these people
To do this, stay away from the sanctimonious ones who think they are better Muslims than you and who insist on dictating how you live your life as a Muslim.
Public service is where you’ve committed yourself to serving the public, and not a place to wear your heart on your sleeves.
Following the dictates of holier-than-thou characters who want to score points about how pious they are, and not how dedicated to serving the public, may mean you’re breaking your own oath and covenant you took to serve the public.
If the rakyat suffers because you didn’t make the right choice, I doubt you’ll get the rewards you’ve been expecting, no matter what your minister or union leaders said.
You need to always remember that.
Meanwhile, far away from home, I pray for your continuing success to live according to your faith by being good, decent Muslims.
As for those who want to claim all the credit for your not breaching your faith by forcibly keeping you away from temptations – I’ve a feeling you won’t get such credit.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.