Speaking about a common theme

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INVITATIONS to speak at various events have resumed in earnest after Ramadan. I am sometimes slightly puzzled by some of the requests that I receive, including on topics I know little about, so I always try and understand from the organisers how they think my words can benefit those who will be present, lest I fall into a bout of imposter syndrome.

I have encountered too many situations where the guest speaker has no interest in the subject matter, and similarly, the audience does not care much for the speaker. Rather, the invite was issued because someone was needed to fill in the slot, and they could not find anyone else.

My objective is to avoid this scenario. I aim to enjoy the events where I’m speaking, but more importantly, I try to add value – in terms of sharing what experience and knowledge I have, amusing anecdotes, or at least an enthusiastic affirmation that those present are on the right track. Although some keynote speeches cannot accommodate an interactive session, I usually try to allow for questions and answers.

The Rotaractors of Rotary District 3300 – of which I am their royal patron – invited me to address their increasing numbers of members at their Annual Awards Night. This was to recognise, amidst dinner and fellowship, the impressive array of different activities led by these 18- to 30-year-olds including the provision of medical services, the donation of basic essentials to poverty- or disaster-stricken communities, visits to orphanages, environmental campaigns, and fundraising for various charitable initiatives.

Indeed, the sheer diversity of efforts represents a microcosm of NGO volunteerism in Malaysia more widely, and appropriately enough, many programmes are undertaken in conjunction with more specialised organisations.

In doing this work, not only are these young people exemplifying the best traits of citizenship, but also learning about important areas of public policy, understanding how to deliver better services and also appreciating the lives of Malaysians who are less fortunate than they are. My speech here was straightforward: to highlight these achievements and offer my support at programmes that I might be able to join.

My speech at the Malaysian Economic Convention, in my capacity as founding president of Ideas – sandwiched between those by Prof KS Jomo and Datuk Mohd Nasir Ahmad (past president of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants and Chairman of CIMB Group) – was stipulated towards the topic of good governance.

Finding myself often agreeing with Prof Jomo in this case, I emphasised that every country must formulate its own definition of good governance, taking certain histories, demographics, and geopolitics into account in a democratically legitimate way. The path towards our federation, our Federal Constitution, and the creation and evolution of our institutions (including the manifesto promises of last year) all point to a uniquely Malaysian quest towards good governance, even though the experience of other countries and international comparative indices can be useful.

At the National University of Malaysia (UKM), where I am a royal fellow of the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (Ikmas), I was asked to share some thoughts about leadership with the students of the Graduate School of Business, dominated by young professionals working in diverse sectors.

At these more open-ended sessions, my formula is to summarise the assorted hats I wear and let the audience take it from there. This being a more corporate-minded audience I was expecting questions about my role as an independent director of two public listed companies, or my views on business regulations.

So I was pleasantly surprised that some people have been following my writings (or piano performances!) for years. However, other questions nudged me into acknowledging my many deficiencies.

The reminder that one can always improve is a welcome one, and also provides an opportunity to think about the leadership that we see in our national institutions – especially, of late, in politics.

If there is one common strand uniting these three speeches, it is that all humans have their weaknesses, and that we need different types of people across institutions: either to achieve things that people cannot achieve alone (as with the Rotaractors), or to prevent flawed individuals from having too much power (as with the quest for good governance).

The key is that these individuals – especially the more flawed ones – must realise that they are not perfect and need checks and balances upon themselves. It is when people want to accumulate too much power – whether because they think they know better than others, or because they simply enjoy the trappings of their position – that institutions start to break down. As I continue on my speaking circuit, I hope to impart this message to ever more diverse and interesting audiences.

Tunku Zain Al-Abidin is founding president of Ideas.