Received this in the email and thought should share it
here:
Corruption of Values
Kelvin Ng. Sg_Review
Aug 21, 2007
Now that most of the dust from the NKF debacle has settled, most
think it is time to forget the whole episode. I think not.
The issue at the heart of the whole matter has scarcely been dealt
with, and now with our fast-paced mindset, we are thinking of
putting it behind us.
The case has been dealt with legally, but the heart of the matter
has little to do with law, but with what is right.
The former is the letter of the law but the latter is the spirit of
the law. The heart of the matter has to do with values.
Values drive behaviour, and behavior can be judged legally, but the
source and crux of the trouble is not behavior but values.
Therefore, I propose a mindset change in the way we perceive
corruption. Corruption is now being rigidly defined as a matter of
bribes and misuse of public funds.
However, the fact that we were outraged by the NFK has little to do
with the legalities of corruption but with the corruption of values
in an institution using public funds.
If we don't call this perversion of values corruption we can call
it decadence, and it is no less reprehensible, and all institutions
of public character must be under scrutiny for it.
It is an affront to common human decency for public institutions to
subvert their values, such that they become bureaucratic
self-serving places of decadence.
We need an active vigilant citizenry not afraid to speak up, a mass
media not afraid to publish wrong-doing and a government that does
care and listen and which investigates all credible reports and not
sweep things under the carpet when it is convenient.
We have a long way to go on all three aspects.
Kelvin Ng
