Oleh/By		:	DATO' SERI DR. MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD 
Tempat/Venue 	: 	AT STADIUM TUN RAZAK, KUALA LUMPUR 
Tarikh/Date 	: 	19/03/83 
Tajuk/Title  	: 	AT THE LAUNCHING CEREMONY OF THE 
			"LEADERSHIP BY EXAMPLE" CAMPAIGN 




All praise be to Allah Subhanahu Wataala upon Whose grace, we are able to
gather here this morning in this stadium, for the purpose of strengthening
and renewing our resolve to increase the quality and level of our
productivity, in line with our aspiration to create a harmonious, strong
dan sovereign nation.

2. Malaysia is a developing country with a multi-racial
population. Although we can be proud of the development we have achieved
since our independence 26 years ago, we are still far behind when compared
with the developed countries.

We do not just wish for wealth, but we realise that a nation and a people
that is weak and backward will not be respected. We have to acquire all
forms of knowledge that is now possessed by the developed nations in order
to safeguard our honour and integrity. It is only when we have attained
their level of development that we will be able to hold our own and not be
pushed around and bullied. Only those without honour are willing to let
their nation be belittled. Our principal hope and aim is to safeguard the
sovereignity of this nation and the honour of its people.

3. It is with this realisation, that the government has promised an
administration that is clean, efficient and trustworthy. This promise is
made because a government that is clean, efficient and trustworthy, will
not only speed up the rate of development but will also enable Malaysians
to live a better life as a result of practising these virtues.

We do not doubt that a government that is clean, efficent and trustworthy
will facilitate and improve the machinery of government, further increase
productivity and make this nation stable and strong.

4. However, these promises were made by the political leaders only. There
was no similar promise made by the bureaucrats on whom rests the
responsibility of realising these hopes. An administration that is clean,
efficient and trustworthy will only be meaningful when its leaders, heads
of government departments and officers have these values, and hence
government leaders, both in politics and the civil service, have to make a
pledge in an effort to inculcate and to ensure that these values are
practised. It is therefore important that these promises be extended to
all members of the civil service. It is for this reason that we are
gathered here today to make this pledge.

5. Making a pledge is meaningless unless it is practised.

In order to ensure that the promise made is fulfilled, it is of utmost
importance that the leaders practise it themselves. It is pointless for
the leaders to urge others to do good, if they themselves do not practise
what they preach. It is true that leaders being human are not free from
errors. However, the public is willing to forgive mistakes if they are
made unintentionally and for so long as efforts are made to do good and
mistakes are corrected.

What I meant by mistake here is not correcting false accusations that are
often made but correcting truly genuine mistakes. To spread vicious lies
is a heinous act that should not be done by anyone.

6. To lead by providing good examples is the most effective way to ensure
that good deeds are practised by all. There can be no gain by saying one
thing but doing another. This is the reason behind the theme of the
campaign "Leadership by Example" that is launched today. To set good
example is indeed a heavy responsibility. However, to those who are
sincere, and who wish to see Malaysia become a peaceful and progressive
nation, respected and revered, this heavy responsibility will surely be
shouldered with grit and determination.

Ladies and gentlemen, 

7. All of us that are gathered here today are leaders in our own right
while at the same time we are also followers. The same is true for those
who are not present here today. Each of us have our leaders but in turn we
have others below us. Even if it may not be so now, but we ourselves, one
day will be leaders in our own fields. Hence, each of us must begin by
setting good examples that can convince everyone and ensure that the
administration of this nation is carried out efficiently.

8. The first good example that we must show is cleanliness in all its
aspects both morally and physically. To be morally clean means to possess
good thoughts and ideals and to carry out our duties as promised without
any ulterior motive or unworthy intentions. We should not delay our work
for the purpose of procuring bribes. What is not rightfully ours should
not be taken. We should not be involved in any form of crime or
bribery. We should not misuse or abuse authority and we should not be
arrogant.

9. We must be properly dressed and be of good behaviour. We must also
ensure the cleanliness of our environment, whether at home or at our place
of work. We must avoid polluting the environment. In short, all that is
righteous should be practised and all that is evil must be avoided.

10. I am sure we are all aware of the importance of skill. No work can be
done well without proper skill. While the education that we received in
school provide us with the basic knowledge, skill can only be obtained
through appropriate training and experience. As such, we have to
continuously develop the skill, seek and acquire the relevant knowledge
and practise repeatedly until competency is acquired. Each of us have our
own special abilities, and these abilities can be improved through
repeated practice.

Hence, we must work hard.

11. We must not be satisfied with what we can do. We have to continuously
improve our ability through research, education and practice. God willing,
if we are patient and determined we will eventually improve our skill. We
must make quality our aim because it will not only benefit us but also
society. A nation that is administered by people who are skilled will
become more progressive and stable. This in turn will ensure the country's
honour.

12. The third pledge that we have to undertake is
trustworthiness. Trustworthiness is a very important element in
society. Without this quality disorder will prevail. If we cannot depend
on or delegate work to others then it will be impossible for us to manage
our work or finances or to manage government and public property. The
management and administration of government cannot be the responsibility
of just one person. Many will be involved in the management of
government. If the civil service cannot be relied on then the government
will collapse, and there will be anarchy which will threaten our very own
lives.

13. Every member of the civil service, whatever his rank is entrusted with
authority. Authority is given because without it, administration and
supervision which is the responsibility of government cannot be carried
out.

Unfortunately, authority is very easily abused. When abused, authority
will no longer be an instrument for supervision but will instead become an
obstacle which will in turn destroy society. Misuse of authority, whether
in the issuing of hawkers licences or in approving contracts worth
millions of dollars, will inevitably have damaging results on society. In
the end, all of us will lose because of lack of trustworthiness.

14. This is also true in the day to day management of government. If a
letter from the public is deliberately misdirected, or payment is not made
as scheduled, or directives not properly followed, then the administration
will become weak and ineffective. This will result in Malaysia remaining
as a developing nation and her people left behind in all fields. We will
forever be belittled and looked down upon.

15. It is obvious that with an administration that is not clean, efficient
and trustworthy at all levels that is from political leaders and senior
civil servants to the lowest official, Malaysia and Malaysians can never
be successful and progressive and respected by all. The independence that
we achieved will then be meaningless for the country's status and honour
will be that of a colonised nation and its people that of a slave. There
is no one whom we can blame because our fate has been entrusted to us when
we achieved independence twenty six years ago.

16. It is for this reason that we want to have a government that is clean,
efficient and trustworthy. However, being clean, efficient and trustworthy
alone is not enough. We need to have other good traits as well. We need to
be disciplined, systematic in our work, polite, courageous, of good
behaviour, diligent and possessed of other good qualities which will make
us a better society. These are qualities that are upheld by every
religion. All these qualities reflect the responsibility and the spirit of
give and take that is the sine qua non of an individual in a
society. These qualities are proof of the love of man of his society, and
his nation. The Prophet Mohammad (may the 

17. By taking this pledge today we are making a commitment to show good
example as a leader. Good deeds will not only improve the civil service,
but also society, including ourselves. We do not lose by providing good
service, for the good derived by society will also be felt by us.

18. In view of this, we must not regard the service that we render as a
commodity for sale for a certain amount of payment. Does service for one's
self requires payment from others? Does it not mean that rendering good
service is a reflection of civic consciousness? Is not service to the
public a virtue? If we answer 'yes' to all these questions, then the
service we give should be more than just earning a living. We must be
prepared to provide better service to achieve this noble objective.

19. As such, I would like to stress that we should not work merely for the
remuneration that we receive, but it should be more than that. We should
work for the people, for the nation and for the Almighty, Who has bestowed
upon us innumerable blessings. We should not be too calculating with
regard to the worth of our work, but we should regard our work as a
contribution to the society and country. We should not only be conscious
of the blessings derived from a nation that is stable and peaceful but we
should also be grateful for it. For our gratefulness our rewards will be
greater.

20. We are a multi-racial nation. Although there exists racial differences
within the community, generally we live in peace and there is good
relations between the different races. Compared to other multi racial or
multi religious nations, where racial clashes resulting in deaths are
quite common, the racial understanding and harmony found in this country
is something all Malaysians can be proud of.

21. However, the cooperation and understanding that we have among
ourselves can be further improved. In this country we cannot avoid having
different races working together in one workplace. There are also
situations where the head and the workers are of different races. In such
a situation, feelings of ill-will and dissatisfaction will arise and there
will be accusations of discrimination, sabotage and so on.

22. There might be some basis to these accusations, no matter from which
race it comes. However, the element of suspicions because of race
differences, often tends to exaggerate these minor issues. These
suspicions will be further fuelled if an interested party is involved,
resulting in tension and affecting work. This occurs in government
departments and also in private firms. It is obvious that such a situation
is unhealthy and not conducive to the progress of the nation.

23. I wish to appeal to all, both in the government and the private
sector, to do away with suspicions and accusations. In multi-racial
Malaysia, we cannot avoid mingling with one another during work. It is to
our best interest if we could avoid discrimination and should this occur
and suspicion aroused, we ought to cast it aside and concentrate on the
work that has to be carried out satisfactorily. Conscientious employees
will, in due time be respected, looked up to and will receive fair
rewards. In other words we should accept this reality of working in a
multiracial society and adjust ourselves accordingly. We should stop
making accusations but instead strengthened inter-racial relations, both
during and after office hours. greedy will choose the short term
course. Although the 'benefits' will accrue to them earlier, in the long
run they stand to lose. It is those who give priority to short term gains
that are most often involved in corruption and other irregularities.

25. On the other hand if our aim is a long term gain, we have to make
sacrifices in order to enjoy the benefits which is much more lasting. It
is for this reason that we have to make sacrifices in order to achieve a
more lasting benefit. As such we ought to give priority to long term
gain. It is better for us to work hard now, as this will not only be to
our advantage but as our nation becomes more developed and progressive our
future generations too will surely stand to benefit. They will possess
high integrity, they will be respected and hence will be able to ensure
that future generations too will be better off. Therefore, let us
sacrifice for our religion and our nation, as this will have the effect of
bringing about more lasting benefits for those who practise it. nation
stronger and more developed, and to make our multi-racial society a
happier, united and progressive society. We make this pledge to build a
greater nation so that no one will ridicule or look down on us. If we
adhere to this pledge, God willing, we will achieve our objectives.

27. As a sign that the pledge we make is done with all sincerity, we must
show that we hold firmly to it. We must be prepared to sacrifice as proof
of our sincerity to this pledge. May I suggest that we sacrifice 15
minutes of our time daily for the society and country as a symbol of our
adherence to this pledge. We should arrive at work at the appointed time,
but leave the office 15 minutes later than the normal finishing time. This
is our voluntary contribution towards the society and nation. God willing,
we will all be able to benefit from it.

28. I am only making a suggestion. It is not compulsory. However, as this
is a good practice and since we have pledged to lead by example, I am
convinced that we will not let down the society and nation. Nevertheless,
we must bear in mind that our pledge will not be fully realised merely by
working this extra 15 minutes. We need to do a lot more so as to give
meaning and substance to our pledge.

29. This gathering today involves officials from the public sector
only. However, the example that we show today will surely be emulated by
the private sector. This country needs citizens that are efficient,
trustworthy, hard working and disciplined in order to make this country
prosperous and stable. The Government will not be able to achieve it's
aims if the public and private sectors do not give their full cooperation
and do not practice the noble values that we have propounded today.

30. God willing, if we are humble and grateful we will be rewarded. Let us
pray that God will bestow upon us the strength and courage needed to carry
out these resolutions of ours successfully.

31. It is with this hope, and in the name of Allah The Most Merciful, that
I launch this "Leadership by Example" campaign.