Good Communication Skills - Key to Any Success

Some Quotes on Communication @ EssentialLifeSkills

http://www.essentiallifeskills.net/communicationquotes.html

Good Communication Skills - Key to Any Success

http://www.essentiallifeskills.net/goodcommunicationskills.html

Good communication skills are key to success in life, work and relationships. Without effective communication, a message can turn into error, misunderstanding, frustration, or even disaster by being misinterpreted or poorly delivered.

Communication is the process by which we exchange information between individuals or groups of people. It is a process where we try as clearly and accurately as we can, to convey our thoughts, intentions and objectives.

Communication is successful only when both the sender and the receiver understand the same information.

In today's highly informational and technological environment it has become increasingly important to have good communication skills.

While many individuals still continue to struggle, the inability to communicate effectively will hold them back not only in their careers, but in social and personal relationships. 

The steps for acquiring good communication skills:

1.        Know what you want to say and why. Understand clearly the purpose and intent of your message. Know to whom you are communicating and why. Consider any barriers you may encounter such as cultural differences or situational circumstances (gender, age, or economic biases). Ask yourself what outcome you want to achieve and the impression you want to leave.

2.        How will you say it? We're all aware by now, that it's not always what you say, but how you say it that counts. Begin by making eye contact. You inspire trust and confidence when you look a person in the eyes when you speak. Second, be aware of your body language since it can say as much, or more, than your words. By standing with arms easily at your side you tell others that you are approachable and open to hearing what they have to say. If instead, your arms are crossed and shoulders hunched, it suggests disinterest or unwillingness to communicate. Good posture and an approachable stance help make even difficult communication flow more smoothly. Make sure you speak in a cooperative, non-adversarial tone. Be non-judgmental.

3.        Listen. Communication is a two way street. After you've said what you have to say, stop, listen, and look for feedback and clues of comprehension. While the person is responding avoid any impulses to cut them off or listen only for the end of the sentence so that you can blurt out more ideas or thoughts that come to your mind. Respectfully give them your full attention. When they are finished, to ensure that your message has been clearly and correctly understood, ask open questions and encourage discussion. Fine-tune your message if necessary.

4.        Reach understanding, agreement or consensus. Once you have had the opportunity to discuss your message and the feedback to it, re-visit the purpose of the interchange. Have you reached common ground, solved a problem, or clarified your position? If the purpose was to teach or instruct, have you accomplished your goal? To communicate well is to understand and be understood. Make sure that your message has been received as intended and that any questions or concerns have been alleviated. You can even agree to disagree. There are no guarantees that your communication efforts will be meet with total compliance and agreement. As long as you understand each other, are cordial and respectful, you can still have a successful exchange.

More Tips for Developing Good Communication Skills

·             To obtain a better command of the English language (or any other language), expand your vocabulary by reading and writing more. Look up words you're not familiar with. The better you are able to express yourself, the better your ability to communicate.

·             Practice your listening skills. Be considerate of other speakers by waiting until they are done before stating your views. Process what has being said before responding.

·             Learn to understand and appreciate opposing points of view by being open-minded and making an effort to see things from another's perspective. It will in turn, gain you more cooperation and understanding.

·             Avoid trying to communicate when in an emotional state. You lose objectivity and may say something inappropriate or regrettable. Take time to think your position through before speaking.

·             Join an organization such as Toastmasters that encourages you to develop a variety of communication skills as well as allowing you the opportunity to meet new and interesting people.

When you take the time to acquire and hone good communication skills you open yourself up to better relationships, more career opportunities, and increased self-confidence. Moreover, you reach higher levels of mutual understanding and cooperation while successfully attaining your goals.

All new skills take time to refine, however, with effort and practice you can develop good, even exceptional, communication skills.

The Art of Conversation or Improve Your Conversation Skills

http://www.essentiallifeskills.net/the-art-of-conversation.html

The art of conversation, like any art, is a skill of elegance, nuance and creative execution.

I happen to believe that there is an art to everything we do and why not? Without flair and panache most things become drudgery. Why settle for drudgery when you can have art?

When it comes to the art of conversation we've all met people who seem to have the knack for it. They can talk to anybody about anything and they seem to do it with complete ease. And while it's true that there are those who are born with the gift of gab, luckily for the rest of us, conversation skills can be developed and mastered.

In my article Good Communication Skills - Key to Any Success, I talk about the importance of being a good communicator and I give tips on how to convey ideas and information successfully. Many of the same tips hold true for developing good conversational skills. Have a look at the article for added tips which I won't be repeating here.

Conversation is a form of communication; however, it is usually more spontaneous and less formal. We enter conversations for purposes of pleasant engagement in order to meet new people, to find out information and to enjoy social interactions. As far as types of conversation, they vary anywhere from intellectual conversations and information exchanges to friendly debate and witty banter.

While there is more to having good conversation skills than being a comedian, dramatic actor, or a great story teller, it is not necessary to become more gregarious, animated, or outgoing. Instead, you can develop the ability to listen attentively, ask fitting questions, and pay attention to the answers - all qualities essential to the art of conversation. With diligent practice and several good pointers, anyone can improve their conversation skills.

Tips on How to Improve Your Conversation Skills

Show interest and be curious. People who are genuinely interested in others are usually interesting themselves. Why? Because they are more open to learning about and understanding new things. Showing interest also encourages the other person to be relaxed and share information more freely. Display attentiveness by keeping good eye contact and listening actively. 

If you happen to be shy and need time to warm up before you share your own views, you can ask open-ended questions or encourage the other person to elaborate on their insights. This kick-starts the conversation and before you know it you are engaged in a good conversational flow. 

Ensure there is a balance of give and take. A conversation can get boring quickly if one person is doing all the talking while the other is trying to get a word in edgewise. When that happens whoever is not talking begins to tune out and there is no conversation!

There can be many reasons for a lack of give and take. Sometimes nervousness can get in the way and you ramble on without realizing it. Or, nervousness can make you freeze and you don't know what to say next. If you find yourself freezing up, take a deep breath and do your best to focus; smile, and then reflect on what you want to say. If the other person is the rambler and you've tried several times to interject but haven't been able to, then excuse yourself politely and move on.

If later on you realize that you were the rambler (heaven forbid), then at least you will have made the most important step towards improvement which is - awareness.

Determine whether your tendency to dominate a conversation is due to nervousness or self-involvement.

Either way, review the conversation in your head. Look for spots where you could have paused and allowed the other person to talk. For future conversations a good rule of thumb is after you make a point, pause for either agreement or an alternative point of view. Observe body language for cues whether to stop or continue. For example, is the person glossy-eyed and therefore bored? Are they moving towards you to speak and you just keep on talking? Are they looking elsewhere (for an escape) while you are carrying on? In a good conversation each person needs to express themselves or it is no longer a conversation but a monologue.

Be interesting and have something to say. While you don't have to be a comedian, entertainer, or brilliant raconteur, you do need to be interestingotherwise what would you say? If you are not well informed, tend not to read much, or have very few interests, you will have very little to talk about except yourself. Unfortunately, no one wants to hear about your latest troubles, conquests, or daily routine. Yet so many dull conversationalists believe that's what people want to hear from them. Who hasn't been stuck with someone at a social event who blathers on about their family history, latest job interview, or the like?

To avoid being that person, become knowledgeable about world events, people in the news, or what's going on locally. Take time to keep up with the latest music,new technological discoveries, or recent best sellers. No one can know everything, so if you can enlighten someone during the course of a conversation, you'll be a hit! By the same token, you can learn something new as well.

Of course, not all conversations are knowledge sharing gatherings or discussions of global import. Many, especially at social functions, consist of light-hearted and cheerful banter. In such cases, be aware of the tone and mood of the conversation and go with the flow. If you are not particularly good at one-liners, or much of a jokester, you can always listen, smile and enjoy the humor. Never act like you feel out of place or ill at ease.

Be relaxed, be yourself. If you are on edge, or trying to be someone you're not, it will show and therefore doom a conversation to failure before it starts. Admittedly, if you are not relaxed it's hard to appear as if you are. Slow down and take a deep breath. If you don't do your best to relax, you will end up saying something silly, unintelligible, or unrelated to the conversation. Also smile warmly; it will make you appear pleasant and therefore, more approachable. Worth noting: if you are trying to hard to be something you're not, you will come across as a fake or a wannabe.

To start a conversation, go up to someone and introduce yourself. It is both polite and necessary to start things off smoothly. If the occasion calls for it, you can offer a handshake and then smile and make eye contact. Being friendly puts the other person at ease and opens the door for them to introduce themselves. If, for whatever reason, your attempt is not well-received and you notice the other person is cool or standoffish, bow out gracefully and move on. Do not take it as a rejection; merely consider that the person has their reasons for not reciprocating. Perhaps they are not feeling well, have had a bad day, or are not in the mood for conversation.

To improve, practice and then practice some more. The art of conversation, like any skill, takes practice. Do not expect to be adept after your first few attempts. It will take practice as well as exposure to many different social situations. A good way to get practice before you venture out to an event is withfamily members and people you are comfortable with. They can give you helpful and supportive feedback, which in turn, gives you something to work on. You can never have too much practice!

Quick-Tips for The Art of Conversation

• Do not dominate a conversation or make it all about you. 
  A monologue is not conversation.
• Show interest and curiosity in others.
• Strive for a balance of give and take.
• Be an active listener by maintaining good eye contact
  and asking pertinent questions.
• Train yourself to relax by using visualization, meditation, or other relaxation methods. Being relaxed is vital for good conversation.
• Do not interrupt and cut in with your own ideas
  before the other person is finished speaking.
• Maintain an open mind; everyone has a right to express themselves even if you don't agree with what they are saying.
• Although this is cliché, try to avoid topics such as sex, religion and politics. You would be surprised at how many people get trapped
  by them and end up in verbal battle, not conversation.
• Be prepared by staying on top of the latest news,
  developments and world events.
• Be approachable by staying relaxed, smiling
  and maintaining a friendly attitude.

Possessing the art of conversation improves personal, social and work relationships. It gives you the opportunity to meet interesting new people and introduces you to various new topics and subject matter. With practice and application anyone can improve their conversation skills.

3 Important Skills We Need in Life

The 3 most important skills you need to be successful in life

http://thecrux.com/these-are-the-3-main-skills-you-need-to-master-to-be-successful-in-life/

By Mark Ford  |  Dec 18, 2015

Today, I'd like to talk about the most important skills we need to be successful in life.

I've been thinking about this subject for several decades. I hope what I'm about to say will be helpful to you.

I've identified about a dozen skills I believe are important to a successful life. Of these, three are fundamental: thinking well, speaking well, and writing well.

At some level, every human being can think.

But some people, I'm sure you would agree, think better than others.

Thinking well

Thinking well means having the capacity to reason. It means being able to assess, analyze, and solve problems. It means being able to create and follow a trend of thought.

It means being able to distinguish good ideas from bad ones. It means understanding logic.

Having the ability to think well gives a person a great competitive advantage. It allows him to solve problems and accomplish objectives quickly and efficiently. It distinguishes him as a smart and capable person.

Thinking well is the basis for both of the other important social skills, as you'll soon see.

In thinking about thinking, we must remember there's a difference between thinking well and intelligence. Thinking well is a skill. Intelligence is a natural capacity.

Having sizable intellect is an indisputable asset. It makes learning how to think well much easier... but it doesn't guarantee it. The world is full of intelligent people who've never learned how to think well. They grow up to be adults who don't have the intellectual capacity to fend for themselves. They live out their lives dependent on the kindness of others.

Thinking well, like any other skill, can be learned.

If it can be learned, it can be taught.

And teaching it to your children will fall primarily on your shoulders. Government-run schools – and many private schools – have neither the interest nor the ability to do this. The job is, and should be, up to you.

There are at least three ways you can teach your children to think well.

The most important way is probably through thoughtful conversation. Taking the time to walk your children through problems and obstacles is invaluable. Asking them questions and challenging their answers is also important.

And finally, it's important to encourage them to have their own ideas. Society wants to make us all think alike. You can't possibly be a good thinker unless you have the temerity to think for yourself.

The second most important way is probably through a good formal education. A good formal education, in my view, is one that emphasizes the liberal arts: literature, language, history, and the arts.

Some knowledge of science and mathematics are helpful. But these skills aren't likely to make you anything more than a successful or celebrated worker bee. The skills you learn in liberal arts teach you how to think.

The third way you can teach your children to think well is by exacting a diligent control over their use of computers, video games, television, and the Internet. My wife and I unplugged our televisions during the 25 years our children lived at home. And we banned video games and encouraged our children to play games that were educational.

Today, there are hundreds of games you can download free or for a few dollars from the Internet. These include fundamental thinking games about discrimination, recognition, sorting, pairing, etc., and more advanced games that focus on skills such as analysis and logic.

Speaking well

I'm proud to say our children are reasonably proficient speakers. In my view, speaking well is the second most important social skill.

As with thinking well, we need to make a distinction here. Speaking well involves grammar and diction. But these aren't as important as the ability to express worthy thoughts concisely and clearly.

However good your grammar and diction may be, you can't speak well if you have trouble saying what you mean. To become a good speaker, you must practice the skill of speaking concisely. You must also develop the habit of saying things worth saying.

It's amazing how many college-educated people I meet who can't speak well. They're the people who have good ideas but can't express them. When trying to express even a modestly complicated thought, they hem and haw and pepper their phrases with expressions like "you know," "it was like," and so on. Then, there are the articulate people who never say anything that's not shallow or trivial.

Having the ability to speak well is such a rare quality, possessing it immediately separates you from most other people in the room. It'll give you the social power they lack... even if they're richer, taller, and better looking than you are.

How do you teach your children to speak well?

Again, the most important way is by speaking well yourself. A child's first and most frequent exposure to the skill of speaking is with his parents. Small children absorb the intricacies of language like sponges. If you want your children to have this second most valuable social skill, speak thoughtfully when you speak to them. And expect them to do the same with you.

Next, you can encourage your children to speak well by insisting they take courses that involve speaking in school. These are primarily liberal-arts courses, but also any courses for which you can't get a grade simply by checking off boxes.

There's also the Internet. There are dozens and dozens of applications available that'll improve one's vocabulary and grammar. These aren't the most important elements of speaking well, but they help.

Writing well

The third most important social skill is writing well.

It may seem that writing has become less important in the age of instant messaging, but writing short communications is still writing.

And as your child enters the workforce, writing well will become an increasingly valuable skill. Having the ability to express himself or herself well in memos, business letters, proposals, personal notes, and so on is a very powerful skill.

Writing well is dependent on speaking well, and speaking well is dependent on thinking well. So, if you educate your children to think and speak well, it will be quite easy to teach them to become good writers.

Again, writing well is the skill of expressing worthy ideas concisely and clearly on paper. Writing well demands some additional facilities beyond those of speaking well. But for the most part, if you can speak well, you can write well.

The most important way you can teach your children to write well is to insist they spend some amount of time writing every day. You might encourage your children to write letters to an out-of-town relative or find a pen pal through one of the supervised pen-pal sites on the Internet.

Thinking, speaking, and writing well are the three most important social skills. If your children learn these, they'll be set for life.

They'll have the abilities to analyze problems and find solutions for them, and thus be seen as problem solvers. They'll be able to stand out in any social group (at work or outside of work), thanks to their ability to express good ideas concisely and clearly.

Plus, if they acquire good manners, they won't have to pay the cost of treating other people badly.

  

4 Surprising Skills All Successful People Require

http://www.inc.com/kevin-daum/4-surprising-skills-all-successful-people-require.html

By Keven Daum  |  Aug 25, 2014

There are all sorts of skills that can contribute to success. But these 4 are critical. Without them, you'll never make it.

Want to be successful? You have to start with you. So much is written about generosity and empathy being important skills for success, and they are. But these outward-facing skills only come with the complete knowledge and control of oneself.

Your mother probably told you to think of others first and often, that the world was not about you. And yet even those who are the most generous and empathetic had to focus strongly inward to create the wealth and connections that allow them to positively influence the world. Sure, the traits below are very self-focused, but you can't possibly benefit other people without getting your own house in order.

1. Self-Awareness

Do you truly understand who you are? Are you aware of how you make people feel and react by the things you say and do and even more the ways you say and do them? Many people don't have a good sense of their outer being. They go through their day reacting and doing while not even realizing what comes out of their mouths or how their actions affect the people around them. Commit time to getting to know yourself, especially from the outside. Invite others to share their observations of your behavior and attitudes. Don't just focus on your positive attributes.

Go to those you know will be honest and spend time learning about your potentially challenging attributes as well. The more you understand about how you affect people the better you can motivate them to join you in a worthy cause. Then you can decide whether to keep, adjust, or eliminate behaviors in order to reach your preferred future.

2. Self-Confidence

If you don't believe in yourself, why would anyone else? When you're a successful leader, people want to believe you know where to go and have some idea of how to get there. They are dealing with their own insecurities and don't really have additional tolerance for yours if you are in charge. That may be unfair, but reality is not generally a function of fairness. Being self-confident does not mean you have to know all the answers. But it does mean you must have the inner strength and knowledge to address any given situation or obstacle that may come your way. Experience helps, but it is a combination of resourcefulness, resolve, and humility that will make most people, even you, believe in your leadership.

Take stock of what you do well. Identify your areas of insecurity and create a plan to remedy those areas through education and support, remembering that the only one who can truly make you confident is you.

3. Self-Assessment

Life moves fast and opportunities can go as quickly as they present themselves. You don't always have time to consult with others as to whether or not your current capabilities are up to the challenges headed your way. Still you need to gauge if you are on the right path or change is immediately required. Self-encouragement is great but if you can't be realistic about your levels and limitations, you'll crash and burn far more than you'll succeed. No one should know you better than you.

Create self-diagnostics that expose your weaknesses and perform so you can shore up your weaknesses with learning, partnership, or delegation. The joy of informed success far outweighs the tragedy of ignorant failure.

4. Self-Discipline

Any success worth having doesn't come easy. It requires focus and determination. Growth occurs from careful analysis and practiced performance. Inconsistent attempts to succeed will fail more often than not. If you could just take a shot and make it happen, more people would be successful. But it's the people who get more things right who ultimately win. Self-discipline keeps you on the straight and narrow, avoiding distractions or taking the easy way out of challenges.

Even if you are not ordinarily a planner, write down bullet points or steps to your success. Use the skills above to figure out the work you need to do to get there. Then measure your progress regularly so you can tell where you are being your own greatest supporter or worst enemy. Once you know, the rest is up to you.

5 Key Skills for Academic Success

http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/five-skills-for-academic-success/

The 4 Habits You Need to Be Successful

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/237479

The Most Important Skills You Didn't Learn In School

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/most-important-skills-you-didnt-learn-school-dave-kerpen

山中雜記: 為何只悲法國，不悲黎巴嫩？

山中雜記∶為何只悲法國，不悲黎巴嫩？答案很簡單，因爲無知。

https://montwithin.wordpress.com/2015/11/17/為何只悲法國不悲黎巴嫩/

引申阅读∶伊斯蘭國專題

http://www.thenewslens.com/feature_story/isis-story/

遜尼派聖戰組織伊斯蘭國（ISIS）在敘利亞和伊拉克異軍突起，為國際社會投下了一枚震撼彈，並以驚人的速度擴張版圖時，西方各國才如夢初醒。它迫使西方世界重新省思911以降的中東政策，更加改變了西方政府對國家安全與恐怖主義的理解──ISIS早已不止是中東地區的「區域問題」。

》導讀：這一切的動盪就從中東筆直的國界線談起…

http://www.thenewslens.com/post/121750/

》IS：他們到底要什麼？從地圖一次看懂IS的崛起與終極目標

http://www.thenewslens.com/post/91969/

》看不見的恐怖攻擊 ~「歷史文盲」的攻擊
   說別人「恐怖主義」以前，請先翻閱自己偉大文明的血腥歷史

http://www.thenewslens.com/post/65796/

趙恩潔老師探討一個醜陋的國際政治現實：到底以色列，還是伊拉克境內的ISIS，誰才是恐怖組織？她寫了這麼長一篇文章，想提醒大家：說別人「恐怖主義」以前，請先翻閱自己偉大文明的血腥歷史。（本文從人類發展、歷史的角度出發，立基於學術文獻，解構了主流媒體如何用話術、標籤形塑出對其自身有利的輿論，進而影響大眾的認知。）

》IS不只有中東人，還有英國人、法國人 一分鐘看懂歐洲青年，為何加入IS

http://www.thenewslens.com/post/69093/

Outspoken Ahmad Mustapha Hassan @ www.theantdaily.com

Ahmad Mustapha Hassan is a former press secretary to second Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein and the writer of the book, "The Unmaking of Malaysia".

Source: http://cn.theantdaily.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=34075

一些马来人，特别是那些参与所谓红衫军集会的人，对于他们自己的历史以及这个国家为何会演变成一个多元种族、多元文化以及多元宗教所知甚少，这是可悲的。

这些马来人甚至还没有超越他们的理性、情感、不合逻辑的思维方式，还有他们的牧群以及攻城心态。

大多数人甚至不知道为什么自己会出现在那场蛊惑人心的集会中。

一些人参加集会是因为他们获得免费交通、食物以及金钱。有些人则视这为在吉隆坡购物的机会。

但总体而言，他们对于国家的历史是所知甚少的。

在英国人来到之前，马来西亚半岛充斥着各位酋长之间的冲突。

他们并没有任何创造国家的想法。

每一名酋长都会视那些接受他作为权力最终来源的人，就是他的臣民并属于他的管辖的。

当时收入的来源主要是来自盗版以及鸦片税务。 

他们并没有欲望或是远见要将收入的领域扩展至其他来源。

当时只有柔佛展示了发展国家的渴望，它们也开放了土地作为胡椒以及甘比尔（gambier, 甘蜜）的种植。

柔佛当时的统治者邀请了来自新加坡的华裔来到柔佛种植有关植物，而这些华裔在新加坡是参与农作物培育的。

他们因为有关目的而获得授予土地，并得到有关土地的特殊权利。

在历史中，那时的柔佛就成为了胡椒以及甘比尔最大的出口商，而这也为该州增加了不少财富。

然而，财富的另一来源是锡米。

马来矿工被要求以固定价格出售锡米给他们的酋长，然后酋长再将锡米卖给华裔商人。

但是，这个行业在酋长之间引发竞争，并造成损害。

在1829年，华裔移民踏足此行业，有些华裔甚至为马来酋长打工，但是由于马来酋长之间出现竞争，导致华裔渐渐成为这个行业的主导。

这个行业为霹雳以及雪兰莪创建了不少财富。

因此，这表明国家的财富，纯粹是华裔透过辛勤劳动，而为国家创造财富的。

马来酋长们也纷纷加入这个行业，并试图抢得先机，因此他们也在彼此之间产生了敌意。

贪婪使他们失去了这个行业，并拱手相让给其他人。

即便国家充满自然财富，但是马来人成为穷人并非华裔的过错。

这是因为他们酋长之间的不稳定局势导致他们将整盘生意输给华裔的。

英国殖民通过给酋长们固定的津贴，从而在他们之间达致和平。

英国也帮助那些在半岛的人确定谁才是正确的索赔者，那些对英国有功的人，就会扶摇直上被跃升为苏丹的地位，并得到维多利亚女王的祝福。

他们都必须宣誓效中于英国君主。也就是，这就是发生在马来西亚半岛的。

随着马来西亚在1963年出世，全国的政治人口也起了变化。

“巫裔至上”已经变得不恰当而且是过时的，我国已经成为一个多元种族、多元文化以及多元宗教的国家。

English Version

Source: http://www.theantdaily.com/Main/Know-the-facts-and-your-history-before-you-act

It is very sad that some Malays, especially those who took part in the so called red shirt rally, know very little of their history and why this country evolved into being a multi-ethnic, multicultural and multi-religious country.

These Malays have yet to transcend their irrational, emotional, and illogical mindsets as well as their herd and siege mentalities.

Most were not even aware as to why they were there in the rabble-rousing rally.

Some came because they were given free transportation, food and money. Some considered this an opportunity to do some shopping in Kuala Lumpur.

But on the whole they had very little knowledge of the history of the country.

The peninsula before the arrival of the British was full of conflicts among the various chiefs in the country.

They did not have any sense of creating a state where boundaries and areas were clearly marked.

Each chieftain would consider those who accepted him as the ultimate source of power as being his subjects and belonging to his state.

The sources of revenue were mostly from piracy and tax on opium.

There was no desire or vision to extend this area of revenue to other sources.

Only Johor at that time showed some eagerness to develop the country by opening up land for pepper and gambier plantations.

The ruler of Johor at that time invited the Chinese from Singapore who were involved in cultivating these crops in Singapore to come over to Johor to plant them.

Land was given to them for that purpose and special rights to the land were also given to them.

Johor became the biggest exporter of pepper and gambier during that period of national history and this added to the wealth of the state.

Yet another source of wealth was tin.

The Malay miners were required to sell the tin to their chiefs at fixed prices and the chiefs then sold the tin to Chinese merchants.

But there arose the rivalry among the chiefs to the detriment of the industry.

In the 1820s Chinese immigrants were involved in the industry with some working for the Malay chiefs but due to the rivalry among the Malay chiefs, the Chinese became the dominant group involved in this industry.

The industry created wealth for Perak and Selangor.

It therefore showed much evidence that wealth in the country was created by the Chinese through sheer hard work.

The Malay chiefs were much too involved in trying to grab opportunities, thus creating animosity among themselves to their own detriment.

Greed made them lose the industry to others.

It was never the fault of the Chinese that the Malays became poor although the country was full of natural wealth.

It was the unstable situation among their own chiefs that caused them to lose out to the Chinese.

British colonialism managed to bring peace among all the chiefs by giving all of them fixed allowances.

The British too were instrumental in determining who the right claimants were to the various states in the peninsula and those helpful to the British were elevated to the status of Sultans with the blessing of Queen Victoria.

All of them had to pledge loyalty to the British monarch. That, in short, was what happened in the peninsula.

And with the creation of Malaysia in 1963, the whole political demography changed.

The “ketuanan Melayu” had become irrelevant and out of date as the country had become multi-ethnic, multicultural and multi-religious.  

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Read More By Ahmad Mustapha Hassan @ www.theantdaily.com:-

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http://www.theantdaily.com/Main/Najib-are-you-taking-us-towards-disaster

It is quite normal for anyone to ask this question: Where are we going and where are you taking us? Since you took over the reins of government, we seem to be moving neither here nor there. Most people are baffled because you seem to enjoy life while the country is facing innumerable critical problems.

Even as these problems are left unattended, more problems are being added. Your words have no meaning whatsoever as your cabinet ministers have been acting to dismantle what you had promised the people before you were given the mandate to run the country.

Your father was so different. Tun Abdul Razak’s words were meant as instructions to all, ministers, civil servants and the people. No member of his cabinet would go against what he desired for the people. All worked towards achieving that aim.

He was very prudent and would not spend people’s money unnecessarily. He limited his overseas travel to no more than twice a year. He would cut out all non-essential expenses. He did not believe in creating unwanted and expensive icons.

He was interested in uplifting the economic situation of the whole nation, not just creating a few wealthy and self-centred individuals. He believed that he should not waste the rakyat’s money by bringing those who did not matter on his overseas trips.

That was how astute and concerned Tun Razak was about the welfare of the people and the country.

You appear to be away from the country most of the time and it had been reported that so far your travels had cost the country RM44 million. That is a very huge amount even for a prime minister.

Your father depended on advice from local experts, and he placed trusted people in positions, in the knowledge that their contribution would see to the success of projects. He started Mara to take over the role carried out by Rida (Rural and Industrial Development Authority) before and placed capable officers to man the various divisions in Mara. He had the late Mansor Osman (later MB of Negeri Sembilan) placed in the division to offer scholarships and aid to needy rural students.

He trusted Tan Sri Arshad Ayub to steer the Mara College towards developing more Bumiputera professionals. He placed people where he knew they would be able to assist his goal in uplifting the professional capabilities of those who had been neglected before.

He placed an able and dedicated civil servant Tan Sri Thong Yaw Hong in a position to assist him realise the objectives of his rural development programme.

He recognised and trusted those civil servants whom he knew personally and appointed them to positions of trust, like Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam , Tan Sri Tunku Shahriman, Dr Agoes Salim, Raja Alias and Tan Sri Rama Iyer in planning and development units in the Prime Minister's Department.

To him, all were Malaysians and he overrode any racial or religious sentimentality. He was a man of the people of all shades and religious beliefs.

He had only one goal in mind and that was the welfare of the people and to him it would take all Malaysians to achieve this. He was also not distracted by petty and hollow sloganeering.

None would dare to approach him and shout “Ketuanan Melayu” or any such nonsense. The government would help all the people towards achieving a better life.

Government involvement in religion, to him, should also be at a minimum scale. Religion was a faith adhered to by individuals and that should be about all there was to it.

He did not encourage the religious department to expand its jurisdiction whereby it could pose a threat to national harmony.

But unfortunately, at present, things seem to have gone out of hand. Ministers contradict what the prime minister had promised. Voices of disharmony were allowed free reign. Acts that harm the sensitivities of those not of the Muslim faith are on the rise.

And yet you champion 1Malaysia. It was there all along but subsequent leaders, especially those from Umno Baru, had dismantled that by allowing anti-national elements from the cabinet itself to “flourish” uncontrollably.

You told the Sabah and Sarawak people of the freedom in practising their religion and then a ban was imposed on their newsletter. Sarawak and Sabah together with Malaya then had formed Malaysia, and there was no need to tell them that they are part of Malaysia. They definitely were and are part and parcel of Malaysia.

One very important factor was that Tun Razak walked the talk.

The Malay paper Utusan Melayu with national calibre editors like Yusof Ishak and Said Zahari had been vocal in fighting for the truth and even when it was taken over by Umno, it still remained as a national paper that was very much respected.

But once Umno Baru took over the country, the paper has become the party’s organ and has been allowed to become a national trash. The TV channels have also become the mouthpiece of the party. They have miserably failed to play a positive role in fostering national unity.

Every single effort should be coordinated like during Tun Razak’s time to achieve the national goal of equality, prosperity and happiness for all.

Pray! Tell us! Are you taking us towards disaster!