Integrity – My Story to Stakeholders

RSOG Leadership in Action

Integrity – My Story to Stakeholders 

 with

YB. Datuk Haji Talib Zulpilip

Framework of the Session

Without a doubt integrity has, is, and will always be important to humanity.  The call for integrity is fast becoming louder than before across the globe and at effectively every level of society.  As profoundly pointed out by a famous philosopher “integrity has no need of rules”. That perhaps explains why in many countries including Malaysia, integrity is embraced ideologically as well as administratively.   Whilst the latter can be put into place quickly, that is not the case with the former.  It takes considerable time, perseverance, and persistence, especially when it comes from the administration itself, where cynicism and scepticism are inherently natural.  What could be the prospective story-line a leader could offer to the stakeholders when it comes to integrity?  What could be some possible methods to share such a story?  These are some of the potential focus areas that YB Datuk Haji Talib bin Zulpilip will discuss in this session.

Key Takeaways from the Session

1. K. Rowling, author of the famous Harry Porter series could be right when she said that “no story lives unless someone wants to listen”. The Guest Speaker started his sharing on the given topic with a short video of a story directed by the legendary P. Ramlee which has endured over time.  This creative introduction was highly appreciated by the audience.  Momentum gained, he went on to refine the idea about integrity.  In short, integrity is a value of an individual that guides human behaviour, decision, and action.  Sounding quite a mouthful, he cut the definition component short and emphasised on the importance of integrity.

The clincher came when he asked the audience to ponder on a fundamental question: “do we have integrity?”.  He would like to believe that generally, people have integrity without realising it.  However, they could have been clouded with technical definition that at times goes beyond laymen comprehension.  P. Ramlee was exemplary in this as he could comprehend and relate to a mundane topic like integrity in a simple yet profound way. Maybe that explains why his stories live until today.

The Guest Speaker then introduced another story which is more current, taking place in his home state of Sarawak.  It was focused on the determination of their two senior leaders to improve the level of integrity in a state endowed with natural resources.  Generally, their target was the enforcement, which is crucial to ensure that the natural resources are ethically and sustainably used.  Stern warning was also given to the key stakeholders to send a message that integrity is important if they want their existence and legitimacy to continue.

He built his story on integrity further by offering various perspectives on integrity in the form of quotes by prominent leaders, survey findings, past examples relating to integrity, and rating and ranking made by leading organisations.  Such a direction not only offered comparative perspectives but formed a mental picture on the severity of the subject in the audience’s mind.

Sensing that the audience, who are mainly practitioners, value practical tips, the Guest Speaker suggested several on-the-job measures that could be emulated at their workplace to enhance integrity such as continuous awareness campaigns and rewarding good behaviour.  He also stressed on the importance of leadership by example, which is apparently lacking, and to some extent, a setback to the other efforts that have been made.  He would like to believe that role modelling is a fundamental approach that has long been forgotten.  Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is an excellent role model that one could always emulate.

In conclusion, integrity is a must-have value at all level of leadership, from leading oneself to leading others, and eventually the broader organisation.  Given the inherent intangibility of integrity, it goes beyond learning its definition but requires continuous self-reflection, building up self-defences, and embracing it as a way of life.  Without doubt it is a challenging journey but worthwhile in the longer term.

Key Issues Raised

• Evidently, integrity has been the bedrock of corporate governance.  Key concepts such as stewardship and leading by example are inseparable with integrity.

•  Championing integrity and governance agenda is not short of cynics and contestation.  One who involves in it must accept such reality, persevere, and remain persistent.

• Public officers particularly the young ones are exposed to situations where direction or requirements are not clear and consistent.  This is where writing skills come in handy for them as documenting such situations for reference could assist if conflict arises in the future.

• There should be follow-up actions to weaknesses highlighted in the Auditor General’s Report, such as dismissals, if necessary.  Transferring dishonest public officers are often counterproductive, as it merely shifts problems rather than solves them.

• Designing an organisational structure that inhibit opportunistic behaviours could help in enhancing integrity.  For instance, assigning the fraud prone sections under people who exhibit honesty and are financially contented.

 About the  Guest Speaker

YB Datuk Haji Talib bin Zulpilip is presently the Minister in the Sarawak Chief Minister’s Department (Integrity and Ombudsman) – the first of its kind in Malaysia. He is also a serving Member of the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly. He graduated with a Master of Commerce and Administration from Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand in 1976. He has served in the public service starting with State Planning Unit as Principal Assistant Secretary, Economist in Sarawak Foundation, Permanent Secretary to both the State Infrastructure Development Ministry and the Ministry of Industrial Development Sarawak among others. He was also the Chairman of Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (1995 to 2016). He has also held  senior management positions within the Petronas Group and gained considerable experience serving on the Boards of government agencies and public listed companies such as Malaysian Industrial Development Authority and Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd.

Contact

To get more information on this event, you can contact us via email at programmes@rsog.com.my