6.

LEADERSHIP & PROFESSIONAL ETHICS FOR

ENGINEERS: EPILOGUE
The CPE680 lesson plan needed some effort to connect because on the
one hand we discussed the specific case of Leadership & Professional
Ethics for Engineers, ie in Engineering Organizations, but on the other
hand we discussed Leadership & Professional Ethics in the wider
context of the National Leadership of Malaysia, ie in politics.
But the reality in Malaysia is that politics and politicians get into
everything, including engineering. (So too in other places, btw).
So the take-home message is that; you become better engineers by
understanding and mastering the problem statement in the wider
context of not only Engineering but also Politics, and not only in
Malaysia, but in the wider world.
Let us summarise what we have learnt so far:
A leader is a person who takes his followers in a change, from a
situation to another, better situation.
You are either a leader, or a follower. You prepare for both, so that if
you are chosen to be a leader, you can be a good leader. If not chosen
to be a leader, you can be a good follower. Be it as it may, in life you
are always a leader anyway.
His change is values-based, strategy-focussed, and KPI-driven.
But sometimes things go wrong. If you hold on to your values, you
will admit the mistake & make amends.
Sometimes people do not hold on to their values which compel him
to do the right thing, and an external force is needed. You have the
Law (Whilstlebolwer Protection Act, the MACC).
In the West, good values come in the form of law, morality, ethics, and
etiquettes.

In Islam it comes in the form of the Shariah, adab and akhlaq.

So the problem is not so much as technology is mysterious or
unpredictable as that people who know that they are committing an
offence keep on doing it, until it is too late.
CPE680 Leadership & Professional Ethics is about convincing graduating
engineers to always uphold good values. It is also about convincing
graduating engineers NOT to commit any such offence knowingly, and to
own up & make amends as soon as you realise a mistake has been
committed.
ie it is about knowing what is right, and upholding what is right.
This cuts across from the specific (eg engineering) to the general
(Malaysian leadership, International Affairs, etc).
6.1 SOME CONTENTIOUS ISSUES : MERITOCRACY & GLOBALIZATION

Of all the issues that all of you have written about, the top two most
contentious issues are Meritocracy & Globalisation.

I propose we put these two issues to a debate, as provided for in the

Lesson Plan.
The rubric for the debate has been uploaded in i-Learn.
6.1.1 Globalisation

Definition:
Globalization is the process of international integration arising from the
interchange of world views, products, ideas and other aspects of
culture.

Technological progress has meant that the path of maximum benefit for
countries of the world is to integrate major aspects of the national
agenda between countries and share the resulting benefits fairly.
But first, at the values level, how do you integrate fairly and share the
benefits fairly?
What is your definition of fair? Each has to present his values and the
team has to agree on one definition.
Secondly, what happens to national independence?
6.1.2 Meritocracy
Definition:
Meritocracy is governance by elites who deserve to wield power because
they possess merit (defined as 'intelligence plus effort) instead of by
those who merely possess wealth or belong to privileged classes.

Such a system, in theory, forms the basis of an equal opportunity society.

But, in practice, unrestricted meritocracy may result in a society
without rules and concentrate power in only a few hands.
The term was coined by the UK sociologist Michael Young in 1958 book,
'The Rise Of Meritocracy.'
6.2 TPPA IS HERE

Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) is one manifestation of

globalization.
Tun M is opposed to the very concept of TPPA. He believes that the
Agreement is one-sided to benefit the stronger party ie USA.
But it has been signed by the Msian Govt and is binding on us.
If it is indeed one-sided to benefit the stronger party ie USA, then should
we migrate to the USA and register our business there & benefit from the
one-sided Agreement from the USA side?
If we do that, then we would have become a global citizen, like the
multinationals. We pay tax to the country where the profit is earned;
USA. And may be send money to our relatives in Malaysia.
What happens to Malay Nationalism?
If the TPPA is indeed one-sided to benefit the stronger party ie USA,
and you migrated to the USA and register your business there to
benefit from the one-sided Agreement from the USA side, another
factor come into play: Meritocracy.
As a global citizen in the global playing field, your success or failure is
determined mostly by your merit (defined as 'intelligence plus effort).
In fact, although the law there might be fair to you, on the ground you
could face racism or other kinds of discrimination, which although an
offence under law, happens nevertheless.
But IF you believe in the superiority of your values comprising of the
shariah, adab & akhlaq, over the American law, morality, ethics &
etiquette, THEN you act based on your values, focussing on your
strategy, to achieve your KPI.
You have now become a conservative globalist, ie your outlook is
global, but your values are conservative.
So one way to succeed in the globalization era is for you to become a
conservative globalist, ie your outlook is global, but your values are
conservative (or Islamic).
In fact this is not new. By some accounts, Islam spread to South East
Asia NOT through armed conquest, but instead by muslim traders from
the Middle East who doubled up as freelance duat.
What is interesting was that, historical Melaka reached its peak during
the Islamic Era, and not during the Hindu Era of Parameswara before he
become a muslim. In other words, muslims & Islam have always
value-added to the new adopted home-country, not only in values,
but also in material progress.
The case of Islamic Spain puts this point more clearly. In its day, Islamic
Spain was the most technologically-advanced spot in the Western
World.
The conservative globalist idea can be compared to how the early
muslims practice ijtihad and adopt new ideas and improve on them
along Islamic principles for the benefit of the local community that they
joined as they go further afield in spreading Islam.

Now compare that scenario with our familiar comfort zone of Hak
istimewa orang Melayu dan Bumiputera (Special privileges).
It is our Constitutional Right, and the Constitution is not in any danger
of being amended to remove that article.
But what has happened to Malaysia that we are supposed to have
Hak Istimewa in?
Your generation, and the generations to come, can continue to have
your Hak Istimewa under the Constitution, only for as long as Malaysia
remains istimewa.
A quick fact-check reveals the following:

1. KUALA LUMPUR 16 Sept 2014. - Wasiat raja-raja Melayu semasa

pembentukan Perlembagaan Persekutuan Tanah Melayu pada 5 Ogos
1957 menetapkan nisbah 50 peratus tanah di negara ini
diperuntukkan kepada Tanah Rizab Melayu. Tetapi hakikatnya kini
setelah 57 tahun merdeka, ia menyusut kepada 12 peratus sahaja.
2. Hutang Negara Malaysia Terkini Berjumlah RM622.022 Bilion

It seems that the way we have been doing things so far cannot guarantee
that Malaysia remains istimewa, and by extension, cannot guarantee
that future generations get Hak istimewa orang Melayu & Bumiputera,
even though it remains in the Constitution.
Besides the Conservative Globalists, there are also other groups
promoting different ideas on how to change.
Some calls for re-establishment of historical rights of Malays, eg Tanah
Melayu was the land of the Malays and the other races are
penceroboh since they came here not under the permission of the
Malay sultans but either as workers brought in by British colonialists, or
outright economic migrants.
Some ended up being sued in court.
Let us call them Defensive Nationalists
Whether they are right or wrong, history has proven that the world just
stood idly by while the rights of the Palestinians are being trampled to
the ground.
The prophet was sent to correct by force the wrongs that cannot be
corrected by truth. Do we have the power of force?
6.3 DEFENCE PACT IS HERE

1. Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines have agreed to conduct

coordinated maritime patrols as part of a broader plan to tackle
rising security challenges in the waters bordering the three
countries.

1. PUTRAJAYA, May 10 Malaysia and China have agreed to settle

South China Sea-related issues through the Declaration on the
Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and to speed up
the completion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.
 DEBATE

DEFENSIVE NATIONALISTS VERSUS CONSERVATIVE GLOBALISTS

WAY FORWARD