Being ingrate is a good value?

I keep coming up with people around the blog arguing time and again that we should not recognise the efforts of the government or civil servants because they are being paid and its a duty to provide.

It went to the extent that I saw Norman’s KRU was criticized that all the “rezeki” comes from Allah so we don’t have to thank those who contribute.

Our politicians are really screwed and the followers are really blind. Don’t everybody realise that these same politicians go around town parading their achievement and what they have done and never an inch say its part of their duties. Its hypocritical.

As a value, I have written many times that all politicians without exception have defective values which we shouldn’t follow. We must always check and recheck the values of their action. And how we measure this is always to see what value we want to inculcate in our children.

I think as a parental value, we must always appreciate effort and if we benefit from them we must always say thank you. Thus children must always appreciate what the parents do (even though defective) and say thank you to them notwithstanding its the parents obligations to provide. To impart other values are simply wrong to me.

Following from here, we inculcate in our children appreciation of efforts especially when they receive the benefit. Thus, we teach our children to appreciate say efforts of our army or even the traffic cop who manages the traffic under the hot sun notwithstanding they are paid to do it. Its just right and good manners.

This is where many got it wrong. Every effort done by government (be it bn or pr) should be recognised despite they’re being paid. We dont be selective. I’ve been involved in some neac meetings last time, and really appreciate how people proposed ideas and solutions. Also appreciated how government servants push to implement the recommendations. Its an incredible effort. And for that I have major issues with politicians and followers to dismiss this effort on the basis that its their duty and have been paid for it.

These criticism devalues the efforts for the sake of partisanship. This is wrong. Worse we don’t know what we want and make hypocritical stand. For example, many don’t realise it was a huge effort to create domestic growth engine in view of unfavorable worldwide economic environment. The ETP and Pemandu I thought was exemplary in their effort and we should praise them rather than ridiculing it on insignificant point. So we know what stand we take. But now we condemn ETP but offered no new domestic growth engine. I think this value is wrong and simply condemn what is good for us.

But that doesn’t mean we can’t criticise. We can and we should on the policy or execution shortcomings thereof. But we don’t criticise by saying its your job to do it so we don’t appreciate it. Thus I have no problem bn claiming brim as their initiatives and so rightly take recognition of it. Similarly with pr initiatives as they now tout everywhere. As a rakyat we want both bn and pr to compete for our benefit. No one should be excuse for non performance. The argument that an effort should not be recognised on the basis that its one’s duty or job is just plain wrong for me.

Ps: Main part of the doc is from my previous comment which I think merit a distinct post.