Needed: Intelligence

I am inspired to talk. I always am by my government’s stupidity.

I was letting it go, and not frustrate myself with more thoughts about how dumb our government and politicians are. But Leuk started it! Over mamak food at Jason’s place he brought up the front-page headlines on the newspapers last weekend. Our prime minister in waiting had told workers to be loyal to employers that train them and not job-hop.

One of my clients makes this sign with her hands when she is pissed- fist in one hand thumping the palm of the other. I was reminded of this sign when I read that piece of headline last weekend.

Ok, I won’t even just complain and complain and complain. I will offer a solution- constructive criticism, eh?

The point is to train up enough skill labour. If the private sector cannot cope with training on the job (only to see their investment jump ship), then the government must ensure that the education institutions do the training so that there is a pool of skilled workers ready for the industries.

What makes the government so stupid is that it cannot SEE. It cannot see that people will move to more lucrative jobs because the strife for a better living is instinctive. It is nature. Tell me not to job-hop so that I can prove my loyalty? Do check out Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs

Today my parents and I went to have a look at my apartment. The guards had the barrier down at the entrance to that phase of development. They let us in without much problems –see, I anticipate problems even if I am the homeowner!! For a simple thing such as accessing my property! The stress of living in Malaysia!!!

However, as we were leaving, the guards had to lift the exit barrier by hand. He had to cross over to untie the string that holds the barrier down, which means the weight that keeps the barrier up was on the side closer to the guard house. I was about to let this go, also, but dad said, “Now, isn’t it stupid not to have the weight on the other side so he doesn’t have to cross the exit every time a car passes?”

Of course, Dad. You are so bright! Who would have thought of that?

On the way home, Dad was saying he cannot bargain for too much in his company because he is past retirement age. My dad is 56.

Think CEOs of the largest companies and how old they are. Think leaders of OTHER countries who do less screwing up.

So in your 50s you had accumulated that much knowledge of your industry, your instincts in business and management are at its peak- and you are made to retire. Never mind that the economy loses a group of people that can still contribute very much to its development. Tell me if this is a smart policy for a developing country starved of management talent and expertise within industries.

And if you want to continue working, you are given a contract that pays less because the company can get away with that, and that is because you are past the official retirement age set by the government. Tell me if this is fair.

I know the rationale for a younger retirement age. I know it is also stupid if you go by absolute numbers. Yes, we are churning out many graduates that cannot find jobs. Get rid of the more expensive mature layer of work-force, move people up, and take more fresh grads. The grads get jobs; employers fork out less for payroll. Maybe if our world is black and white.

You cannot do a simple balanced equation of made up of just numbers. Younger workers cannot fulfill the roles of experienced ones; efficiencies and expertise are made sacrifices for the learning curve and time to hone skills. It is a loss to the economy and eventually, consumers.

This may work if the economy is made up entirely of the government sector because I doubt you really do much or learn much in there. So you can pull and plug people in and out anytime (which are what is done in anyways) and it does not matter- civil service still sucks.

In many developed nations, the retirement age is 65. Let’s live and learn.

Besides, what are you going to do if you retire at 55 and you live to 80? Quarter of a century left of being idle and time to irritate your children whose career are taking off and are highly stressed and easily irritable. Your brains turn to mush.

And there will be more stupid people in this country.

ps. my full-tank of petrol now costs RM74.00 and it runs out in a week.
pps. I remember a time when a full-tank costs less than RM50, and that is not very long ago.