2x5?

I’m very disappointed with MB Khalid’s statement on the support letter issue. I can’t help but feel he’s promoting the issuance of support letters despite a majority of PR lawmakers and the rakyat wanting it to be done away with. He may be right in saying support letters from elected representatives were not guarantees for obtaining contracts but if the rules, regulations and procedures are followed to the t, there won’t be a need for support letters, don’t you think?

The support letter culture is proof that doing business in Malaysia depends on “who you know” rather than “what you know” which can be quite unhealthy from the business perspective. In fact, it is plain unfair. Support letters are only needed by those people who cannot get contracts on their own merit hence the need for political interference. I mean, if the person is good and qualified, contracts will look for them.

The support letter culture is not limited only to business dealings; one can find letters supporting scholarship applications, welfare requests, land acquisition and even employment applications! Political appointment in the corporate sector does happen and sadly the deciding factor is not technical ability but rather the ability to manage the interest of the political masters.

I’m sure the culture of support letters and recommendations happen everywhere in the world and I myself may have benefited from them but that does not make it right. Such things may help initially but it should not be made a habit and dependant upon. We should strive to be in demand because of “what we know” instead of “who we know”. “What we know” will take us anywhere and on our terms but “who we know” will only take us where that “who’” goes, if he/she goes down, so will we.