The matsallehs has two sayings which goes hand in hand to make life easier for you especially if you’re in a position where there is opportunity to make hay. “Make Hay While The Sun Shines” and “Opportunity Knocks But Once”, as the sayings go. How do you apply that in real life?
Say you are in a position to approve or not to approve something or to close or not to close one eye, the result of which will cause the other party, who’s waiting for your approval or your eye to shut, financial gain or loss. In such a situation, I am sure the other party who stands to gain financially from your yes or no, will be more than willing to share his/her financial joy. Rationalised this monetary rewards that you can get, not as corruption but as gifts or commissions or whatever. In that way your conscience won’t be tickled.
A friend who’s a former croupier at a casino in Malaysia once told me that after every shift, all the money accrued at the gaming tables will be brought to a special counting room. Here the money collected will be totalled in the presence of a government official who will then verify and certify the amount collected. From this certified figure, the Malaysian government will collect its 25% gaming tax. So if RM 2 million is certified collected after a shift, then the government will collect a tax of RM 500,000 with the remaining RM 1.5 million to the casino. What if the amount collected is certified only as RM 1.5 million. Then the tax collected will be RM 375,000. The casino will get RM 1.625 million, an extra of RM 125,000. Don’t you think the casino is more than willing to throw RM 25,000 to the government official to close an eye to the actual amount of cash collected. That was years ago. Maybe the cash counting system is now foolproof and there is no chance of hanky panky. I don't know but I guess you see what I am getting at.
With the Government Transformation Program going full blast, the above scenario might just be the imaginings of a fertile mind. But it’s food for thought. What if you’re that government official. What would you do. To close or not to close one eye, that is the million ringgit question.
Of course the question of morale rights and wrongs, ethics and integrity will always be there. But does being morally and ethically right pays in the real world? Your guess is as good as mine. One thing is certain though, making hay while the sun shines and opening the door to opportunity the moment it knocks irregardless of whether it's the devil or an angel who comes a knocking on your door, can definitely ensures a relaxing, financially independent and stress free retirement.
Until we meet again, “Tepuk Dada Tanya Selera”, from Uncle B, who misses opoortunity first call and hopes that he’ll visit again soon. Cheerio.
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