Can Malaysians be more courteous?

Courtesy is one thing that we as individuals and organisations have long recognised in all major societies of the world as a sign of respect and civility.

COMMENT

By Ravindran Raman Kutty

While I was in Mumbai for a conference about six years ago, I tickled the Mumbai participants that Malaysia and Mumbai share one thing in common — we are both rude.

Where have we gone wrong? What are we not doing right? How is it possible that we Malaysians boast of our wonderful hospitality but simultaneously fail in a simple display of common courtesy?

Courtesy is one thing that we as individuals and organisations have long recognised in all major societies of the world as a sign of respect and civility.

In all its forms and styles, courtesy and behaviour, have been hailed by kings, presidents, and religious leaders,as providing a foundation for good manners and goodwill and from which all other good things may follow.

In Malaysia, more than 20 per cent of the 1.3 million accidents yearly result from aggressive driving behaviour, inconsiderate and risky conduct on the roads.

Selfish acts like ignoring signs against smoking, eating and littering, and rushing into lifts, trains and buses before allowing the passengers to exit or alight, are also high on the list.

Poor toilet etiquette, talking loudly on phones even in cinemas, littering cinemas, being late for appointments, not saying “thank you” or “sorry”, and leaving trolleys in parking lots are just a few more examples of the numerous bad habits that Malaysians continue to practise shamelessly.

How do shopkeepers and shop assistants, waiters and waitresses, mechanics in motor repair shops and other functionaries truly behave towards their clients and customers?

Are there still many who give way to a speeding ambulance on the road or stop to help a fallen motorcyclist?

Do we ever think of offering a glass of water to the waste workers who come without fail to collect your waste, or to the postman who brings us our daily mail, be it rain or shine?

How many of us politely greet the tea lady who prepares our tea or the janitor who keeps our restroom clean?

How often do many of us hold the elevator door for the others to exit or enter?

Well, the world now knows that the traditional Malaysian courtesy and politeness, the ready smile and willingness to help, the warm greetings on the street and the “You first, Sir/Madam,” attitude, have slowly but surely faded.

Many feel that changing people’s behaviour is not only possible, but essential. In today’s business environment, government agencies or the private sector are subjected to the forces of downsizing, customer satisfaction, customer retention, revenue loss, and streamlining of services.

How customers are treated often emerges the main difference between organisations that succeed and those that fail.

Courtesy, and the behaviour involved in it are imperative in achieving world-class recognition and customer satisfaction.

Malaysia Airlines’ “MH” (or Malaysian Hospitality) campaign is an awesome move depicting the beautiful part of our courtesy and kindness.

Malaysia Airlines has been extremely successful through this campaign, too, winning several accolades and awards along the way, in spite of its current problems.

Courtesy, as an organisational objective, relates to the establishment, preservation, or improvement of relationships. Behaviour associated with courtesy seems to have more significance for an organisational improvement or even of a nation.

Malaysia can change the negative perception by following these world-class charters of courtesy and its attributes:

• The cultural climate of a nation is critical in achieving an excellent courteous level. Malaysia is truly warm, courteous, caring and smiling, as Malaysians are all extremely friendly. We have no issues with this;
• All leaders, irrespective of their political divide or views, must demonstrate and be made an example of the nation’s commitment to exceptional courtesy;
• All citizens are empowered to fully meet the needs of their respective customers, i.e. parents, teachers, pedestrians, commuters, students, employees or employers;
• Courtesy is practised by everyone throughout the entire nation 365 days a year;
• Specific and on-going training in courtesy is provided at schools, colleges and universities, and other educational institutions;
• Services are provided seamlessly for all areas from the courtesy perspective;
• Formal and informal screening techniques are used to hire all kinds of employees, whether they are in the service or non-service sectors, with exceptional skills in courtesy;
• The government needs to join forces with the public sector and private sector to establish systems to measure the value of courtesy among Malaysians;
• Zero tolerance for discourteous people or service;
• Provide provisions in the law to charge or fine discourteous Malaysians or add more community service hours as a penalty;
• Continuously conduct courtesy campaigns throughout the nation, be it public sector or private sector; and,
• Pay special attention on schools to ensure that courtesy is part of the school curriculum.

Courtesy is expressed as a wide range of respectful behaviour and positive attitudes. There are personal characteristics and behaviour that have been repeatedly expressed by Malaysians, playing a vital role as essential elements of courteous behaviour.

These include:

• being honest and sincere;
• presenting a neat and clean appearance;
•  maintaining appropriate eye contact;
• showing exceptional listening skills and attentiveness;
• applying a relaxed and natural tone of voice;
• remembering and using a person’s name with a Mr, Miss or Madam affixed to it;
• offering a friendly smile (even over the phone or when sending an email);
• using the proper conduct or manner of any language, be it Malay, English, Chinese or Tamil, or any other language;
• mastering clear communication at the comprehension level of the listener, who can be old and sick or even uneducated;
• having the willingness to discover opportunities to exceed the expectations of our neighbours, customers, families, teachers, parents and employers; and
• being knowledgeable about the product, service, area of study or even your job, Malaysians can deliver world-class courtesy if we abide by these simple steps.

Whether we are individuals in any profession or vocation, be it a student, child, parent, customer, teacher, doctor, manager, or a company, organisation or government, we can always aspire to change, improve and develop our nation from what it is today.

There is little point in despairing of our unsatisfactory nature. Instead, let us unite and do our part, be it big or small, in producing a nation ranked first in the world’s courteous list. If our Malaysia Airlines can do it, why not we as Malaysians step out in style and show our best, too!

* Ravindran Raman Kutty, an avid writer, community worker, an award-winning communications practitioner and a social activist, with a profound love for the environment, gives his take on Malaysian courtesy.