THERE is a misperception that many working sectors in Malaysia do not promote cultural and gender diversity. The defence sector, for instance, is often seen as one that attracts only Malays and mostly one gender.
This article hopes to start a new discourse to help us understand this issue better. It is important for us to note that in the military, winning a war requires it to draw on the different strengths, attributes and characteristics of individuals who make up the teams. Teamwork requires that we respect and relate to one another, recognise the value of each person’s contribution, inclusivity, and work collaboratively to achieve the best results.
“Diversity” is broader than the labels of gender, age, language, ethnicity, cultural background, disability and religious belief; it encompasses a way of thinking and approach that delivers the best results for the entities we serve. Though challenging to manage, diversity produces varied perspectives needed to tackle complex problems with innovative solutions. It is therefore imperative that the defence sector, one that safeguards the sovereignty of a nation and its people, recognises this and develops and creates an inclusive environment which values, respects and draws on the diverse backgrounds, experiences, knowledge and skills of our people.
I would argue that a robust and agile defence organisation depends on every person having the opportunity to contribute his best. Promoting a culture of diversity is not an easy task and cannot be done overnight. It has to start with the identity (jati diri) of a society that respects the different cultures. Education in school, too, is imperative in building this space as we must not just focus on the 3Rs (reading, writing and arithmetic), but also the other Rs —respect for culture and religion of others, whilst honouring Islam; relate to other cultures; and form values for us to be ‘r’esponsible for our actions.
Let’s take the Royal Military College (RMC) as a model to promote national unity and a culture of diversity. RMC was established with the objective of preparing young Malaysians to become officers in the armed forces, to hold office in the higher divisions of public service and become the country’s professional, commercial and industrial leaders.
The RMC charter is clear — for Malaysia to become a great nation, all young Malaysians (the operative word is all — not Ibans, Indians, Chinese or Malays) need to be prepared to take on a leadership role.
RMC’s model of national unity and culture of diversity has been in existence since 1952. RMC is a fully residential school with multiracial students from all corners of the country and all walks of life. From young princes to young settlers, they are all “putera” (prince) — they don the same uniform, receive the same allowances, eat the same food and stay in the same dorms.
Selection into RMC is based on merit, not just academic excellence but good physical health, active in sports and with the right aptitude.
Emphasis is given to discipline and balance between achievement in academics, sports and military training which form the students’ character and personality.
Consistent with its motto, “Serve to Lead”, the culture of mutual respect, service above self and leadership values are imbued early on. Leadership training starts with giving service. The putera are entrusted to manage themselves (to keep their surroundings clean, make their own beds, do their laundry and keep their lockers tidy) without supervision except from the senior putera. Trust is earned when they are still young.
The teachers and military trainers, who represent the country’s diverse population, male and female, are competent and trained to teach the putera to be “colour blind”.
These aspects of RMC’s culture form the foundation of a strong legacy that has shaped the identity and built the premium brand of characters prevalent amongst RMC putera. We can still see these traits in the RMC alumni now.
The RMC model, tried and tested for almost seven decades, can be a strong reference point for our armed forces as well as society to promote cultural diversity. It can be emulated and replicated at training and recruitment centres under the Defence Ministry and in schools nationwide.
I believe this formula should be reintroduced in RMC immediately so that it can continue to produce “colour blind” leaders.
Diversity reflects the variety of personal experiences that arise from differences of culture and circumstances. Institutions and countries maximise their capabilities and capacities by drawing on the diversity of their people.
The RMC model is one of many ways to attract and retain the right talent and inculcate the culture of diversity. It imbues integrity and character from a young age — where merit takes precedence over race and religion and a person is recognised for his talent and leadership.
The defence sector requires men and women of integrity who live by the meaning of honour, selfless service, loyalty, duty, respect and personal courage. Even in sports, RMC taught their Putera the sportsman prayer:
“Oh God, please help me to win for I always want to win. But if in thy inscrutable wisdom Thou wills me not to win, then make me a good loser. For when the one great scorer comes to write against your name, he writes not that you won or lost, but how you played the game.”
This prayer teaches humility in success and failure. The RMC motto teaches us that we must serve to be leaders. Leadership is not about status, rank or glory; it is about serving and giving. This can only be imbued by a culture that does not discriminate but which teaches one to give his best to serve the country. The RMC model taught me this.
The writer is deputy director-general of the National Centre for Governance, Integrity & Anti-Corruption, Prime Minister’s Department