What’s your price?
IN the lead-up to the GE14, I was curious about the campaigning. What interested me was people’s response to the walkabouts and ceramah.
One evening in SS2, I went to my usual popiah stall to order the usual before class. Our conversation moved to politicians campaigning by walking around the coffee shop, talking to the customers and the stall-holders. I jokingly ribbed her if she was given any “presents”. The popiah woman’s reaction was one of vehement disgust. In a nutshell, she said she would never take any gift or money to cast a vote that she didn’t believe in.
Her response was interesting. Many people I have spoken to have admitted happily that they would willingly accept ang pows or gifts, but would not cast their vote against their own principles. This popiah stall-holder, on the other hand, was disgusted at the idea of taking any form of bribe, whether or not she cast her vote in the favour of the giver or not.
After the election, I just happened to chat with the mixed rice lady. Of course, everyone was admiring our trendy indelible inked fingers and election would, of course, be the topic of the day. Again, campaigning came up and again I joked about any ang pows coming her way. I was surprised to find her reaction practically identical to the popiah woman. It was practically as if she was asked if she would accept blood money.
The attitude of these business women has intrigued me to the point that I constantly think of them. They obviously have principles and values by which they stand, and the acceptance of bribes to abandon their principles and values are an abhorrent idea. I can imagine some business people reading this might say, “That’s why they remain small time popiah and mixed rice sellers.” But is it so hard to stand by one’s values in business?
Money is a great incentive, especially if you have less of it than others. As a yoga teacher, I get asked to do lots of things: to sometimes demonstrate like a performing acrobat; to teach a class in a certain way compromising the values of yoga; and sometimes other less savoury requests that needn’t be dwelled upon. Every time it happens, part of me actually says, “Think of the money!”
Sometimes, especially if the request is just to “perform”, I relent. But then I sometimes wonder to myself, “What if they threw more money at me, would I do it?”
Even in the world of yoga, the enticement of money to compromise one’s values is rife. In corporate yoga of America, right now there is the legal entanglement between world-famous Ashtangini and yoga teacher, Kino McGregor, against the yoga app creators, Cody App, and clothing brand, Alo Yoga. The details of the case are intricate and occasionally mind-boggling, but while reading it, all I can see is money, money, money.
So I compare the reactions of these women I mentioned earlier to those of big businessmen in Malaysia. I was told by a client that many big businessmen went overseas in case they were asked to endorse political parties they didn’t want to be affiliated with. So they managed to avoid compromising their values.
Still, I wonder how much currying of favour, how much under-the-counter dealings take place daily. How much of their values and principles do they compromise?
My contemplation has no right or wrong answer. We all have different lives to lead and different things make us happy.
I still take a step back and admire these two stall holders, for their integrity and probity, and hope if ever an opportunity arose that would make me want to compromise my values, I will remember their rectitude and stand fast to mine.
Daniel has a deep passion for health, fitness, sleep and travel. Comments: letters@ thesundaily.com