All praise be to Allah Subhanahu Wataala upon Whose grace, we are able to gather here this morning in this stadium, for the purpose of strengthening and renewing our resolve to increase the quality and level of our productivity, in line with our aspiration to create a harmonious, strong dan sovereign nation.

2. Malaysia is a developing country with a multi-racial population. Although we can be proud of the development we have achieved since our independence 26 years ago, we are still far behind when compared with the developed countries.We do not just wish for wealth, but we realise that a nation and a people that is weak and backward will not be respected. We have to acquire all forms of knowledge that is now possessed by the developed nations in order to safeguard our honour and integrity. It is only when we have attained their level of development that we will be able to hold our own and not be pushed around and bullied. Only those without honour are willing to let their nation be belittled. Our principal hope and aim is to safeguard the sovereignity of this nation and the honour of its people.

3. It is with this realisation, that the government has promised an administration that is clean, efficient and trustworthy. This promise is made because a government that is clean, efficient and trustworthy, will not only speed up the rate of development but will also enable Malaysians to live a better life as a result of practising these virtues.We do not doubt that a government that is clean, efficent and trustworthy will facilitate and improve the machinery of government, further increase productivity and make this nation stable and strong.

4. However, these promises were made by the political leaders only. There was no similar promise made by the bureaucrats on whom rests the responsibility of realising these hopes. An administration that is clean, efficient and trustworthy will only be meaningful when its leaders, heads of government departments and officers have these values, and hence government leaders, both in politics and the civil service, have to make a pledge in an effort to inculcate and to ensure that these values are practised. It is therefore important that these promises be extended to all members of the civil service. It is for this reason that we are gathered here today to make this pledge.

5. Making a pledge is meaningless unless it is practised.In order to ensure that the promise made is fulfilled, it is of utmost importance that the leaders practise it themselves. It is pointless for the leaders to urge others to do good, if they themselves do not practise what they preach. It is true that leaders being human are not free from errors. However, the public is willing to forgive mistakes if they are made unintentionally and for so long as efforts are made to do good and mistakes are corrected.What I meant by mistake here is not correcting false accusations that are often made but correcting truly genuine mistakes. To spread vicious lies is a heinous act that should not be done by anyone.

6. To lead by providing good examples is the most effective way to ensure that good deeds are practised by all. There can be no gain by saying one thing but doing another. This is the reason behind the theme of the campaign "Leadership by Example" that is launched today. To set good example is indeed a heavy responsibility. However, to those who are sincere, and who wish to see Malaysia become a peaceful and progressive nation, respected and revered, this heavy responsibility will surely be shouldered with grit and determination.

Ladies and gentlemen,

7. All of us that are gathered here today are leaders in our own right while at the same time we are also followers. The same is true for those who are not present here today. Each of us have our leaders but in turn we have others below us. Even if it may not be so now, but we ourselves, one day will be leaders in our own fields. Hence, each of us must begin by setting good examples that can convince everyone and ensure that the administration of this nation is carried out efficiently.

8. The first good example that we must show is cleanliness in all its aspects both morally and physically. To be morally clean means to possess good thoughts and ideals and to carry out our duties as promised without any ulterior motive or unworthy intentions. We should not delay our work for the purpose of procuring bribes. What is not rightfully ours should not be taken. We should not be involved in any form of crime or bribery. We should not misuse or abuse authority and we should not be arrogant.

9. We must be properly dressed and be of good behaviour. We must also ensure the cleanliness of our environment, whether at home or at our place of work. We must avoid polluting the environment. In short, all that is righteous should be practised and all that is evil must be avoided.

10. I am sure we are all aware of the importance of skill. No work can be done well without proper skill. While the education that we received in school provide us with the basic knowledge, skill can only be obtained through appropriate training and experience. As such, we have to continuously develop the skill, seek and acquire the relevant knowledge and practise repeatedly until competency is acquired. Each of us have our own special abilities, and these abilities can be improved through repeated practice.Hence, we must work hard.

11. We must not be satisfied with what we can do. We have to continuously improve our ability through research, education and practice. God willing, if we are patient and determined we will eventually improve our skill. We must make quality our aim because it will not only benefit us but also society. A nation that is administered by people who are skilled will become more progressive and stable. This in turn will ensure the country`s honour.

12. The third pledge that we have to undertake is trustworthiness. Trustworthiness is a very important element in society. Without this quality disorder will prevail. If we cannot depend on or delegate work to others then it will be impossible for us to manage our work or finances or to manage government and public property. The management and administration of government cannot be the responsibility of just one person. Many will be involved in the management of government. If the civil service cannot be relied on then the government will collapse, and there will be anarchy which will threaten our very own lives.

13. Every member of the civil service, whatever his rank is entrusted with authority. Authority is given because without it, administration and supervision which is the responsibility of government cannot be carried out.Unfortunately, authority is very easily abused. When abused, authority will no longer be an instrument for supervision but will instead become an obstacle which will in turn destroy society. Misuse of authority, whether in the issuing of hawkers licences or in approving contracts worth millions of dollars, will inevitably have damaging results on society. In the end, all of us will lose because of lack of trustworthiness.

14. This is also true in the day to day management of government. If a letter from the public is deliberately misdirected, or payment is not made as scheduled, or directives not properly followed, then the administration will become weak and ineffective. This will result in Malaysia remaining as a developing nation and her people left behind in all fields. We will forever be belittled and looked down upon.

15. It is obvious that with an administration that is not clean, efficient and trustworthy at all levels that is from political leaders and senior civil servants to the lowest official, Malaysia and Malaysians can never be successful and progressive and respected by all. The independence that we achieved will then be meaningless for the country`s status and honour will be that of a colonised nation and its people that of a slave. There is no one whom we can blame because our fate has been entrusted to us when we achieved independence twenty six years ago.

16. It is for this reason that we want to have a government that is clean, efficient and trustworthy. However, being clean, efficient and trustworthy alone is not enough. We need to have other good traits as well. We need to be disciplined, systematic in our work, polite, courageous, of good behaviour, diligent and possessed of other good qualities which will make us a better society. These are qualities that are upheld by every religion. All these qualities reflect the responsibility and the spirit of give and take that is the sine qua non of an individual in a society. These qualities are proof of the love of man of his society, and his nation. The Prophet Mohammad (may the

17. By taking this pledge today we are making a commitment to show good example as a leader. Good deeds will not only improve the civil service, but also society, including ourselves. We do not lose by providing good service, for the good derived by society will also be felt by us.

18. In view of this, we must not regard the service that we render as a commodity for sale for a certain amount of payment. Does service for one`s self requires payment from others? Does it not mean that rendering good service is a reflection of civic consciousness? Is not service to the public a virtue? If we answer `yes` to all these questions, then the service we give should be more than just earning a living. We must be prepared to provide better service to achieve this noble objective.

19. As such, I would like to stress that we should not work merely for the remuneration that we receive, but it should be more than that. We should work for the people, for the nation and for the Almighty, Who has bestowed upon us innumerable blessings. We should not be too calculating with regard to the worth of our work, but we should regard our work as a contribution to the society and country. We should not only be conscious of the blessings derived from a nation that is stable and peaceful but we should also be grateful for it. For our gratefulness our rewards will be greater.

20. We are a multi-racial nation. Although there exists racial differences within the community, generally we live in peace and there is good relations between the different races. Compared to other multi racial or multi religious nations, where racial clashes resulting in deaths are quite common, the racial understanding and harmony found in this country is something all Malaysians can be proud of.

21. However, the cooperation and understanding that we have among ourselves can be further improved. In this country we cannot avoid having different races working together in one workplace. There are also situations where the head and the workers are of different races. In such a situation, feelings of ill-will and dissatisfaction will arise and there will be accusations of discrimination, sabotage and so on.

22. There might be some basis to these accusations, no matter from which race it comes. However, the element of suspicions because of race differences, often tends to exaggerate these minor issues. These suspicions will be further fuelled if an interested party is involved, resulting in tension and affecting work. This occurs in government departments and also in private firms. It is obvious that such a situation is unhealthy and not conducive to the progress of the nation.

23. I wish to appeal to all, both in the government and the private sector, to do away with suspicions and accusations. In multi-racial Malaysia, we cannot avoid mingling with one another during work. It is to our best interest if we could avoid discrimination and should this occur and suspicion aroused, we ought to cast it aside and concentrate on the work that has to be carried out satisfactorily. Conscientious employees will, in due time be respected, looked up to and will receive fair rewards. In other words we should accept this reality of working in a multiracial society and adjust ourselves accordingly. We should stop making accusations but instead strengthened inter-racial relations, both during and after office hours. greedy will choose the short term course. Although the `benefits` will accrue to them earlier, in the long run they stand to lose. It is those who give priority to short term gains that are most often involved in corruption and other irregularities.

25. On the other hand if our aim is a long term gain, we have to make sacrifices in order to enjoy the benefits which is much more lasting. It is for this reason that we have to make sacrifices in order to achieve a more lasting benefit. As such we ought to give priority to long term gain. It is better for us to work hard now, as this will not only be to our advantage but as our nation becomes more developed and progressive our future generations too will surely stand to benefit. They will possess high integrity, they will be respected and hence will be able to ensure that future generations too will be better off.

26. Therefore, let us sacrifice for our religion and our nation, as this will have the effect of bringing about more lasting benefits for those who practise it. nation stronger and more developed, and to make our multi-racial society a happier, united and progressive society. We make this pledge to build a greater nation so that no one will ridicule or look down on us. If we adhere to this pledge, God willing, we will achieve our objectives.

27. As a sign that the pledge we make is done with all sincerity, we must show that we hold firmly to it. We must be prepared to sacrifice as proof of our sincerity to this pledge. May I suggest that we sacrifice 15 minutes of our time daily for the society and country as a symbol of our adherence to this pledge. We should arrive at work at the appointed time, but leave the office 15 minutes later than the normal finishing time. This is our voluntary contribution towards the society and nation. God willing, we will all be able to benefit from it.

28. I am only making a suggestion. It is not compulsory. However, as this is a good practice and since we have pledged to lead by example, I am convinced that we will not let down the society and nation. Nevertheless, we must bear in mind that our pledge will not be fully realised merely by working this extra 15 minutes. We need to do a lot more so as to give meaning and substance to our pledge.

29. This gathering today involves officials from the public sector only. However, the example that we show today will surely be emulated by the private sector. This country needs citizens that are efficient, trustworthy, hard working and disciplined in order to make this country prosperous and stable. The Government will not be able to achieve it`s aims if the public and private sectors do not give their full cooperation and do not practice the noble values that we have propounded today.

30. God willing, if we are humble and grateful we will be rewarded. Let us pray that God will bestow upon us the strength and courage needed to carry out these resolutions of ours successfully.

31. It is with this hope, and in the name of Allah The Most Merciful, that I launch this "Leadership by Example" campaign.