INTEGRITY is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.

Love that definition of one of the most powerful words in any language. In its only form, integrity means being consistent, with no regard to rewards, kudos or political points.

It means being a decent, stand-up person everywhere, and not only when there is a crowd or a posse of photographers.

You can’t buy integrity. Just like you can’t buy credibility. Just like you can’t buy honesty. 

Najib Razak or his handlers must have thought that it was a great photo opportunity to visit opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim in hospital. It would show the magnanimous side of the prime minister; a person willing to put aside political enmity to visit someone recovering from an operation. 

The problem with the visit was that it looked and reeked of a political photo-op. Just like the visit to the Tung Shin hospital the other day.

The best souls never want others to see the good they do. The volunteers who visit the elderly and sick and clean up after them don’t take selfies or post stuff on Facebook.

They just do.

Real philanthropists give away wads of cash to charities but never seek any recognition. 

But politicians, especially those with an eye on a coming election, always want to put on a show. They want to tell us that they are generous, caring, humble, magnanimous, colour-blind, moderate. The laundry list of their “qualities” just goes on and on.

They don’t realise that we know who they really are.

Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.

Would Najib have been prepared to make donations to the Chinese hospitals without fanfare? Would he have been prepared to visit Anwar for a few minutes without the cameras?

Some months ago, the last Irish La Salle brother in Malaysia, Felix James Donohue, passed away. Scores of his former students from La Salle PJ, St Paul’s Institution and St Xavier’s Institution came to his wake and funeral service. 

They came to pay their last respects and say thank you to someone who was fair, honest and loving, not just only when the occasion demanded, but through all the seasons of his life.

That’s what we expect of our leaders. – November 18, 2017.