If you Bribe me, It's your Fault.

The Star Online > Focus

Friday September 25, 2009

GIVERS OF BRIBES TO BLAME FOR CORRUPTION

WHENEVER it comes to corruption and its ills, we conveniently pin the blame on parties on the take. We lose sight of those who give.

Sure, the takers have to be blamed. But if we truly believe that corruption is evil and must be eliminated, we must walk the talk ourselves. We must stop offering money to suit our selfish ends or to get ourselves out of a wrong that we have committed.

To me, the giver in any corrupt action or transaction is more guilty than the taker, as not many people can let an opportunity to earn easy money pass. The irony is that the givers are those most vocal about the deteriorating state of corruption of this country.

The next time you are caught breaking a rule, like a traffic offence, think twice before offering any incentive to get yourself a shortcut or selfish way out.

If you do make the offer, please do not blame others for being corrupt. It is you who started it.

CONCERNED CITIZEN,

Subang Jaya.

Did the contents really make you think twice about giving bribes? It didn’t do me much help.

Like many other people, I don’t like people wasting my time. And whilst I am not one who earns a lot, at least money can be earned back; my time, once wasted, can never be replaced. And I am not getting any younger either.

So given the choice of using money to buy back time which I find valuable, I think that it is a fair trade. To be clear, I do not condone bribery as I see it as a form of moral decay, which is not good for the soul.

But by saying that it is not the person’s fault to accept bribery because “not many people can let an opportunity to earn easy money pass [sic]” is like saying it’s not wrong for men to rape women because they dress in revealing outfits.

Truth be told, the service sector hasn’t been speeding up despite the advancement in technology and the use of computers and internal networks to aid them in their work. Gifts and greens are better motivations. This is reality. People needed to survive. Morale takes a back seat to a full stomach.

But in fact, both sides are wrong morally. You shouldn’t give bribes if you are at fault or have committed an offence, and you shouldn’t accept bribes to help someone get away after committing an offence.

In conclusion, just as it takes two to carry out bribery, it also takes two to not.