GOING MENTAL

Lately we have been exhorted to acquire First Class Mentality for the sake of our country's development.

Like a good citizen, I spent a lot of time putting on my thinking kopiah pondering on how I can have a First Class Mentality. I know that Malaysians have been accused of having First Class Infrastructure and 3^rd Class mentality. 2nd class was not mentioned. I guessed this is reserved for rich people clutching their investment portfolios complaining of inequalities while dining on Chateaubriand at posh hotels. Thus making a quantum leap from 3^rd to 1^st is quite a daunting task for Malaysians. The task is more difficult for Malaysians who hardly think. Thinking of going after something that is very fuzzy should be doubly difficult. I mean, do you honestly know what First Class Mentality is? Thinking like citizens of developed nations might not be the answer. After all, they thought wiping out a nation is right. Is that the right thought? Think again. Some Malaysian corporations thought hiring people from developed countries might do wonders for their companies. We know how wrong they were, don't we?

Probably we might be a bit clearer on what we have to do if we take the following quiz:

1.You are in a buffet (free or otherwise), do you

A.Pile your plate with as much food as you can carry regardless of whether you can finish them off
B. Pile your plate with only the expensive stuffs
C. Take only what you can consume
D. Take a doggie bag and bring home as much food as you can

2. You are driving your car during the rush hour and you are at the tail end of a long queue, do you
A. Stay in the queue
B. Move ahead, find a spot, give your signal and cut in
C. Cut in without giving your signal
D. Find a legal parking space and take the LRT

3. When manning a service counter, your mission is
A. To be as intimidating and unpleasant as possible
B. To frustrate customers until nearly your lunch time
C. To confuse as many people as possible
D. To serve everyone to the extent of going the extra mile

4. As far as your job is concerned
A. You are passionate about it
B. You do the minimum so that you don't get sacked
C. It is something you do to avoid staying home
D. It is something you do to get blind salary

5. Pursuit of knowledge is

A. A waste of time and money
B. A lifelong endeavour
C. Not as much fun as other pursuits
D. I do not know the meaning of pursuit

6. Books to you are

A. Sources of entertainment and enlightenment
B. Very expensive
C. Things I borrow and never returned
D. I will wait for the movie to come out

7. If you were a public official caught lying

A.You save yourself by lying further
B. You humbly apologize and face the music
C. You humbly apologize and resign honourably
D. You mumble jampis and wait to be sacked

8. On the LRT
A. You give up your seat to a senior citizen
B. You give up your seat only when the senior citizen hits you with his tongkat
C. You give up your seat only to pregnant ladies
D. You give up your seats only to ladies you made pregnant

9. If you want to show off your brand new expensive phone in cineplexes you
A. Get friends to call you every 10 minutes during the show
B. Call yourself every 10 minutes in between shows
C. Send videos of yourself via Bluetooth to everyone within range
D. Pay for slides announcing your acquisition of the said new phone

10. When your son/niece/friend/anyone asks you about, say, "nanotechnology" and you do not know the answer, you

A. Look it up
B. Look blurred
C. Look pained and insulted
D. Look at the fellow and ask for a simpler question

(Now add your own)