DAK NGOPONG

Many years ago a friend told me about a government officer who declined a promotion. When his colleagues chided him for the decision, the officer, a Muslim convert explained that it would be sinful for him to accept the promotion because he could not do justice to the post.His salary would be haram. His Muslim colleagues felt ashamed that they did not understand the Quran like him. But they admired his principles and his iman (faith).

Religion aside, how many people in this country really know their job? How many people really have the will, the wit and the ways to do what they are paid (or elected) to do? Do you know of any? In Terengganu, we call incompetents "dak ngopong". They can be anyone. They can be the mechanics that made your car worse or tailors that made your balls (or breasts) appeared lopsided.

Sometimes these Dak Ngopong people are the manifestation of the Peter Principle. Professor Peter said we can be promoted to our level of incompetency. It happens a lot of times. A superb carpenter would be promoted to a supervisory post. He knows how to make a superb table but he knows nuts about supervising people and people suffer. Look what happened when Hitler was promoted.

This is not to say that we should not promote anyone. What I am saying is get the best person for the job. The hadith says that if you put the wrong person in the right place, trouble follows. Remember that the next time you vote.

Labels: incompetency., Peter Principle