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| "As DBKU Mayor, I always stress the importance of
developing management skills among our youth."
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Every government in any part of the world is probably facing a challenge of having a social system in which the welfare of the people comes first. It is no surprise then that Malaysia, on its way to Vision 2020, is faced by the challenge of establishing a fully caring society and a caring culture, and a social system in which society will come before self.While leadership varies from level to level, those who have a direct dealing with the people tend to be the most influential. They are the ones who meet face to face with the people- the intended beneficiaries of whatever development programme that our government undertakes.
For instance, a teacher is regarded as a model and at times, a hero by certain
students . This influences the mould of what the students will become in the
future. A civil servant who works for organizations that provide daily service
like the Customs Department faces challenges of varying degrees from the public.
Though simple and routinary these may seem, they are actually not easy tasks
and certainly require dedication, sincerity and courage to say NO, when necessary.
Tuan Haji Madehi Kolek, presently the Mayor of the Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara (DBKU) has much to share not only in terms of city administration, but also in grassroot leadership as well as in handling the public's complaints and grievances. His initial stint at the Education Department and later on at the Customs Department where he spent almost three decades of service is a testimony of a civil servant's dedication to public service, more than anything else.
From Australia to Binatang
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| Madehi Kolek (second from left) attending
a meeting of the Sarawak Customs Department in the early 70s |
Madehi Kolek completed his Bachelor of Arts degree (major in Administration and History) at the University of Tasmania, Australia and after that, he started off his career in the civil service as a teacher at Rajang Teacher's Colege in Binatang (now Bintangor) in 1970.
From Australia to Binatang, his life would be extremely different.
He knew then that his life would be in complete contrast in terms
of living conditions. Nevertheless, he willingly accepted the post
as a teacher at Rajang Teachers' College. "I wanted to share with my country what I have learned from overseas",
he said. He was all prepared to chart his initial career inside the
jungle.
"I enjoyed teaching Bahasa Malaysia and English and my students
were all eager to learn. I stayed in the government quarters with
very basic facilities. I had to be inside the quarters by 7 pm as
there was curfew. I heard gunshots almost every night as the area
was still under RASCOM ",
he recalled with a bit of nostalgia. But these incidents did not deter him at
all to fulfil his duties and instead, he continued serving as a teacher for one
year and three months.
"I got along well with my students and there were times I would walk with them on the way to the school. It was all for the sake of being with them and sharing my experiences with them".
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Madehi Kolek (third from right) at the 21st Co-Project Directors'Meeting
Between Indonesia and Malaysia, held in Jakarta , Indonesia in March 1985 |
In April 1971, he was appointed as the permanent
Customs Superintendent at the Malaysian Royal Customs Department.
In 1980 , he was promoted to the post of Sarawak State Customs Director
(Highest Level E). " I served many places in Sarawak such as Sibu and Miri." He
recalled that work at the Customs Department was mainly on enforcement
and compliance with the law and they did things on routine. Nevertheless,
he made sure that there was improvement on every aspect of the work
operations.
He dealt with people's complaints with an open mind and took them
on a positive stride. He applied his administrative skills with flare
and closely monitored their systems to ensure that everything was
in order. " I actually went to the area where goods are being taken in and out and monitored myself the actual time used for such transaction".
Having done that, he became more confident in dealing with the day-to-day
transactions within his office and on the grounds.
As a Director, Madehi Kolek made sure that the release of goods was
always on time and that their systems were all working."When there is a delay on the delivery of goods, the opportunity of earning profits decreases." Thus, he made sure that this aspect of business profitability was closely monitored. He knew it very well that every minute delayed could mean less profit. " I
wanted the Customs department to play its role well in enhancing
competitive market conditions."
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As the Johor State Customs Director (third from left)... officiated
the 'Taman Bakti Kanak-Kanak' in Johor Bahru |
As a whole, he described his post at the department
very challenging and one that required effective interpersonal skills.
At certain times, people were not happy at all simply because they
had to abide by the laws. He, however , surpassed all the challenges
he encountered and devised a formula. "We tried and managed to simplify the process and procedures on the entry and exit of goods and eventually succeeded in expe-diting the flow of goods to the satisfaction of the public we serve, " he
explained. Process improvement like that does not happen by chance.
Tuan Haji Madehi Kolek applied both theory and common sense in dealing
with such situations.
In 1989, he was transferred to Johor as the State Customs Director. In 1993, he was further promoted as Customs Deputy Director General (Main Grade C) and held various positions with the same grade: Customs Deputy Director General for Policy and Management, Selangor State Customs Director and Customs Deputy Director General for Prevention.
In 1997, he was further promoted as Customs Deputy Director General for Operations
(Main Grade B) at the Headquarters and served as such until his retirement in
December 1998. " My main duty was on enforcement work and implementation of Customs programmes and tax collection. It was very challenging because somehow you have to deal with people who want less taxes as much as possible. Sometimes, it was as if we were on a hide and seek game, " he jokingly said. But the job had its privileges. " In
the course of my duty, I had the opportunity to visit other countries and realized
that the problems being faced by the Customs departments in other countries are
more or less the same."
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Madehi Kolek (seated at the center) during his visit to the Limbang
Royal Customs and Excise Department |
Most Significant Experience as Customs Officer
"I was assigned to chair the APEC Sub-committee on Customs Procedure back
in 1998 when Malaysia hosted the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum.
That year was also my last year in the service. We were trying to facilitate
the movement of goods in the region and simplify the Customs procedures in the
ASEAN region to cut cost and lessen the time required for the entry and exit
of goods. So we laid down some corrective actions and amended some legislations."
Being a participant in the ASEAN Study Tour back in 1979 equipped him with the
necessary skills and right exposure on the task. "Being a Chairperson was
an opportunity to share and exchange learning experiences. It had also given
me some sort of satisfaction because we found common grounds of interest for
all the countries involved. As a team, we standardized certain procedures."
As DBKU Mayor
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| Tuan Haji Madehi Kolek took over as Mayor
of Dewan Bandaraya Kuching Utara (DBKU) in January 2001 |
While running a country requires a strong leadership,
running a city requires more than that. There is a need for a personal
touch and a genuine concern for the people you serve, especially
the kampung people. And the DBKU Mayor does just like that. " I make sure I deal with the people I serve with a personal touch. When I go to the kampung, I talk with the people and from there, I get to know their needs and concerns" said he who is obviously on top of things at the DBKU. He continued, "It is better to give them what they need. What we think is good for them may not necessarily be the thing they need or good for them. We don't want to mould them on how we want them to be".
The life of a DBKU Mayor is beset with heavy responsibilities especially that Kuching City is fast developing, so fast that at times, we wonder how people will cope with the pace of development and changing lifestyle. Kuching City has her unique features; at one side life is rustic, peaceful and uncomplicated. On the other side, it is a city bustling with life and infused with all the modern technology.
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A momentous moment with the late Datuk Polycarp Sim, outstanding teacher |
" As a Mayor, I always stress the importance of developing management skills among our youth. I want our youth to actively take part in our development programmes in line with the Chief Minister's vision for Kuching- a city that is safe, friendly, green and with a caring society".
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