The 4S of voluntary work

Professor Tan Sri Dato' Dzulkifli Abdul Razak

Learning Curve: Perspective

New Sunday Times - 03-03-2013

 

KEY ELEMENTS: Selflessness, structure, soul and sacrifice are crucial to voluntary work

 

 

LAST week, I was privileged to share the podium with luminaries Tan Sri Arshad Ayub and Tan Sri Razali Ismail at the Inaugural Student Affairs Governance Conference. Datuk Zuraidah Atan of Yayasan Sukarelawan Siswa was chair.

 

The topic of discussion was Cultivating The Culture Of Volunteerism in the context of higher education.

 

It started in earnest with Arshad stating the first key point on voluntary work -- selflessness. He emphasised that you do not expect any returns while performing voluntary work.

 

It is part of social obligations which is one of the core values inherent in any university.

 

Assigning credits or points for voluntary work takes away the essence of volunteerism.

 

So does hidden agenda such as gaining publicity, popularity or such. Arshad cited many examples of voluntary organisations being uncomfortable with accorded privileges which undermined the act of volunteering during the setting up of Institut Teknologi MARA.

 

Razali, on the other hand, stated the need for a system that allows voluntary work to be done independently and with flexibility.

 

He contrasted this with the bureaucratic structure that often hinders rather than facilitates, leading to failure to reach out to those in need in a timely manner.

 

This lack of structure to support voluntary activities reflects the absence of a "soul" which predicates and guides voluntary work.

 

Some organisations which claim to be voluntary in nature are, in fact, marred by bureaucracy and rigid thinking that render them ineffective in delivering altruistic work.

 

Indeed, most are mere events showcasing voluntary work in a clinical fashion.

 

This is more apparent once the elements of commercialisation and materialism creep in to promote certain organisations, universities included, rather than highlight the cause that they are fighting for!

 

I highlighted "sacrifice" as another key principle of sustaining the spirit of voluntary work. I contended that voluntary work is nothing new in many cultures that promote the sharing of wealth through alms-giving, charity, amal jariah or sadeqah.

 

While this can take the form of philanthropy, "sacrifice" can also be in terms of effort and time given in a selfless way.

 

The last two options are more congenial to those who want to make voluntary work a habit. That said, the act of sacrifice is the function of your intention (niat) to extend the best in the most humble way.

 

Humility must be an integral part of voluntary work, which is also a learning opportunity that is frequently missed in the process.

 

Voluntary work goes beyond any tangible rewards as part of the Key Performance Index.

 

Self-satisfaction is reward enough. The rest is incidental.

 

All of these are well-embedded in the Bahasa Malaysia word for "voluntary" -- sukarela. Unlike paksa (force), suka expresses a sense of gladness to do something without being forced to in any way, and rela emphasises "selflessness" and "sacrifice".

 

For voluntary work to be cultivated as a culture, there should first be a value system that must be internalised until it becomes second nature.

 

- The writer is the vice-chancellor of the Albukhary International University