Learning the basics of an MBA from a Shanghai Taxi Driver

I needed to go to Xujiah Airport, so I hurriedly concluded a meeting and I was looking for a taxi in front of the Meiluo building.  A taxi driver saw me and very professionally came in a straight line and stopped right in front of me. 

Thus followed the story that astonished me greatly as if I had attended a lively MBA course.  In order to faithfully preserve the intent of the taxi driver, I have tried to reproduce his original words according to my memory.

"Where do you want to go?  Good, the airport.  At Xujiahui, I loved to get business in front of the Meiluo building.  Over here, I only work two places: Meiluo building and Junyao building.  Did you know?  Before I picked you up, I circled around Meiluo building twice before I saw you!  People who come out of office building are definitely not going to some place nearby ..."

"Oh?  You have a method !"  I agreed.

"A taxi driver must also have scientific methods," he said.

I was surprised and I got curious: "What scientific methods?"

"I have to know statistics.  I have made detailed calculations.  Let me tell you.  I operate the car 17 hours a day, and my hourly cost is 34.5 RMB ..."

"How did you arrive at that?" I asked

"You calculate.  I have to pay 380 RMB to the company each day for the car. The gas is about 210 RMB.  I work 17 hours per day.  On an hourly basis, the fixed cost is the 22 RMB that I give to the taxi company and an average of 12.5 RMB per hour in gasoline expenses.  Isn't that 34.5 RMB?"  I was a bit surprised.  I have taken taxis for ten years, but this is the first time that a taxi driver has calculated the costs this way.  Previously, the taxi drivers all tell me that the cost per kilometer was 0.3 RMB in addition to the total company fee.

"Costs should not be calculated on a per-kilometer basis.  It should be calculated on an hourly basis.  You see, each meter has a 'review' function through which you can see the details of the day.  I have done a data analysis.  The averarge time gap between customers is seven minutes.  If I started counting the costs when someone gets in, it is 10 RMB for about 10 minutes.  That means each 10 RMB customer takes 17 minutes of time, which costs 9.8 RMB (4.5 x 17 / 60).  This is not making money!  If we say that customers who want to go to Pudong, Hangzhou or Qingpu are like meals, then a 10 RMB customer is not even a bite of food.  You can only say that this is just a sprinkle of MSG."

Great!  This driver did not sound like a taxi driver.  He seemed more like an accountant.  "So what you do then?"  I was even more interested and I continued my questioning.  It looked like I was going to learn something new on the way to the airport.

"You must not let the customer lead you all over the place.  You decide what you want to do based upon the location, time and customer."  I was very surprised, but this sounded significant.  "Someone said that the taxi driving is a profession that depends on luck.  I don't think so.  You have to stand in the position of the customer and consider things from the customer's perspective."  This sounded very professional, and very much like many business management teachers who say "put yourself in others' shoes."

"Let me give you an example.  You are at the entrance to a hospital.  There is someone holding some medicine and there is someone else holding a wash basin.  Which person will you pick up?"  I thought about it and I said that I didn't know.

"You take the one with the wash basin. If you have a minor complaint that you want to be examined and to get some medicine, you don't usually go to a faraway hospital. Anyone who is carrying a wash basin has just been discharged from the hospital. When people enter the hospital, some of them die. Today, someone on the second floor dies.  Tomorrow, someone on the third floor dies. Those who make it out of the hospital usually have a feeling of having been given a second life and they recognize the meaning of life again -- health is the most important thing. So on that day, that person told me, "Go ... go to Qingpu."  He did not even blink. Would you say that he wanted to take a taxi to People's Plaza to transfer to the Qingpu line subway?  Absolutely not!"

I began to admire him.

"Let me give you another example.  That day at People's Plaza, three people were waving at me.  One was a young woman who had just finished shopping and was holding some small bags.  Another was a young couple who were out for a stroll.  The third one was a man who wore a silk shirt and a down jacket and holding a notebook computer bag.  I spent three seconds looking at each person and I stopped in front of the man without hesitation.  When the man got in, he said: ' Yannan Elevated Highway .   South North Elevated Highway ...'  Before even finishing, he could not help but ask, 'Why did you stop in front of me without hesitating?  There were two people in front.  They wanted to get on as well.  I was too embarrassed to fight with them.'  I replied, 'It is around noon and just a dozen or so minutes before one o'clock.  That young woman must have slipped out at noon to buy something and I guess that her company must be nearby.  That couple are tourists because they are not
  holding anything and they are not going to travel far. You are going out on business.  You are holding a notebook computer bag, so I can tell that this is business.  If you are going out at this time, I guess that it would not be too close.'  The man said, 'You are right.  I'm going to Baoshan.'"

"Are those people wearing pajamas in front of supermarkets or subway stations going to travel far?  Are they going to the airport?  The airport is not going to let them enter."

That makes sense!  I was liking this more and more.

"Many drivers complain that business is tough and the price of gas has gone up. They are trying to pin the cause down on other people. If you keep pinning the cause on other people, you will never get any better.  You must look at yourself to see where the problem is." This sounds very familiar. It seems like "If you cannot change the world, then you should change yourself" or perhaps a pirated copy of Steven Covey's "Circles of Influence and Concern."  "One time, on Nandan Road , someone flagged me down and wanted to go to Tianlin. Later on, someone else flagged me down on Nandan Road and he also wanted to go to Tianlin.  So I asked, 'How come all you people who come out on Nandan Road want to go to Tianlin?'  He said, 'There is a public bus depot at Nandan Road .  We all take the public bus from Pudong to there, and then we take the taxi to Tianlin.  So I understood. For example, you look at the road that we just passed. There are no offices, no hotels, nothing. Just a public bus station. Those people who flag down taxis there are mostly people who just got off the public bus, and they look for the shortest road for a taxi.  People who flag down taxis here will usually ride not more than 15 RMB."

"Therefore, I say that the attitude determines everything!"  I have heard dozens of company CEO's say that, but this was the first time that I heard a taxi driver say that.

"We need to use scientific methods and statistics to conduct business.

Those people who wait at the subway exits every day for business will never make money. How are you going to provide for your wife and kids at 500 RMB a month? This is murder? This is slowly murdering your whole family. You must arm yourself with knowledge. You have to learn knowledge to become a smart person. A smart person learns knowledge in order to become a very smart person. A very smart person learns knowledge in order to become a genius."

"One time, a person wanted a taxi in order to get to the train station.  I asked him how he wanted to go.  He told me how to get there.  I said that was slow. I said to get on the elevated highway and go this other way.  He said that it was a longer way. I said, 'No problem. You have experience because you go that way frequently. It costs you 50 RMB. If you go my way, I will turn off the meter when it reaches 50 RMB. You can just pay me 50 RMB. Anything more is mine. If you go your way, it will take 50 minutes. If I go my way, it will take 25 minutes.' So in the end, we went my way.

We traveled an additional four kilometers but 25 minutes quicker. I accepted only 50 RMB. The customer was very delighted for saving about 10 RMB. This extra four kilometers cost me just over 1 RMB in gas. So I have swapped 1 RMB for 25 extra minutes of my time. As I just said, my hourly cost is 34.5 RMB. It was quite worthwhile for me!"

"In a public taxi company, an ordinary driver takes three to four thousand RMB home per month. The good driver can get around five thousand. The top driver can get seven thousand RMB.  Out of the 20,000 drivers, there are about two to three who can make more than 8,000 RMB a month. I am one of those two or three. Furthermore, it is very stable without too much fluctuation."

Great!  By this point, I admired this taxi driver more and more.

"I often say that I am a happy driver. Some people say, 'That's because you earn a lot of money. Of course, you must be happy.' I tell them, 'You are wrong. This is because I have a happy and active mind, and that is why I make a lot of money.'"

What a wonderful way to put it!

"You have to appreciate the beauty that your work brings.  Stuck in a traffic jam at People's Plaza, many drivers complain, 'Oh, there's a traffic jam again! What rotten luck!' You must not be like that. You should try to experience the beauty of the city.  There are many pretty girls passing by. There are many tall modern buildings; although you cannot afford them, you can still enjoy them with an appreciative look.  While driving to the airport, you can look at the greenery on both sides.  In the winter, it is white.  How beautiful!  Look at the meter -- it is more than 100 RMB.  That is even more beautiful!  Each job has its own beauty.  We need to learn how to experience that beauty in our work."

"Ten years ago, I was a general instructor at Johnson's.  Eight years ago, I had been the department manager for three different departments.  I quit because there was no point in making three or five thousand a month. I decided to become a taxi driver. I want to be a happy driver.  Ha ha ha ..."

When we arrived at the airport, I gave him my business card and said, "Are you interested in coming this Friday to my office and explain to the Microsoft workers about how you operate your taxi? You can treat it as if your meter is running at 60 kilometers per hour. I will pay you for the time that you talk to us. Give me a call."

Then I began to write down his lively MBA lecture on the airplane.
   “It is your attitude, not your aptitude, which determines your altitude in life.”

Sincerity is the key to a United Malaysia

Submitted by webmaster on Sat, 2010-11-06 09:51

MUCH has been argued by various quarters after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak announced his 1Malaysia vision, concept, policy, motto or whatever you choose to describe it.

It will surely be just another post-Merdeka rhetoric if there is no sincerity to forge a truly 1Malaysia.

For 1Malaysia to be realised, Malaysians must be really united for their country.

Whether this can be achieved will depend on the sincerity of the people, their leaders and the government.

Suspicion is a damper in efforts to forge unity. Malaysians cannot afford to go on quarrelling over pre-Merdeka communal issues forever and hope for Malaysia to transform into a prosperous nation.

Malaysians must cast aside all their suspicions and work together united as one towards a progressive and prosperous nation.

There cannot be socio-economic progress if Malaysians continue to bicker over pre-Merdeka issues with the government having no political will to take the lead towards a United Malaysia.

The first and foremost acknowledgment for the government is to recognise and accept the growing post-Merdeka generation and the Information Technology (IT) era.

As short as 20 years ago, the people’s access to information was limited to the middle class and the rich.

Today, our children are attending IT classes and schools are equipped with internet connections.
Information is King and it is now almost a borderless access. Therefore, the days of double-talk and deceit will not work anymore. Words must be backed by sincere action.

For example, on the issue of corruption, we cannot just remain rhetoric and hope the people will back us.

That is why I was willing to risk my MCA presidency and even my cabinet post by exposing the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) multi-billion-ringgit  financial scandal.

Today, as an ordinary Pandan MP, I still refuse to back down or back out. Those who benefitted from the scandal at taxpayers’ interest must face the music.

ORIGINAL POSTING http://ongteekeat.net

出访公干为名, 公费旅游为实

Submitted by webmaster on Tue, 2010-11-02 10:35

 2010年11月01日

日前国家总稽查师的年度报告书出台, 引起民众哗然, 乃意料中事。观此举国关切之情, 这可说是民众对监督施政认识的提升。

纵观全书, 普罗大众的观感是政府的采购与建设项目中, 委实 存有太多〝物非所值〞的个案。这种积弊造成大笔公币的浪费与国家资源的流失。

书中的弊案个例, 不胜枚举。贯串其间的积弊, 可用〝假〞、〝大〞、〝空〞三字来概括。

〝假〞---顾名思义, 泛指涉案的官员或承包商弄虚作假、虚支冒领, 迹近诈骗政府, 榨取纳税人公币的行径。这不是一般的〝揩油〞或牟取暴利, 而是计划性的巧取豪夺。

〝大〞则暴露出规划者好大喜功的虚骄心态。它或许可以抚平虚骄表皮下的自卑, 可它的代价是虚掷公币, 以纳税民众的血汗钱来换取华而不实的建设工事或宏伟场面。当然,真正从中得利者, 不外是贪婪的政客及其朋党。这类政客当中, 除了牟利的考量, 亦或多或少相信宏伟的硬体建设或活动场面, 能够为他们的政绩加分。

〝空〞的流弊则充分体现在公家产业的使用率方面。花钱采购而弃之不用或难以派上用场的物品设备, 固然是一种奢侈浪费, 可一栋又一栋竞相林立的政府办公大楼, 到底又有多少楼层空间真正付诸使用,而不致于平白空置?

关注国州执政党议员拨款

其实〝假、大、空〞的积弊陋习又何止于采购与开发项目? 国州执政党议员的拨款流向与实效, 同样值得国人的关注。它的金额虽然不大, 可年复一年, 多少拨款能够真正用在点上, 惠泽人民? 这倒是常在众目的聚焦以外。人们看不到政客如何慷公家之慨,巧用选区拨款,充当喂饱朋党跟班的饲料, 更无以想像一些土著承包商如何将牌照外借以赚取干利。当然, 他们高达20%-40%的净赚额, 同样是羊毛出在羊身上, 由纳税人来买单支付。

犹记得数年前, 我率先在自己的网页公布选区拨款的流向时, 党内领导对我的群呛, 可说是卯足马力的。其中一位现已升正的领导同志当时面无愧色的说: 〝翁某的这种哗众取宠的行径, 叫我们情何以堪! 〞

尽管当时受尽冷言冷语的羞辱, 可我始终坚持不撤下已公布的数据明细, 因为这毕竟是我身为民选议员对人民的一种责任承担, 与他人无尤。

不相信短暂官访赚外汇

而今〝情何以堪〞四字似乎更适用于滥用公币、假公济私之辈。但对那些打从心底就以万民为刍狗的当权政客来说, 面无愧色者还是亳无羞愧如故,横眉冷对千夫指, 丝毫不以公费旅游的指责为忤。

平心而论, 政务官包括正副部长及州行政议员等的出国公干, 理所当然须由公币支付, 可他们的公务绩效应该也同样受到适当的监督与检核。任何担任公职者, 总不应仗着本身的部门单位能为国家赚取一定的外汇, 就振振有词说:其出访所花费的每一元公币,就能为国家赚取多倍盈利云云。

言下之意不外是指有关的外汇盈利全是政务官个人的出访成绩使然, 全部驻外的促销办事处形同虚设, 所花费的开销仿佛就不是公币。这种论述非但有独揽功劳之嫌, 也赤裸裸的暴露出这类政务官的心态咀脸。举凡对政府行政体系有所认识者, 都不会相信单凭正副部长或州行政议员的短暂官访, 区区一两天的酬酢交往, 就能轻易坐收赚取外汇之效。

出国开会不过政治酬庸

具此心态, 以出访公干为名, 公费旅游为实的劣行, 实已蔚然成风。多年前, 我曾以国会副议长身分出席英联邦议会协会大会, 阵容鼎盛的马来西亚国州议员代表团, 除了在开幕式亮相以外, 其它的会议研讨环节, 则只能仰赖寥寥无几的数位议员苦撑。讽刺的是, 其它团员只在回国的航班上遇到, 且是满载而归, 显然是极尽购物的兴致。打听之余, 才知悉多位团员的英语欠奉, 敢情出国开会只不过是政治酬庸的方便借口而已。

公币滥用及此, 国人对政务官的公费出访,又焉能毫无监督的意识? 〝人民是老板〞不应只是选举季节的口号。国人要遏制国家资源的浪费流失, 就务须加强认识及认真行使公民监督施政的权利。毕竟选票的力量还是有其震慑性的。

ORIGINAL POSTING http://ongteekeat.net

Pemilihan parti secara langsung melibatkan ahli

Submitted by webmaster on Tue, 2010-11-02 10:28

Pemilihan parti secara langsung dengan melibatkan ahli-ahlinya bukan sesuatu yang baru dalam politik antarabangsa, tetapi ia tetap baru dalam persada politik Malaysia.

Tempoh hari ketika saya diundang menyertai satu forum anjuran sebuah akhbar Bahasa Cina mengenai topik berkenaan, terpaksa saya menyingkap kembali kepada peristiwa lampau yang melibatkan diri saya dalam usaha memperjuangkan pemilihan parti secara langsung dalam MCA. Saya tidak berniat langsung untuk bersifat masuk bakul angkat diri, khasnya apabila PKR mula mengamalkan sistem pemilihan parti yang dimaksudkan.

Pengalaman saya dalam memperjuangkan pemilihan parti langsung boleh disifatkan sebagai satu-satunya yang penuh ranjau. Saya julung kali mengesyorkan idea tersebut pada 2005 sebelum bertanding untuk jawatan Naib Presiden dalam pemilihan parti MCA. Namun begitu, syor itu malangnya telah ditenggelami ejekan yang pelbagai dalam kalangan pemimpin parti.

Tiga tahun kemudian, saya berjaya menerajui tampuk kepimpinan parti dan sekali lagi hasrat untuk merombak sistem pemilihan parti terus berkobar. Meskipun kali ini syor saya yang juga salah satu janji saya dalam manifesto pemilihan parti saya diterima sebagai satu ketetapan dalam Majlis Perhimpunan Agung Tahunan, namun rintangan terhadap pelaksanaannya adalah jauh lebih mencabar daripada jangkaan saya.

Dari pelbagai kesangsian yang dibangkitkan, saya sedar pihak yang meragui bahkan yang menentang sistem pemilihan langsung sebenarnya mempunyai agenda berselindung. Ia menepati pengamatan saya mengenai beberapa kelemahan struktur parti dan gejala politik yang terus mengganggu-gugat kesejahteraan parti.

Mungkin apa yang menghantui MCA selama ini boleh juga dijadikan iktibar kepada parti-parti lain. Gejala dan kelemahan yang dimaksudkan sebenarnya adalah hasil secara langsung atau tidak langsung dari sistem perwakilan parti yang sedia ada. Ia termasuk:

(1) Gejala rasuah politik, atau lebih dikenali sebagai ‘politik wang’

Kini amalan rasuah politik semakin terserlah lagi canggih caranya kerana ia tidak lagi terhad kepada sogokan wang kepada perwakilan yang dikuasai sikap tamak, malah habuan yang terlibat boleh dirangkumi dengan istilah 3P, iaitu: Payroll, Project, Pingat.

Sesetengah perwakilan yang sanggup disogok lazimnya ditawarkan, sama ada dengan pemberian elaun bulanan tetap, atau projek. Paling minimum tidak kurang daripada perakuan untuk mendapat anugerah pingat bintang kebesaran. Dalam erti kata lain, habuan tawaran sekarang bukanlah sekadar ad-hoc semata-mata tetapi secara lestari. Itu pun satu cara menawarkan rezeki mudah kepada perwakilan. Tugasan mereka yang diharapkan tidak lain daripada memberi, melobi dan memantapkan sokongan perwakilan kepada pemberi rezeki masing-masing. Ini jauh lebih penting berbanding peranan mereka untuk mendapatkan sokongan rakyat terhadap calon parti dalam pilihan raya.

(2) Gejala Keahlian Palsu

Kewujudan ahli-ahli palsu akan terus berleluasa selagi bilangan ahli dalam sesebuah cawangan atau bahagian parti menentukan bilangan perwakilannya. Lantaran masing-masing berlumba-lumba untuk memperbanyakkan ahlinya, baik dengan cara yang wajar mahupun tidak.

Perlu dijelaskan, ahli palsu disebut tidak semestinya insan yang tidak wujud, kadangkala yang dipalsukan itu ialah permohonan keahlian seseorang individu.

Dalam kata lain, sesetengah ahli parti yang berdaftar itu mungkin tidak tahu menahu langsung mengenai keahlian partinya. Dalam keadaan sedemikian, tidaklah hairan mengapa ramai ahli parti kelihatan tidak menyokong calon parti sendiri dalam pilihan raya.

(3) Gejala Kelesuan Jentera Parti

Walaupun pertambahan bilangan perwakilan tetap dikejar sesetengah pemimpin akar umbi yang berniat merebut kerusi dalam pemilihan parti, namun ini tidak bermaksud mereka sanggup mengamalkan semangat keterbukaan dalam pengambilan ahlinya. Ada kalanya, terdapat mereka yang keberatan mengambil individu-individu tertentu, khasnya yang berpengaruh atau berpelajaran tinggi menjadi ahli parti kerana takut diguling dan diganti kepemimpinannya dalam parti.

Dalam senario ini, sesetengah mereka lebih cenderung mewujudkan ahli-ahli palsu daripada mengambil mereka yang ikhlas dan hendak menyertai parti.

Semua pihak memang mengerti ciri-ciri kelebihan sistem pemilihan parti secara langsung walaupun pelaksanaannya bukanlah semudah kita fikir. Namun mereka yang berdolak-dalik agar menggagalkan ura-ura pemilihan langsung kebanyakannya berbuat demikian atas desakan perhitungan politik peribadi.

Mereka yang ghairah mengamalkan rasuah politik sudah tentu rasa tertekan seandainya pemilih yang mengundi tidak lagi terhad kepada perwakilan yang mereka boleh kuasai. Ini bermakna jumlah wang atau habuan sogokan mereka dijangka berlipat ganda.

Bagi mereka yang tidak berpolitik wang pun, turut perlu menanggung risiko politik yang tinggi kalau mandat mereka rebut itu kena diperoleh daripada semua ahli parti.

Di samping itu, mungkin terdapat satu lagi perhitungan berselindung yang melibatkan maruah parti pada keseluruhannya. Kita sedia maklum tentang wujudnya ahli-ahli palsu. Sekiranya pemilihan langsung, sudah tentu gejala politik berkenaan akan terdedah dengan mudah kerana mustahil ahli-ahli palsu boleh mengundi dalam pemilihan parti.

Cuba bayangkan kalau peratusan ahli parti mengundi terlalu rendah, ia akan membawa pengertian sama ada ahli-ahli parti berkenaan telah kehilangan komitmen atau kepercayaan terhadap hala tuju perjuangannya; ataupun lebih tenat lagi jika ia mendedahkan terserlahnya ahli-ahli palsu.

Pemimpin-pemimpin yang mengamalkan politik wang dan ahli palsu melalui sistem perwakilan sedia ada mungkin boleh merebut lagi menguasai tampuk kepimpinan sesebuah parti. Namun pemimpin pilihan perwakilan tidak semestinya diterima masyarakat, khasnya kalau mandat pemilihan itu dipengaruhi habuan.

Keadaan sebegini perlu kita renungi bersama kerana penolakan seseorang pemimpin parti dalam kalangan rakyat hanya akan merugikan parti itu dari segi kewibawaan parti serta bilangan kerusi yang boleh dimenangi dalam pilihan raya. 

ORIGINAL POSTING http://ongteekeat.net

走出歷史的爭議

Submitted by webmaster on Wed, 2010-11-03 22:08

 2010年11月03日

有人說，自古以來，歷史是為當權者而寫的。當然，這是指官方版本的歷史而言。換句話說，當朝政府可基於政治考量而選擇性記載歷史，也可刻意的淡化、美化或醜化歷史的某一部分；甚至乾脆篡改歷史的實例，也已屢見不鮮。

雖說世人不應以成敗論英雄，可歷史的撰寫卻偏偏是擺脫不了「成王敗寇」的框限。縱觀古今中外的歷史，每逢有人揭竿而起，揭竿者會稱之為「起義」，當權者則視之為「謀反」。一旦成功改朝換代，起事者理所當然成了開國元勳；相反的，他不單成了當權者欲除而後快的亂臣賊子，更可能因此而丟失生命，禍延鄉里。

即便是同朝政府，最高領導的更迭，也同樣會出現不同的歷史觀。就以國人熟悉的馬六甲王朝歷史來說，過往漢都亞（Hang Tuah）向來被尊為馬來社會的民族英雄，因為他是維護皇權的表率。

曾幾何時，晉入90年代，隨著當時首相馬哈迪倡導的修憲氣勢上揚，統治者的免控權走進了歷史，連長久以來被馬來歷史定位為亂臣賊子的漢芝拔（Hang Jebat），也驀然獲得平反，甚至其個人的歷史評價也一度比愚忠的漢都亞來得更高。而今這一切皆歸沉寂，漢都亞與漢芝拔等五位夥伴，也一併悄然的從歷史教科書里消聲匿跡。

邇來，隨著種族性論述再度高調登場，憲法詮釋遂成爭議。馬來人的特殊地位，以及非馬來人的公民權利，再次成為解讀憲政的聚焦。「社會契約」這形同孫悟空頭上的金箍咒，又見屢被執政當局提起，成了耳提面命的慣用詞。政府更是信誓旦旦，不要下一代成為史盲，立意要加強歷史教育。日前教長慕尤丁在巫統代表大會上的宣佈，將歷史列為會考的「必須及格學科」，便是最明顯的舉措。

歷史非當權政客專利

然而接踵而來的考驗是：我們需要確立的是怎樣的歷史觀？於是，眾說紛紜的現象出現了。非馬來人說：我們要確保華、印族先輩爭取國家獨立的功績不被抹煞；馬來人對社會契約的解讀則連30%土著股權也概括進去。世俗取向的學者會推崇測重世界歷史的學習和掌握；回教學者則十分在乎回教文明歷史在學校教育里的定位。這些議題斷不是單憑成立一個多元種族組成的史學家評鑒委員會就能擺平。

我們不要國家歷史受制於一家之言，首先就得在心態上確立一個觀念：歷史的話語權並不是當權政客的專利，民間的歷史話語權如果運用得當，它能夠彌補官方版本歷史的不足或偏頗。

華社華團長期的隱憂是，本族參與開發及建國的歷史會有湮沒之虞。環顧當前國內外的政治氣候，擔憂政治干預歷史的客觀性，不應被視為杞人憂天。

其實全國華團有數千之眾，其中不乏有超過百年歷史的。它們本身所留存下來的圖文檔案，既見證了華社的歷史發展，也同時是國家歷史的組成部分。然而，困擾華社華團已久的問題，主要是如何善用這些已經塵封多時的檔案資料，而不讓它平白地湮沒。

長久以來，社團人事的更迭變遷，及一些當事人對歷史認識的局限，已造成幾許檔案資料的流失。人為的銷毀、捨棄，或是缺乏保養而招致的蟲蛀蟻噬，在在皆響起了我們應當「善待」史料的警鐘。

善待史料壯大話語權

光只是亳無處理意識的收存史料檔案，對行使民間歷史話語權的直接貢獻不大。當務之急，我們非但要珍惜一切地方志、人物誌及歷史事件檔案資料的搜集，更需動員專才作有條不紊的編整，包括全面將史料檔案加以數碼化（數位化），以期能將華社民間整理的歷史，通過互聯網的科技方便散發全球，面向全世界。

如此一來，任何形式的資訊圍堵亦將徒然。歷史教科書課文的編寫，以我國固有的國情觀之，始終還會是個爭議點。族基政治的協商機制，容或還可為一些政治議題尋求政治解決方案，可一旦遇上了歷史教育，大家都會不約而同的指望國內的史學家能作權威性的裁奪。惟獨是御用的史學家到底會為誰的利益服務？為誰說話？我們不難從歷史本身找到答案。

在政治舞台上，若干目光如豆的當權政客，或許打從心里會漠視歷史的重要性，因為經營歷史難以為他們的政治生涯加分，或增添光環；他們傾向於迷信權力可以主宰一切，當然也包括歷史教科書的內容。然而他們不能無視網路科技的一日千里，任何意圖要使學習內容樣版化的心思，最終還是難以得逞的。

畢竟，「關起門來做皇帝」的小格局，是不可能孕育出具備恢宏史觀的大國民的。

ORIGINAL POSTING http://ongteekeat.net