Thursday, June 26, 2008

YABA DABA DOOOOOOOOOOO


It may not be something very big for many out there, but, for me today is a very important day in my blogging life. Would you believe it, I HAVE HAD 1,000 ONLINE READERS IN THE MONTH OF JUNE. In short, there were more than 1,000 people reading my writing.

Hmmm…. I’m impressed with my self.

Off course, as I have mentioned earlier, for some bloggerse they have their blogs being visited by at least 1,000 people a day or for some, hundreds and thousands of hits a day. One day, I will be there, but, today I am happy that I have had 1,000 hits in my page and in a matter of time I would be crossing the 10,000 hits, I am waiting for that day.

I started to blog in November 2006 and it has been 19 months of blogging experiences. Off course, technically talking, I should have had 190,000 hits, however since I am only a “seasonal blogger” I guess that’s the reason I could not reach that many hits and Thank GOD I did not get that many hits at once.

Once again, to all my friends where ever you may be….. THANK YOU * TERIMA KASIH * NANDRI * SHUKRIYA * GRACIAS * MERCI * VIELEN DANK * RINGRAZIARLA * DANK U * OBRIGADO * спасибо * SIA SIA NE.

GOD BLESS YOU ALL.





MY VIEWS....I think i will plan to have dinner with the 10,000 visitor in my blog. BUT, is that possible, perhaps i should check with my "GURU's" in blogging world if that is possible.




MY VIEWS....AGAIN.......While i jump of joy, i will still be sticking to my principles in not writing about politics. Although, there are a few who is trying their level best to get me tanggled in their war of words, i will not get tanggled. I will remain writing about issues which is close to my heart.


Tuesday, June 24, 2008

PUBLIC RELATIONS AND POLITICS (WILL ENSURE SUCCESS)


Aristotle once said ‘Man is by nature a political animal’. Hmmm, I don’t know if it is a line that any one would want to be proud of, but then again, it depends which animal you are referring to.

In a conference i attended recently, the organiser asked me, if I preferred to be introduced as a politician or a public relations practitioner – It was an easy question to answer – I am a public relations practitioner and I practice public relations in my political career.

Having said that, for those who may not know what is the meaning of a politician, this piece of information may be useful. A politician is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making through the influence of politics or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics.

Public relations practitioner is primarily responsible for managing the communications risks and opportunities of a business, both internally and externally. The public relations practitioner is also responsible for communications to a wide range of stakeholders of including but not limited to employees, shareholders, media, business influential’s, the press, the community and the public.

You may fine many similarities on their responsibilities and please believe me the similarity goes beyond that. I am saying this because I have been practicing public relations for the past 15 years and have also been involved in politics for the last 25 years. Having said that, now you can conclude that one of the reasons I got interested in politics was because of the enormous similarity between public relations and politics.

Dr. Steve Iseman, a member of the Commission for Public Relations Education and a professor of communication arts/public relations at Ohio Northern University said that Public Relations and politics are two concepts firmly entwined since the beginning of recorded time. For evidence from ancient times, take a look at Aristotle and his schools of rhetoric that taught the art of persuasive communication and in more recent times we have Dr. Edward Bernays (father of modern day public relations) who believes that public relations is an art applied to a science provide a clear connection between the two.

Public relations plays a role in politics in many ways. The public relations function of publicity is a great tool for gaining awareness for candidates and causes.

Effective usage of mass media, organizing special events and also introducing a candidate who is known and who is close to the voters is actually a basic function of public relations although this line is debatable but in almost all the developing countries this criteria is used. To put it in the most simplest way – at this point of time in Malaysia, a candidate cannot win an elections if voters don’t know them personally (in my opinion political parties in Malaysia should identify their candidates right now and place them in places that they should contest and begin their work with the local communities)

Public Relations also could help voters to understand the candidates better and make them understand in their own language, public relations can develop messages to reach the targeted audience. Certain issues need to be handled differently and public relations have thought us how to differentiate the issues

A good publicity campaign can bring in the votes because it is through this publicity campaigns difficult issues would be translated into simple words so that the voters would be able to understand the issues better and make a decent decision. Creating effective messages is an effective way as now a day voters have been assailed with so many information which has been manipulated. A difficult issue like the increase of the petrol prices could be handled only if we get the message across to the people in a language that they understand best and easy. It is never how we want them to understand, but, it is how they want to understand the issue.

One of the most important component of Public Relations is two way communications and in politics two way communications would be the make or break point for a politician to be successful or to put it straight to win elections. Voters want to communicate with their elected representative. Public Relations use feedback or public opinion from the public as a guideline in implementing a project or even to plan for a project. Infact, feedback, research and surveys are an integral part of Public Relations. Once feedbacks are obtained, it would be easy to develop messages according to the need of the community. PUBLIC RELATIONS excel in this area. Lets not forget, understanding public feedback or opinion is paramount when political parties draft their political standings, goals and objectives – a failure to undertake that task, would be as good as losing in any elections.

While it is hard to imagine a political campaign without publicity and persuasive messages, the fundamental partnership between politics and public relations at its highest level goes far beyond that - but perhaps not in the way that many people might think.


At the highest level, this two-way approach allows for both persuasion of the public and modification of the politician with an eye to bringing both to that most valuable of outcomes - mutually beneficial relationships.


This use of public relations is good for both politics and the public.
MY VIEWS....I am what i am, I am a Public Relations Practitioner first then I am a politician. But , I am not a politician yet as such I am still a Public Relations Practitioner and will always be a Public Relations Practitioner.

Monday, June 23, 2008

SHOUT BOX.....SILENCED


Dear Readers,

Greetings and I do hope that you are doing great.

I regret I had to make a decision which I was not to happy – taking out the SHOUT BOX from my blog. Infect, when I first wanted to include the SHOUT BOX application many of my friends did advice me that it may not be a good idea as there could be some online readers who may use the SHOUT BOX for their own agenda and they may even use the SHOUT BOX to say things which could be rude and uncultured.

Being a person who practice and believe public relations – whereby as practitioners we believe that two way communications would be better than one way communication (infect, we in the industry are even thinking of proposing that the Ministry of Information in Malaysia should be renamed as the Ministry of Public Relations). I thought by installing the SHOUT BOX I would be able to chat with my online readers immediately and if not immediate at least get back to them as soon as possible.

BUT, it was so disappointing that one on-line reader thought it was a clever idea to talk bad about one’s father in my SHOUT BOX. How low can one go?

As much as I want to interact with cultured people in my blog, there seem to be a few uncultured characters’ that have spoilt the good name of many good online visitors that I have had.

Please accept my sincere apologies for not being able to continue the SHOUT BOX. However, as in the past I will continue to receive your comments and will also publish them.

MY VIEWS…..Education alone does not make a person cultured, a proper upbringing plays an important role.

NOTE: Please be ready to read my next writings where I would talk about the similarities and also how Public Relations and Politics should work hand-in-hand for the betterment of the community – where ever they may be.

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Values of a President in Waiting


My recent article about my introduction to a new culture in Indonesia brought in many views and opinions from many friends. I thank all of them for giving me your opinions of which I have posted all of them and I do hope that readers do read those comments. Off course, there are comments which has directly criticised me, BUT, I think I can handle them. After all, Public Relations have thought me how to handle situations like this and even worst than this.

In the meantime, for your information, I am currently reading a book titled ‘The Audacity of Hope’ by Barack Obama and I must let you know HE IS AN AMAZING person. The People of the United States of America must do a favour for all the minorities in the world by electing him to be the Commander in Charge of the Oval Office. (I am sure some of you know, what I mean.)

I want to share a paragraph that I read in his book and it goes like this “We think of faith as a source of comfort and understanding but find our expression of faith sowing divisions; we believe ourselves to be tolerant people even as racial, religious and cultural tensions roil the landscape. And instead of resolving these tensions or mediating these conflicts, our politics fans them, exploits them, and drives us further apart”

How true….and at that very second, I asked myself. Was Barack Obama in Indonesia or Malaysia?

I will be writing more on this man, after all, he would be a pace setter or an idol for many young political aspirant’s all over the world (including me….).
My Views.....Lets find ways to resolve tensions and conflicts without fanning or exploting them. Lets just stick to the values of RUKUN NEGARA (Nation's 5 Principle) We cannot go wrong. Remember, there is no mention of a race or religion there.