Volunteering with integrity intact

KUALA LUMPUR: Participation in volunteering and charity-based activities can help nurture a culture of integrity among the people.
However, for this to happen, they must volunteer their services on their own volition and not under compulsion, said Malaysian Institute of Integrity (Integrity) Chief Executive Officer Datuk Dr Anis Yusal Yusoff (pix).
"A volunteer's (level of) integrity can be assessed by finding out if they are in it because of their genuine desire to help the needy or if they are being forced to do so," he said, recently at a breakfast talk organised by Integrity at its office, here.
Titled, "Sukarelawan: Suka, Rela atau Sebaliknya: Perspektif Integriti" (Volunteering: Willingly or Otherwise – From the Perspective of Integrity), the talk attracted about 100 participants from various government agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Anis Yusal was among the panellists who spoke at the event, the other panel members being Yayasan Sukarelawan Siswa (YSS) Chairman Datuk Zuraidah Atan and Yayasan Salam Malaysia Chairman Datuk Ahmad A. Talib.
Reiterating his stand that integrity covered all kinds of activities and was not limited to bribery and corruption matters, Anis Yusal said some people want to become volunteers just to "reap the rewards", namely the five Ts – T-shirt, "topi" (cap), "tambang" (bus or taxi fare), television and "tular" (viral).
"They don't really have the intention to help others. They are just there to get the free T-shirt and cap and some money. If there are media or TV reporters around, they hope to become famous by appearing on TV. They also hope their stories will go viral on social media," he said.

Know what your goals are
Referring to the various volunteer bodies and foundations that have been established to offer assistance to needy communities, Anis Yusal said transparency and sincerity were among the noble qualities required of such organisations.
"They should complete whatever tasks they have set out to do and not leave things half completed.
"In short, they must know what their goals are when carrying out any mission," he said, adding that they should also ask themselves if their services are bringing about the desired results.
"Are they taking into consideration the needs of the people and the effectiveness of their services or are they just setting up this or that foundation but are not administering them properly."
When people want to volunteer their services, they should first make sure that their intentions are sincere and only then "can they do it with integrity", he added.
His views were echoed by Zuraidah Atan, who pointed out that integrity was an essential component of volunteerism as volunteers were regarded by society as individuals who imparted noble values whilst extending a helping hand to the needy.
Their true intentions are reflected in the way they work, which speaks volumes about their integrity.
"They have to prove their sincerity through their work and not just do their work half-heartedly," she said.
Invisible quality
Commenting on the tendency among some volunteers going overboard by regarding themselves as the "saviours of the world", Zuraidah said instead of being full of themselves, they should be realistic about their abilities.
"We always tell them not to romanticise volunteer work, because they need to know their capacity... that means understanding their limitations.
"Don't say you want to save the world but be realistic. Of course, every little bit helps, if you can make a little difference, it helps, but don't go with the assumption you want to change things and then be disappointed."
Ahmad Talib, meanwhile, said integrity did not merely involve money matters but also trivial things like T-shirts which some individuals may misuse for their own gain.
"Integrity is an invisible quality. We can expect volunteers from well-established organisations to have integrity but we can't say the same of volunteers who work independently," he said.
However, he added, integrity was something of a personal nature and it lay in the heart and mind of the individual volunteer.
"It's up to the individual to decide how he/she wants to carry out the duties he/she is entrusted with.
"Integrity means carrying out one's work sincerely and honestly. For example, if a person finds himself under pressure to volunteer his services in a disaster area just because his friends are also doing so, then he may not do a good job there."

Follow SOP
Meanwhile, Zuraidah also said that YSS – a student volunteer foundation under the Ministry of Higher Education – has its own standard operating procedures (SOP) to ensure that all its activities were carried out ethically.
It also ensures accountability when funds are raised for charity and specific goods and items are collected from the public to be donated to targeted groups.
"Through our SOP, our volunteers know what they can do and can't do when they are on duty. They are required to collect and record their data, as well as send us a daily report on the developments as proof that they are carrying out the duties given to them."
Ahmad said Salam – an independent, non-profit organisation established to promote the spirit of volunteerism among Malaysians – also has its own SOP which all its volunteers have to abide by.
"We call them (volunteers) whenever we need their services. We can see that the quality of work and services differs from one individual to another. Some of them work tirelessly and have to be forced to take a break, while others are the other way around," he said.
Being an independent organisation, Salam's activities are funded by donations from the public and corporate bodies.
According to Ahmad, at times some donors would spend a few days at the organisation to see for themselves how their donations were channelled to the needy communities.
"This is among the best check and balance mechanisms to ensure that Salam carries out its duties with integrity and in a transparent manner," he added. — Bernama