Friday, February 29, 2008

Bribery

Firstly, I don't know if I would get into trouble for writing this but I have to be honest. I guess this blog is not high profile enough to cause much of an incident.

Friends of mine would know that I travel a lot for my work. Most of my travels brings me to Indonesia, Jakarta more specifically. I don't mind the travelling as I am learning a lot from the experience but recently, my staff in Indonesia has been having in-runs with the local authorities there who, for lack of a better word, are asking for bribes. Thank God I have not had a personal run-in with them because if they know that a Singaporean is "running the shop" (so to speak), they would be even more determined and might even ask for a higher amount.

I would be very naive not to know how business works there or anywhere similar for that matter. It is almost a way of life down there. The gears of the economy there are really lubricated by "kopi money." But I had never thought about how I would act in the face of this with regards to God's laws.

My initial reaction was that paying the bribe would be wrong, bribery is against the law in any country and the Bible teaches us to respect the leaders and the laws of the lands we live in. But if I would stand firm then they will not leave my company alone, paying them off would ensure that they will leave my company alone, at least for a time.

My close friend told me, "it is not like you are paying them to hurt someone, that would be wrong. You are paying them to leave you alone, nobody gets hurt and no one is worse off in the end." Sounds like a convincing argument because if this drags on, I am worried about the well being of the staff in the Indonesian office because they will be continually harassed. In fact, there seems to be a "greater good" to gain by indulging in the "lesser evil."

Looking inward, all these events seemed to have revealed another side of my boss to me. He has always assured me that I had his support and backing in Indonesia and I have always took his word for it. But when asking for advice on this matter, I felt whatever trust I had in him and the way he runs his business erode. Furthermore, when digging into the way my travelling was arranged, I find myself not having the peace of mind to continue as I once was. Is it time to leave? Or should I face these challenges head on. I pray that God will help and guide me, give me the strength to carry on and to uphold His laws in the process.

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