Moral Judgement

The Panel of Judges for PJ Sustainable Community Award has a lively discussion on moral judgement few days ago. We debated on the right or wrong about a residents organisation donating motorcycles to a public agency for carrying out their duties more efficiently. The argument is since that particular agency is entrusted by law to provide services and they should have done so diligently. Any shortcoming for them to carry out their duties such as lack of resources or manpower should have been the responsibility of that agency. It is not right for the residents organisation who is the beneficiary or end user that enjoying the service to provide resources to the agency with motive of getting better service. Some agreed that contribution of such good gesture under the concept of CSR is OK if the contribution has not in return created favourism, biasness and prejudice. For example, by donating a motorcycle, patrolling has been done more frequently in a particular neighbourhood compared to other neighbouring area is considered morally wrong although legally it is ok as the contribution is meant for public organisation and not an individual.

However, some panelist argued that it is morally wrong for a public agency accepting resources for the purpose of enhancing the efficiency of their jobs after all it is the sole responsibility of the Government to provide and mobilise sufficient resources for the agency to carry out their duties efficiently. It is worried that if an affluent society with generous gesture will create a wrong perception to general public that favourism has been given even though they might be receiving same treatment as others. So, the group argued that it is better to avoid possibility of public forming their perception, wrong one in which contributing resources is perhaps one of them.

Although under LA 21 PJ principles, we are asking community to create better rapport and interaction amongst different stakeholders. In some instances, CSR programmes were used for enhancing this kind of relationship. Perhaps a thin line between CSR and the above will have to determine first in order not create uneasiness amongst public.