By Cheong Seng Gee
“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.”
The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary of Current English defines “a crony” as “a close friend; companion; close associate (noun)”. In the business world, there are further implications to the words ‘crony’ and ‘cronyism’. The latter, in particular, is taken to include the cosy and often corrupt connections between politicians and businesses.
Linkages between business and government or business and politics are frowned upon because of the basic premise that such intertwined relationships lead to unfair trade practices and biased awards of contracts. It is no longer know-how (meritocracy) that dictates the recipient of the lucrative business contracts but know-who (cronyism) who wins the day.
Against the background of globalisation and international investment, it cannot be denied that Asian business practices, cultures and values are very much alive. Before a judgment call is made – that is cronyism is bad and Asian businesses and politicians need to get their house in order – it would be opportune to understand Asian culture and then later derive a biblical perspective on ethics and cronyism.
The root of cronyism is not economics but politics – more specifically, loyalty to the ruling elite. This goes back to the days when royalty offered favours to certain segments of the citizenry. Perhaps it is this sheep-like loyalty that has turned many businessmen into servile cronies.
This “kowtow” disease, however, brings many economic advantages. Licenses that may normally take months or years, or even refused, can be miraculously processed with clinical efficiency if the right politician or high government official is known. Loan officers can be transformed into the most generous and accommodating bankers if the right name is dropped.
On a more practical level, this servility is expressed in the form of gift giving to the ruling elite (note the distinction with bribes!). These can represent appreciation or a desire to reciprocate for mutual benefit. Some say that cronies may even deliver. Privatised superhighways, breathtaking airports, glittering towers of office blocks, monuments to a nation’s greatness, may all be done by so-called cronies.
Guanxi
In order to be successful in the Asian business context, a crony or tycoon (used interchangeably here) must be a recognised master of the art of guanxi (personal relationships).
A case in point is the venerable Li Ka-shing, whose network of connections was reported as incomparable by Asiaweek. He became a folk hero of sorts in his hometown of Chaozhou in southern China, for his generous donation in building a university. He was said to have shared breakfast congee with Jiang Zemin, the (then) premier of China.
When Jiang went to Hong Kong, first, for the 1997 handover from the British, and then for the opening of Chek Lap Kok airport, he stayed at Li’s hotel both times. This was said to be a special honour and privilege accorded to Li. Also, Li’s partner in developing Beijing commercial complexes was reported to be Tung Chee-hwa, a long-time friend before becoming the chief executive of Hong Kong.
Would tapping such ties to facilitate the making of business be any different from either cronyism/corruption?
Interestingly enough, it was a European Parliament report on post-1997 Hong Kong, which cited the “undue and dominant influence” of some local tycoons and said that Li’s family businesses “account for between one-quarter and one-third of stock market capitalisation.”
At one point, the (former) Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr Mahathir himself jokingly said that all cronies were his “friends”.
The big questions that arise are: (a) Is there a distinction between guanxi and cronyism? (b) Should one be tolerated or encouraged and the other frowned upon? (c) What is the difference between doing business among friends who are trusted, honest and reliable thus having unfair advantages versus offering business contracts on an open bidding basis?
Gifts or bribes?
It is important to think as a Christian within a background of Asian cultural norms and practices. Otherwise, we might be guilty of ‘throwing the baby with the bathwater’.
Relationships in our culture are often, though not exclusively, built on the giving of gifts. But how do we draw the dividing line between a bribe and a gift that is given in appreciation and/or to cement a relationship?
Think of the wedding dowry, which are gifts of money or goods given to the family of the bride or groom. These gifts seal the relationship between the two families although excesses and punitive demands have resulted in financial hardships and debts.
Another example is the close family ties in Asian societies, which often results in charges of nepotism, whether in large conglomerates or small and medium size ones. Yet, there may be overwhelming reasons for so-called nepotism. What if family members are capable and professionally qualified? Moreover, an Asian Christian may be condemned in eyes of the community if he or she fails to “take care” of his or her family members.
The West is no exception. We can think of Rupert Murdoch and his son trailblazing in the business corporation of News Corporation Ltd.
Christian Response
Alec Hill states the following marketplace principles from Colossians:
- The emphasis on the Lordship of Christ over all aspects of life
- Paul’s concept of Christians being “in Christ” has direct bearing upon how believers should behave in the work and business environment
- Business should not bear a lower moral standard from the church or personal holiness and
- The kingdom of Christ is already rooted in this world.
What Hill emphasises is that the marketplace provides a visible arena where believers can tangibly demonstrate what being “in Christ” means. The seedy side of business – for example, greed, manipulation and cronyism – provides Christians with a stark backdrop against which their values of service and community must shine. To do otherwise would be to don the old dark nature and admit defeat.
At the same time, we should avoid dual-moral standards whereby marketplace morals are lower than church morals just because the former are the ‘real world’. Hence, we should avoid the philosophy espoused by the businessman Dan Drew: “Sentiment is all right up in that part of the city where your home is. But downtown, no. Down there, the dog that snaps the quickest gets the bone.”
External pressures, inner inadequacies
Christians should also not underestimate the overpowering effects of external pressures. Richard Foster identifies the pressures as “money, sex and power” or the triple sins.5 The evil one tempted the Lord Jesus Christ during the 40 days in the wilderness with the same pressures (Matt. 4: 1–11). We only ignore these to our detriment.
The prosperity gospel and the health and wealth theology serve to warn us of the dangerous and pervasive effects on our entire being in the form of temptations and compromises. If our theology is not right, then we easily succumb to these temptations and great will be our fall.
It is in this context that we are to be keenly aware of our inner spiritual inadequacies and our seeming lack of spiritual resources. We have to remember that sin is a pervasive corrupting power in our human nature and must be recognised as such. Because of its corrupting influence, the whole human nature gets tainted and we easily succumb to it whether we are evangelical or liberal, charismatic or orthodox. It is in these struggles that we need to humble ourselves in order to seek out sufficient pastoral help in the so often lonely battles in the marketplace.
Pastoral help in the form of a spiritual or prayer network accountability groups would certainly be helpful as it involves us in dialogue, counselling and prayer. Only then are we much better prepared to deal with ethical issues of cronyism and the powers that be.
Rev. Hwa Yung advocates for an Incarnational Model in developing a theology of social engagement. This model is rooted in the way Jesus relate to the world, that is Jesus identifies with the world; is separated from the ideologies that rule it; and assures its transformation by His death, resurrection, and second coming (note the bold italics). Hwa Yung outlines some key guidelines that can be helpful in dealing with the issue of cronyism and unfair trade practices. Among them are:
- All forms of active corruption and cronyism (my addition here) should be absolutely prohibited, e.g. outright lies and dishonesty in procuring lucrative business contracts, defective products, outright exploitation of workers, bribing in order to gain unfair business advantage and shoddy workmanship which endangers lives.
- Avoid as much as possible any form of passive acceptance of cronyism. This may smack of compromise for those who are used to seeing things in clear contrast. While God’s moral demands are absolute, a certain degree of accommodation to human weaknesses may be necessary, for example in both Old and New Testaments, there is accommodation to polygamy, slavery and the Roman taxation system. There is recognition in the Bible that not everything can be changed overnight.
On this side of heaven, we sometimes have to accept realities: until Christ returns, corruption and cronyism will continue in one form or other. This is where we need to learn to pray this prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.”
| “...the marketplace provides a visible arena where believers can tangibly demonstrate what being ‘in Christ’ means. The seedy side of business – for example, greed, manipulation and cronyism – provides Christians with a stark backdrop against which their values of service and community must shine.” |
Conclusion: The “Mustard Seed” Effect
A good lesson from history is perhaps the story of Lord Wilberforce and his Clapham sect. After 43 long and arduous years of persevering in the British parliament, they finally succeeded in abolishing slavery.
One may argue that these achievements were built upon the spiritual and moral foundations laid by the 18th century Evangelical Revival in Britain. It does not lessen their accomplishments in any way. Rather, their lives pose a fundamental challenge to Christians worldwide until today.
Do we dare to ask God for grace to enable us to stand firm against the temptations of money, sex and power (cronyism included)?
We need to have a holistic worldview and a theology of social engagement together with spiritual and moral authority to effect the transformation. In today’s Asian context, do we want to take for granted as Asian Christians to form lobby groups against cronyism or even challenge the unscrupulous corporate governance?
Let us remember that the Kingdom of God works like a mustard seed, humble in its beginnings but mighty in its conclusion.
This is an excerpt from the article entitled “Cronyism in Asia: A Vocational Response”, which is available in the just-released Forum IV (see next page). The writer is a member of the NECF Malaysia Research Commission. |
