South Korean official gives earful to state minister What does being late tell about power dynamics?

State Minister Anupa Pasqual slammed by Korean delegate for not being punctual

Last week, a visiting South Korean official gave an earful to the state minister of social empowerment, Anupa Pasqual, for being late for a meeting. South Korea Disaster Relief Foundation (SKDRF) President Cho Sung Lea was seen in a widely circulated video on social media giving a finger-wagging lecture to Pasqual on the virtues of punctuality.

 “Getting late to start a scheduled meeting by 30 minutes is not a good sign. Ministers should be responsible for keeping their promises and being punctual,” Lea started. “If this had happened in South Korea, such officials would have been questioned, and disciplinary action would be taken,” he was quoted as saying through his translator. “If a meeting is scheduled for a specific time, it must begin at that time. If such Ministers cannot do that, there is no point in meeting such persons,” Lea lambasted.

 Minister Pasqual has disputed the social media narrative of the incident. He says he and his officials were on time for the meeting and that the Korean official was making a generalized reference to the general lateness of Sri Lankans. He has also filed a complaint with the CID against the media for allegedly slandering his name. Being late is one thing, but having a thick skin not to admit the fault and to go to the police is a totally different malaise. 
 The following day, I took my father, who is suffering from dementia, to a routine medical check-up in a private hospital. The doctor came one hour late for the consultation, finally for the relief of dozens of patients and their caregivers who had been restlessly waiting for him

This particular category’s selective lack of punctuality is a symptom of a much larger personal and social malaise. It envelops the whole spectrum of abuse of power- and callous disregard for the less fortunate and impunity in the system

  
 Lankans are not the only ‘late’ people

 Sri Lankans are not generally known to be punctual. But we are not unique in general tardiness. South Asians generally share the same trait. So do most of Latin America. Then there are societies known to be super punctual but also mechanical in everyday lives, probably even depressingly. “Research shows that 20% of the population finds it hard to be punctual,” says Grace Pacie, the author of “Late!: A Timebender’s Guide to Why We Are Late and How We Can Change.”

 “Time seems to work differently for us. We bend time; sometimes it stretches, and sometimes it shrinks.” Writes Pacie, who also identifies herself as a time bender.

 Time benders have a problem measuring time, often underestimating it by 20%- 30% and subconsciously resist leaving until the last moment, shaving time to a minimum, leaving no allowance for any unexpected occurrence.
 Those who are late are neither slackers nor inconsiderate. “Chronically late people aren’t hopeless, they’re hopeful, writes John Haltiwanger.  They believe they can fit more tasks into a limited amount of time than others and thrive when multitasking.

 None of that is an excuse for being late - in the same way, being punctual may not be a testament to superior work quality. There are many sloppy works submitted on time.

 When is being late ‘okay’?

 Away from religious-like zeal on punctuality, in normal circumstances, there are occasions where being late is harmless – and can even be warranted or tolerated - and then there are specific occasions being late is harmful, inconsiderate and even sinister. It is harmless if you are to turn up late at a social gathering or a party – unless, of course, you are supposed to bring booze early or cut the cake, and you are not keeping them waiting!
 Whereas it is lacking in work ethic for not meeting work deadlines, and in team works, it is going to have a causing cascading effect on the entire schedule. 

 When being late is a sinister ‘entitlement.’

 But, worst of all, it is harmful and inconsiderate when you abuse your power and authority to be late - leaving lesser mortals to languish till you turn up.

 That is the problem with Minister Pasqual or the specialist doctor who turned up late. What is behind this behaviour is not irrational optimism or boundless self-confidence but an inflated sense of self-entitlement. You are late because you can -- and others affected have no recourse.

This particular category of people is not irrational but selfish. Minister Pasqual is more likely to turn up at Namal baby’s birthday party or the Rajapaksas’ Pirith two hours earlier than being late. 
 This is more than a personal trait. It is underpinned by the social hierarchy of uneven power dynamics, which happens to foster the general sense of impunity enjoyed by those at the higher echelons.

  This particular category’s selective lack of punctuality is a symptom of a much larger personal and social malaise. It envelops the whole spectrum of abuse of power- and callous disregard for the less fortunate and impunity in the system. The impunity towards such behaviour effectively turns them into something acceptable due to the lack of recourse. That hopeless realization of a part of ordinary folks is also a function of the social engineering process guided by the uneven social structure.

 These personal traits are also shaped by social upbringing- though terming them as such is not always politically correct. You know that deep down in your heart, though you might not talk about it. It is interesting that, at last, a foreign official called a spade a spade. Needless to say, a not-so-subtle, yet different kind of power dynamics gave him the liberty to do so.

 However, those who preside over the system also have thick skins. That is why you have not heard anything from the government. Nor is it likely to change the general conduct of the government ministers or the bureaucracy. 
 Now I shall hurry up, finish this column and hopefully pull off the rare feat on my part of meeting a deadline, at least at the end of the year.

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