3 Questions to Murugiah Rajasingham

Who's your hero?

MR: It is not easy to confine myself to one hero. The people who have had the most influence in my life are the teachers who taught me and the friends I grew up with. Apart from lessons, teachers instilled discipline and taught me patience and a sense of fair play. Friends helped instil the importance of team work and camaraderie, qualities that have made me the individual I am today. All that my teachers have taught come in very useful to carry out my tasks as an auditor.

What's the most important thing you have learned as an auditor for FLOCERT?

MR: That listening is indeed a virtue. "To talk is a skill of many, listening is a virtue of a few" they say. It's a simple act where we must be present. It can change the mood of people. Calm people down. In an audit, we do a lot of talking, but that alone does not get us results. Listening helps understand people, their moods, beliefs, and we learn a lot about the way of life of people we visit. Listening creates trust and builds confidence. Both help me to do my job as an auditor.

What's your most memorable moment since working for FLOCERT?

MR: I was born on a tea estate. This estate is now a division of a larger estate. I had the opportunity of conducting the initial audit. The house I was born still stands. I met some of the workers who had worked with my grandfather. The workers were so proud that I who was born on the estate had now come back as an auditor. The estate is now certified Fairtrade and receives premium.

With our "3 Questions to" blog series we introduce the people behind FLOCERT to you: The human side of certification! Read also:

3 Questions to Wendy Yegon, FLOCERT’s Certification Manager Europe
3 Questions to Christian Jambor, FLOCERT’s Head of Human Resources
3 Questions to Sugumar Raman, FLOCERT’s Director of Operations
3 Questions to Gillian Leschinsky, FLOCERT’s Certification Analyst Africa