Features
Wrapping up the biography of Jetwing founder, Herbert Cooray
(Excerpted from A Man in His Time: the Jetwing story and the life of Herbert Cooray by Shiromal Cooray)
Standing six feet (180cm) tall and weighing around 220lbs (100kg), Herbert Cooray was a big man in person, as well as in personality. Handsome, despite his habitually casual appearance, his one small vanity was his hair, which remained thick and abundant well beyond middle age. He carried a comb and often used it.
His carriage and mien were such that people rarely failed to notice his presence, yet he was generally quiet and reserved. A business magazine described him as “a gentle, unassuming man with a soft spoken drawl and a charming smile.” If asked for his views, however, or if the matter seemed important enough to demand it, he could be as frank and outspoken as anyone.
Generous to a fault, he was always ready to help anyone in need, whether the petitioner was a friend, a relative, an employee or a complete stranger. Like many charitable people, he did not like to lend money, preferring to make an outright gift of it; he advised his children that, when asked for a loan by anyone, they should offer an amount they could afford to part with forever. He also advised them never to sign any personal guarantee, however pressing the circumstances, and never to violate the laws of the land in order to help somebody or themselves.
Such practical advice was typical of his approach to parenthood; he was not ambitious on his children’s behalf but allowed them to develop their own interests and personalities at their own pace. Praise and blame were both dispensed in moderation. The one thing he insisted on was that Shiromal and Hiran should complete their education.
When asked the question, “For someone who had managed over a dozen hotels singlehanded, and with careful attention to detail, wasn’t it a step in a different direction to relinquish control in the company?” (In fact many entrepreneurs do find it hard to relinquish control). His answer was, “My style of management has always been one of openness and flexibility. Certainly not the pyramid style of management. And I have always worked closely with others, many of them my good friends. So I was never the sole person with all the power. It was a new direction, yes, when my children came in, but the style of management didn’t change at all. I had built up a management team over the years, who could function well with less input from me. I could take a slower role when the children came into the firm, and I enjoyed doing that.”
Herbert encouraged his children to develop their own personalities and not be in his shadow.
Though Herbert worked hard, he made sure to devote time to the care of his family. Sundays were reserved for visits to the children’s grandparents. School holidays meant expeditions with friends to different parts of Sri Lanka, and sometimes abroad as well. He was also a spiritual person though not in the same manner as his wife.
His love of family reflected his own upbringing. He and his mother had always been especially close, and since the old lady had lived to the grand old age of 108, the relationship was also an unusually long one. Recalling his younger days, he liked to speak of the role she had played in shielding him from his father’s wrath in the aftermath of some youthful scrape.
Although he had been a student leader and political activist in his youth, Herbert Cooray was never tempted to involve himself in politics once he had chosen his entrepreneurial vocation. This is not say that he became apolitical with maturity: rather that he regarded his active contribution to politics as completed. As for his own views, he kept those for arguments around the family dining-table, and for deciding how to mark the ballot-paper every election day.
Not currying political favour might have meant missing some lucrative opportunities, but Herbert was all too well aware that such favour often comes with strings attached. Instead, he made it a point that Jetwing should engage with and support national economic and social policy with respect to tourism, the economy and other areas falling within the ambit of the group’s activities with whatever government in power. He was quick to take advantage of investment incentives offered to particular sectors by the government, as a result of which he found himself involved in a diversity of projects outside Jetwing.
Among these was a beautiful commercial orchid plantation he set up at his home during the 1970s, the government of the time trying to promote ‘non- traditional exports: Next, acres of potatoes were farmed on a leasehold land in the remote Knuckles mountain range, a security firm and even a feature film, Dandu Monara which he produced which went on to win many awards.
In 1992, Herbert bought into a finance company. By 1995, he had gained a controlling interest in it. With the help of another young man he saw a great deal of promise in the and he set about turning it into a strong, successful business. Today, Trade Finance and Investments Ltd. is a well-known, profitable and reputable part of Sri Lanka’s financial landscape, and is listed on the Colombo Stock Exchange.
The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has commended the company for the exemplary manner in which it is run. As a result of the financial sector consolidation plans of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the shares of the company have just been divested to another party in 2014, in keeping with the regulations of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
Herbert Cooray was a man of his time and one ahead – a time when deals were made over a beer or a glass of whiskey and sealed with a handshake. Businessmen of his generation relied far more on their intuition than the managers of today, whose decision-making is supported by powerful analytical and predictive tools, information technology and teams of highly-qualified specialists. Today’s decision-makers are certainly more fully informed than their predecessors, but it is arguable whether or not they are better informed as anyone who has ever had to make an important decision quickly can testify, too much information – too many items to consider – can impede thought rather than facilitate it.
Entrepreneurs in Herbert’s day often had to guess and finesse their way through a project or deal. In the process they acquired a sort of businessman’s intuition, sensitivity to situations and nuance of character that often produced results as good as ‘by-the-numbers’ decision -making we practice in the 21st century. Entrepreneurs have been described as “driven, creative individuals [who] know plenty about battling adversity. They have overcome infrastructure and regulatory hurdles to start their businesses. Often they’ve fulfilled an unsatisfied demand and in many cases, actually built demand by introducing new products to the market.” This is true of Herbert too.
Of course- one could guess wrong. Herbert, no less fallible than the next human being, made his own errors of judgment. He was once used by the new board of directors of an under-par hotel in which Jetwing had a stake: Herbert had brought his people in and turned the hotel round, but was then coaxed to sell the Jetwing stake to the incoming board in exchange for the promise of a long-term management contract. The shares changed hands in a transaction greatly to the new directors’ advantage, but the management contract never materialized.
He made other errors too, and at times was simply overtaken by events. A major hotel project begun during the ceasefire period ran into innumerable delays of a bureaucratic nature; debts built up while opportunity slipped away. By the time the hotel was complete, the tsunami and a resumption of hostilities had sent tourist arrivals plummeting again. It was some time before things could be back on an even keel.
But such are, and have always been, the vicissitudes of entrepreneurship. It is in the long term that the story is told, and in the long term – in the end the story of Herbert Cooray and Jetwing is a story of remarkable success gained through hard work, integrity, pragmatism and self-confidence.
It is a story of which the final sentence has yet to be written. Though Herbert Cooray passed away on June 7, 2008, just two months after his beloved, long-lived mother, his legacy, and the enterprise he built live on; the latter informed and inspirited by the former. For as long as visitors to Sri Lanka find their experience of the country enhanced and their lives enriched by the efforts of Jetwing people – at a hote, in transit or on tour – his spirit will live on, touching the lives of all those who come into contact with his legacy.
The perceptive commentator seeking to make some sense of social and economic developments within most Southern countries today has no choice but to revisit, as it were, that classic on post-colonial societies, ‘The Wretched of the Earth’ by Frantz Fanon. Decades after the South’s initial decolonization experience this work by the Algerian political scientist of repute remains profoundly relevant.
The fact that the Algeria of today is seeking accountability from its former colonizer, France, for the injustices visited on it during the decades of colonial rule enhances the value and continuing topicality of Frantz’s thinking and findings. The fact that the majority of the people of most decolonized states are continuing to be disempowered and deprived of development should doubly underline the significance of ‘The Wretched of the Earth’ as a landmark in the discourse on Southern questions. The world would be erring badly if it dismisses this evergreen on decolonization and its pains as in any way outdated.
Developments in contemporary China help to throw into relief some of the internal ‘structural deficiencies’ that have come to characterize most Southern societies in current times. However, these and many more ‘structural faults’ came to the attention of the likes of Fanon decades back.
It is with considerable reservations on their truthfulness that a commentator would need to read reports from the US’ Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) on developments in China, but one cannot approach with the same skepticism revelations on China by well-known media institutions such as Bloomberg News.
While an ODNI report quoted in this newspaper on March 25th, 2025, elaborated on the vast wealth believed to have been amassed by China’s contemporary rulers and their families over the years, Bloomberg News in a more studied manner said in 2012, among other things, on the same subject that, ‘Xi’s extended family had amassed assets totaling approximately $376 million, encompassing investments in sectors like rare earth minerals and real estate. However, no direct links were established between these assets and Xi or his immediate family.’
Such processes that are said to have taken hold in China in post- Mao times in particular are more or less true of most former colonies of the South. A clear case in point is Sri Lanka. More than 75 years into ‘independence’ the latter is yet to bring to book those sections of its ruling class that have grown enormously rich on ill-gotten gains. It seems that, as matters stand, these sections would never be held accountable for their unbounded financial avarice.
The mentioned processes of exploitation of a country’s wealth, explain in considerable measure, the continuing underdevelopment of the South. However, Fanon foresaw all these ills and more about the South long ago. In ‘The Wretched of the Earth’ he speaks insightfully about the ruling classes of the decolonized world, who, having got into the boots of the departing colonizers, left no stone unturned to appropriate the wealth of their countries by devious means and thereby grow into the stratum described as ‘the stinking rich.’
This is another dimension to the process referred to as ‘the development of underdevelopment.’ The process could also be described as ‘How the Other Half Dies’. The latter is the title of another evergreen piece of research of the seventies on the South’s development debacles by reputed researcher Susan George.
Now that the Non-aligned Movement is receiving some attention locally it would be apt to revisit as it were these development debacles that are continuing to bedevil the South. Among other things, NAM emerged as a voice of the world’s poor. In fact in the seventies it was referred to as ‘The trade union of the poor.’ Accordingly, it had a strong developmental focus.
Besides the traditional aims of NAM, such as the need for the South to keep an ‘equidistance’ between the superpowers in the conduct of its affairs, the ruling strata of developing countries were also expected to deliver to their peoples equitable development. This was a foremost dimension in the liberation of the South. That is, economic growth needed to be accompanied by re-distributive justice. In the absence of these key conditions no development could be said to have occurred.
Basing ourselves on these yardsticks of development, it could be said that Southern rulers have failed their peoples right through these decades of decolonization. Those countries which have claimed to be socialistic or centrally planned should come in for the harshest criticism. Accordingly, a central aim of NAM has gone largely unachieved.
It does not follow from the foregoing that NAM has failed completely. It is just that those who have been charged with achieving NAM’s central aims have allowed the Movement to go into decline. All evidence points to the fact that they have allowed themselves to be carried away by the elusive charms of the market economy, which three decades ago, came to be favoured over central planning as an essential of development by the South’s ruling strata.
However, now with the returning to power in the US of Donald Trump and the political Right, the affairs of the South could, in a sense, be described as having come full circle. The downgrading of USAID, for instance, and the consequent scaling down of numerous forms of assistance to the South could be expected to aggravate the development ills of the hemisphere. For instance, the latter would need to brace for stepped-up unemployment, poverty and social discontent.
The South could be said to have arrived at a juncture where it would need to seek ways of collectively advancing its best interests once again with little or no dependence on external assistance. Now is the time for Southern organizations such as NAM to come to the forefront of the affairs of the South. Sheer necessity should compel the hemisphere to think and act collectively.
Accordingly, the possibility of South-South cooperation should be explored anew and the relevant institutional and policy framework needs to be created to take on the relevant challenges.
It is not the case that these challenges ceased to exist over the past few decades. Rather it is a case of these obligations being ignored by the South’s ruling strata in the belief that externally imposed solutions to the South’s development questions would prove successful. Besides, these classes were governed by self- interest.
It is pressure by the people that would enable their rulers to see the error of their ways. An obligation is cast on social democratic forces or the Centre-Left to come to center stage and take on this challenge of raising the political awareness of the people.
On the morning of 21 March, 2025, a Chinese-built K-8 jet trainer aircraft of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) crashed at Wariyapola. Fortunately, the two pilots ejected from the aircraft and parachuted down to safety.
A team of seven has been appointed to investigate the accident. Their task is to find the ‘cause behind the cause’, or the root cause. Ejecting from an aircraft usually has physical and psychological repercussions. The crew involved in the crash are the best witnesses, and they must be well rested and ready for the accident inquiry. It is vital that a non-punitive atmosphere must prevail. If the pilots believe that they are under threat of punishment, they will try to withhold vital information and not reveal the truth behind what happened, prompting their decision to abandon the stricken aircraft. In the interest of fairness, the crew must have a professional colleague to represent them at the Inquiry.
2000 years ago, the Roman philosopher Cicero said that “To err is human.” Alexander Pope said, “To err is human. To forgive, divine.” Yet in a Royal Air Force (RAF) hangar in the UK Force (RAF) hangs a sign declaring: “To err is human. To forgive is not RAF policy” These are the two extremes.
Over the years, behavioural scientists have observed that errors and intelligence are two sides of the same coin. In other words, an intelligent human being is liable to make errors. They went on to label these acts of omission and commission as ‘Slips, Lapses, Mistakes and Violations’.
To illustrate the point in a motoring context, if one was restricted to driving at a speed limit of 100 kph along an expressway and the speed crept up to 120 kph, then it is a ‘Slip’ on one’s part. If you forgot to fasten the seatbelt, it is a ‘Lapse’. While driving along a two-lane road, if a driver thinks in his/her judgement that the way is clear and tries to overtake slower traffic on the road, using the opposite lane, then encounters unanticipated opposite traffic and is forced to get back to the correct lane, that is a ‘Mistake’. Finally, if a double line is crossed while overtaking, while aware that the law is being broken, that is labelled as a ‘Violation’. In theory, all of the above could be applied to flying as well.
In the mid-Seventies, Elwyn Edwards and Frank Hawkins proposed that good interaction between Software (paperwork), Hardware (the aircraft and other machines), Liveware (human element) and the (working) environment are the essentials in safe flight operations. Labelled the ‘SHELL’ concept, it was adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. (ICAO). (See Diagram 01)
In diagram 01, two ‘L’s depict the ‘Liveware’, inside and outside an aircraft flightdeck. The ‘L’ at the centre is the pilot in command (PIC), who should know his/her strengths and weaknesses, know the same of his/her crew, aircraft, and their mission, and, above all, be continuously evaluating the risks.
Finally, Prof. James Reason proposed the Swiss Cheese Theory of Accident Causation. (See Diagram 02)
From this diagram we see that built in defences in a system are like slices of Swiss cheese. There are pre-existing holes at random which, unfortunately, may align and allow the crew at the ‘sharp end’ to carry out a procedure unchecked.
Although it is easy and self-satisfying to blame a crew, or an individual, at an official accident investigation, what should be asked, instead, is why or how the system failed them? Furthermore, a ‘just culture’ must prevail.
The PIC and crew are the last line of defence in air safety and accident prevention. (See Diagram 3)
A daily newspaper reported that it is now left to be seen whether the crash on 21 March was due to mechanical failure or pilot error. Why is it that when a judge makes a wrong judgement it is termed ‘Miscarriage of Justice’ or when a Surgeon loses a patient on the operating table it is ‘Surgical Misadventure’, but when a pilot makes an honest error, it is called ‘Pilot Error’? I believe it should be termed ‘Human Condition’.
Even before the accident investigation had started, on 23 March, 2025, Minister of Civil Aviation, Bimal Ratnayake, went on record saying that the Ministry of Defence had told him the accident was due to an ‘athweradda’ (error). This kind of premature declaration is a definite ‘no-no’ and breach of protocol. The Minister should not be pre-empting the accident enquiry’s findings and commenting on a subject not under his purview. Everyone concerned should wait for the accident report from the SLAF expert panel before commenting.
God bless the PIC and crew!
– Ad Astrian
Yes, it’s happening tomorrow, Friday (28th), and Saturday (29th,) and what makes this scene extra special is that you don’t need to rush and pack your travelling bags and fork out a tidy sum for your airfare to Thailand.
The Thai Street Food Festival, taking place at Siam Nivasa, 43, Dr. CWW Kannangara Mawatha, Colombo 7, will not only give you a taste of Thai delicacies but also Thai culture, Thai music, and Thai dancing.
This event is being organised by the Thai Community, in Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the Royal Thai Embassy in Colombo.
The Thai Community has been very active and they make every effort to promote Amazing Thailand, to Sri Lankans, in every possible way they can.
Regarding the happening, taking place tomorrow, and on Saturday, they say they are thrilled to give Sri Lankans the vibrant Thai Street Food Festival.
Explaining how Thai souvenirs are turned out
I’m told that his event is part of a series of activities, put together by the Royal Thai Embassy, to commemorate 70 years of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Sri Lanka.
At the Thai Street Food Festival, starting at 5.00 pm., you could immerse yourself in lively Thai culture, savour delicious Thai dishes, prepared by Colombo’s top-notch restaurants, enjoy live music, captivate dance performances, and explore Thai Community members offering a feast of food and beverages … all connected with Amazing Thailand.
Some of the EXCO members of the Thai Community, in Sri Lanka,
with the Ambassador for Thailand
I’m sure most of my readers would have been to Thailand (I’ve been there 24 times) and experienced what Amazing Thailand has to offer visitors … cultural richness, culinary delights and unique experiences.
Well, if you haven’t been to Thailand, as yet, this is the opportunity for you to experience a little bit of Thailand … right here in Colombo; and for those who have experienced the real Thailand, the Thai Street Food Festival will bring back those happy times … all over again!
Remember, ENTRANCE IS FREE.
FIFA announces record prize money for winners of upcoming Club World Cup
New education reforms are not only to align education with job market demands but also to cultivate skilled youth who can contribute to the economy and provide leadership to society -Prime Minister
Showers above 75 mm can be expected at some places in Sabaragamuwa, Southern and Uva provinces and Ampara district after 1pm
-
Business6 days agoCargoserv Shipping partners Prima Ceylon & onboards Nestlé Lanka for landmark rail logistics initiative
-
News4 days agoSeniors welcome three percent increase in deposit rates
-
Features4 days agoThe US, Israel, Palestine, and Mahmoud Khalil
-
Business6 days agoSri Lankans Vote Dialog as the Telecommunication Brand and Service Brand of the Year
-
News4 days agoScholarships for children of estate workers now open
-
News5 days agoDefence Ministry of Japan Delegation visits Pathfinder Foundation
-
Features6 days agoThe Vaping Veil: Unmasking the dangers of E-Cigarettes
-
News6 days ago‘Deshabandu is on SLC payroll’; Hesha tables documents