Officials who do not focus on self-improvement cannot become good officials.

Public opinion has witnessed recent court rulings sentencing defendant Dinh La Thang to 13 years in prison for intentionally violating state regulations on economic management, causing serious consequences. Defendant Trinh Xuan Thanh was sentenced to 14 years in prison for intentionally violating regulations and life imprisonment for embezzlement. The total sentence is life imprisonment.

Many believe that the rigorous trials have restored the trust of cadres, Party members, and the people in the fight against degradation, negativity, corruption, and waste. Through this, the Party continues to build and rectify itself in accordance with the spirit of Central Resolutions 4 of the 11th and 12th Party Congresses, in conjunction with implementing Directive 05 on promoting "Learning and following the moral example and style of Ho Chi Minh."

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Quoc Bao, former Head of the Ho Chi Minh Thought Department, Academy of Journalism and Communication, the court's verdict, which included high-ranking Party officials, should prompt a return to President Ho Chi Minh's teachings. In his work "The Revolutionary Path," President Ho Chi Minh outlined 23 points regulating the "Character of a Revolutionary." Later, in his work "Correcting Working Methods," President Ho Chi Minh mentioned 12 points concerning the "Character of a Genuine Revolutionary Party." President Ho Chi Minh taught cadres and Party members to constantly improve themselves, cultivating their own morality and lifestyle.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Quoc Bao affirmed: the lesson for all Party members is that no matter what position or responsibility they hold, they must never relax their self-awareness and self-improvement.

“The moral cultivation and training of each Party cadre and member is extremely important. Because the organization is not always by our side, and each individual cannot always recognize their own shortcomings. Once we are conscious and cultivate ourselves, we will not only have the fortitude but also always be aware of whether we have done the right thing, whether we have acted for the people, whether our actions harm the common good of the collective, whether they harm the interests of the people, and whether they damage the honor of the Party and, in particular, our own. In my opinion, moral cultivation and training are extremely important.”

The costly lesson learned from the recent "loss" of officials involved in major cases stems primarily from the fact that these officials and Party members failed to maintain their integrity, becoming guilty parties, losing their honor, and damaging the Party's reputation. Furthermore, if we only focus on controlling power and paying attention to personnel management, but the officials themselves do not cultivate and improve themselves, but instead are driven by ambition for power to achieve their goals, then we will certainly not have the kind of officials the Party desires.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Dinh, former Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Interior, believes that cultivating and refining one's moral character and lifestyle is manifested in the performance of leadership duties.

"The outcome of your conduct regarding ethics and lifestyle shouldn't be judged by how you've cultivated yourself. Rather, it should be assessed based on your behavior while performing your duties as a leader or key official. We can monitor how you demonstrate your behavior, but we can't monitor the entire process. The outcome of your conduct and self-cultivation during your leadership and political duties should be assessed," Mr. Nguyen Tien Dinh stated.

The Politburo is preparing to submit to the Party Central Committee a draft plan titled "Developing Regulations on the Supervision by the Vietnam Fatherland Front and other socio-political organizations and the people over the moral cultivation and training of leaders, key officials, and Party members." To ensure this supervision is effective, according to Mr. Tran Ngoc Duong, former Deputy Head of the National Assembly Office, specific regulations and rules are needed for supervising the moral cultivation and training of officials and Party members. If the moral cultivation and training of officials and Party members is demonstrated through actions, this is already stipulated in the Party's 19 prohibitions, which serve as criteria for monitoring and evaluating what Party members have accomplished and what they have yet to do, so that they can provide feedback and recommendations.

Mr. Tran Ngoc Duong also suggested: "Clarifying the method of supervision, how will the cultivation and training of morality be monitored? Will it be through conferences organized by the Vietnam Fatherland Front or through feedback from the collective of those working in the Front? If the method of organizing this supervision is not clearly defined, it will be difficult to implement, and the implementation might only be superficial. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly define the subjects to be supervised, as well as the form and method of supervision."

Our ancestors said, "Cultivate oneself, manage one's family, govern the country, and bring peace to the world." Without self-cultivation, how can one "manage one's family, govern the country, and bring peace to the world"? If one's self-cultivation is poor, even with the favor and selection by the Party and the collective, one will ultimately not become a good or capable cadre. Even after assuming a position, one must always cultivate and improve their skills; avoiding viewing the position as an opportunity for personal gain. Regularly cultivating and refining one's moral character will help each cadre uphold their responsibility to the Party, the country, and the people.