I wasted my whole day today thinking if there is a best way I could teach my students at school on how to be better Malaysians. At the end of my thinking, I realised I actually don't need another best way to do it, indeed, what I'm doing now is already the best way to do it. All I have to do is to keep teaching them the value of honesty, love, equality and respect.
It seems like I need to emphasize on this a lot while I can because I will be leaving my job soon, I might won't get the chance to do it again in future. Someone has to make a change in this place I call home. Even one change will mean a lot to our future nation.
Why do I think we need a change? Try to follow the politic games in Malaysia and read our national newspaper everyday, you'll understand it. I've been doing it for the past 7 years and guess what, I get very sick of it! I feel so sick that I might want to consider to stop from reading newspapers or watching local news updates on tele. Almost all papers I read every morning are reporting craps and lies. Some even publish provoking writing. Try to ignore it and turn to another page and viola, craps on celebrities! Next topic could be about Mawi and Ekin (sickening!), Siti Nurhaliza or Norman Hakim. What the hell? What did they do to deserve a space in my morning papers? Good thing these days the Internet creates us other alternative for news resources. I feel good to know that there are still people out there who really care to report the correct news and events happening in our place.
There are many other things that are very sickening and need to be changed in Malaysia. Beside the dirty and unfair politic games, the typical people's mind disgusts me the most. Of course I can't change the corrupt mind of our politicians but it's not too late yet to guide our future leaders and instill good values in them, unlike our existing corrupt ones. Not only politicians, common people like me also need to change our attitude. I don't know about other people but to me, it's not easy to live together with my fellow Malaysians. Not because Monkey said I'm a weirdo but because I find we Malaysians like to insult one another...and the worst part is, we don't feel ashamed of doing it!
One little example, how come people can be so freely judging individuals on the basis of their ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, accent, physical or mental disability in here? How come people don't feel ashamed addressing their friends as 'my Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban, Kadazan friends'? Do they really have to MENTION the ethnic background of their friends? Racist, that's all I can think of. Why can't we address our friends as 'my friends', regardless of whoever and whatever they are? I get very offended when I hear people are referring someone act by condemning his or her race. That is not right, man. Try this:
It seems like I need to emphasize on this a lot while I can because I will be leaving my job soon, I might won't get the chance to do it again in future. Someone has to make a change in this place I call home. Even one change will mean a lot to our future nation.
Why do I think we need a change? Try to follow the politic games in Malaysia and read our national newspaper everyday, you'll understand it. I've been doing it for the past 7 years and guess what, I get very sick of it! I feel so sick that I might want to consider to stop from reading newspapers or watching local news updates on tele. Almost all papers I read every morning are reporting craps and lies. Some even publish provoking writing. Try to ignore it and turn to another page and viola, craps on celebrities! Next topic could be about Mawi and Ekin (sickening!), Siti Nurhaliza or Norman Hakim. What the hell? What did they do to deserve a space in my morning papers? Good thing these days the Internet creates us other alternative for news resources. I feel good to know that there are still people out there who really care to report the correct news and events happening in our place.
There are many other things that are very sickening and need to be changed in Malaysia. Beside the dirty and unfair politic games, the typical people's mind disgusts me the most. Of course I can't change the corrupt mind of our politicians but it's not too late yet to guide our future leaders and instill good values in them, unlike our existing corrupt ones. Not only politicians, common people like me also need to change our attitude. I don't know about other people but to me, it's not easy to live together with my fellow Malaysians. Not because Monkey said I'm a weirdo but because I find we Malaysians like to insult one another...and the worst part is, we don't feel ashamed of doing it!
One little example, how come people can be so freely judging individuals on the basis of their ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, accent, physical or mental disability in here? How come people don't feel ashamed addressing their friends as 'my Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban, Kadazan friends'? Do they really have to MENTION the ethnic background of their friends? Racist, that's all I can think of. Why can't we address our friends as 'my friends', regardless of whoever and whatever they are? I get very offended when I hear people are referring someone act by condemning his or her race. That is not right, man. Try this:
" I'm not surprise. That is a common (__________) behaviour."
" Dasar (______________)! Pergi jahanam kau (_____________) baju aku banyak iklan." (get it?)
" Stupid (_____________)!)
" Dasar (______________)! Pergi jahanam kau (_____________) baju aku banyak iklan." (get it?)
" Stupid (_____________)!)
(___________!!)
Now, fill in the blanks with races in Malaysia. Don't you find they are common things uttered by the Joe at the street?
I mean, really, why can't we address our disappointments directly to the person who did the wrong doings instead of referring it to his/her race? Didn't we learn at school that everybody has a name? He/She did not represent everybody who shares the same race as his. Don't, DON'T ever do that, people!
I plead to my Malaysian fellows, let us change our mentalities. We need to change the way we think in order for us to live together peacefully in our country. I don't believe you people are comfortable being subjugated because of your ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, accent, physical or mental disability. Let us treat everybody equally. After all, we are part of human family, why do we want to ridicule others when we are exactly just like them? Open our eyes and mind, we can think differently. We don't have to be obligated and blindly follow those traditional mind set we inherited from our ancestors. We are living in a different generation now, we can choose to be better Malaysians.
Together we can make the change.
