To Malaysia, my country
My dear country,From time to time, and more often than usual of late, I have come across people or blogs by "Malaysians" who are so ashamed of you that I cannot help but wonder why they still allow vesitges of you to cling on to them.
Why they still declare that they hail from this tiny nation in the South China Sea or they proclaim in their oh-so-fake British/Aussie/American accent that they grew up in the small, rural town of Ipoh/Alor Setar/Kota Bahru but have now moved on from their humble beginnings to modern, liberated and "better" lifestyles in London, Melbourne or *insert name of US city* in the US of A.
They rant on endlessly or make clever, sarcarstic comments (usually supported by a link on their blog to a news article from The Star/Malaysiakini or verbal reference so such an article or incident) about the innanity of your politicians, how f%&*ed up your government is, the injustice of the higher education system, the examination-oriented schooling system, the atrocious crime rate, how there is racial disparity amongst your citizens and citizens who are 2nd class yada, yada, yada...and generally to put it bluntly but succinctly, what a stinking cesspool you are to live and bring up their kids in.
I don't deny that your government's policies, the way you are presented to the world, the way your "sensitive" (everything nowadays is sensitive, is it not?) matters are handled is more often than not, viewed by the average Malaysian as lacking in sense and justice.
Yes, you have your weaknesses. Yes we, your citizens are crippled and disadvantaged in many areas. Yes, we might be better off living as citizens and bringing up our children in a foreign country. But, what is often forgetten, is that there is a chance that we might not be better off in a foreign land. A case of not realizing and appreciating what we've got until it's gone?
I think that the moderate view is often lost amidst the frevor and exciting pursuit of extremism. I believe, nothing and no one is ever totally bad. Perhaps what your Government should do is find a way to make your citizens love your more. For when there is love, there should be acceptance and loyalty?
Despite everything, what I cannot overlook is what I've often found ironic- why your ex-citizens who have chosen to be citizens of other countries still often like to identify in their own small ways, with you, the country they have forsaken.
Perhaps deep down, there is something that you have offered them in your own humble, 3rd world, rustic way that they cannot find in another (better) country? Or maybe, they are just greedy, they want to have the cake and eat it too.
Hmm, if that is the case, perhaps there is still some hope for us who have chosen to stay with you, even if might only be due to the fact that you posses the recipe to the most delicious nasi lemak in the World.
Happy 50th Birthday, Malaysia!
Love,
A simple-minded and easily-contented citizen
Labels: Opinion
posted by N.J.A.P.F. @ 3:39 PM
4 Comments:
i totally agree with your comments. when blogging first became the rage, i was quite hooked, especially by the political-social commentator. but after a while, the pervasive negativity of their rants just got to me that i now tend to avoid them like the plague. their holier-than-thou attitudes is hilarious (and annoying), especially if you knew them personally, like i do some of them.
alan
Thanks for dropping by, Alan. Do I know you? :)
yu have a short memory! MT days, lar
Alan, realized who you were after I replied to your earlier comment! Of course I remember who you are, how can I forget? :)
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