“There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.”
George Sand
Grown Ups is one of my absolute favorite films of time. Some may think Adam Sandler’s humor can be a little out there but he has a way of bringing out joy in anyone who watches his work. There was a scene in the film where his wife, played by Salma Hayek asking him what was his favorite thing to do when he was 12 and sunny. Adam’s character excitedly responded, “Maybe go to the waterpark.” Instantly it lit up the room and everyone started bustin a move to make it over to the waterpark. Now, if you have watched the movie, you’d notice the small scene where Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Kevin James, David Spade, Rob Schneider, Jamie Chung, Madison Riley, Ashley Loren, and the kids had nothing but smiles as they rode the rides at the waterpark. Age is never a criteria when all you want to do is have fun. That was what we all experienced when Kiwanis Malaysia, and Gamuda Group invited us to participate in an event where they jointly sponsored 200 kids and their caretakers to have a field day at Splashmania Waterpark at Gamuda Cove. The organizations given this experience of a lifetime were- Promise Home, Ti-Ratana, Yayasan Chow Kit, Padmasambhava Children Association, and CP Love Community Orphanage.
August 5th, 2023- The buses started to roll up to the entrance of Splashmania. Mum and I waited for the kids from Yayasan Chow Kit to arrive. As soon as they arrived and stepped out of the bus, it was nothing but smiles plastered on their faces. They gaped in awe of what was to come for the rest of the day. We gathered the troops together and was greeted by Rosie, a Kiwanis member and a dear friend of mum’s who so happens to be helping us with Yayasan Chow Kit’s current project. A couple minutes of getting everyone sorted and distributing wristbands, we were finally ready to take a group photo with Splashmania’s mascots. Now this was quite the challenge as we had to fit a total of 250 individuals, not including the mascots into one frame. After a few minutes of getting everyone in the right position, multiple photos were taken and then we were off to enter the park.
We could already hear the screams and laughter of the first few visitors that entered before us and many of the kids could not contain their excitement as we reached the end of the line. As soon as we got through, everyone rushed over to the locker rooms to get changed. Mum and I were there as guests with the Kiwanis group and Yayasan Chow Kit, therefore we ensured the kids and caretakers of Yayasan Chow Kit settled in nicely until they were ready to head off onto the rides. The moment they were all changed, it was a free for all as they headed out in different locations. Mum and I went ahead to set our stuff down at the designated lunch area to get out of the sun.
I decided to head on the rides, as well as get photos and videos of the kids. I usually tell mum that in order for us to really capture the happiness of people is to be in the moment and this was one of the occasions where we’re able to. It’s not everyday we get to go to waterparks, let alone for these kids. For them, these experiences will forever be etched in their memories. As for us, it would be a beautiful occasion knowing we did something right and good for them. I took a few rounds in the lazy river to catch a few of the kids circling the park. Let me tell you this, when I was able to get ahold of them to either get a video or photo, there was not a way to explain their happiness. These kids are absolutely brilliant and full of light. Unfortunately, they are traveling on a trialing road many of us may never know how difficult of a juncture it is to be on. Life can sometimes be cruel. I believe that if we have a way to remedy a tad of its woefulness in someone’s journey, then I say take the leap and do it. We can make a gargantuan change in their life just by giving them a smidge of positivity to rejoice their perspective of living.
From showing Cristiano Ronaldo’s “Siuu” celebration, to infinite peace signs, these kids were over the moon with the day they were having. As I mentioned above about the Grown Ups waterpark scene, the kids were not the only ones living their best lives. The adults including myself who came along for the trip, rekindled our inner child and just had a day to forget about our worries as well. After a couple hours of fun, the kids all gathered back at our central location to have their lunch. Now if you really want to know how to appreciate the little things in life, here is were you can get a crash course lesson on it. The lunches were either nasi lemak or nasi goreng. Simple yet just good enough to fill us up, and we watched the kids devour these packed lunches. If any of you are a fan of travel and food blogger Mark Wiens, then you know what I mean when you see the expressions plastered on these kids. They savored ever single bite like it was their last. Now that is how you show genuine gratitude for things we sometimes take for granted.
As soon as they finished and cleaned up, they were off again to play on the rides. Talk about soaking up every ounce of time to fully enjoy the day. For us adults on the other hand, had to take a minute or two before heading back out again. While us adults hung back for a moment to recharge, we chatted about how amazing something as simple as an outing to a waterpark can make one’s day all the better. In reality, we get caught up with the technicalities of society’s calling for sustainment and overlook the basic definition of occasionally… just living. When we start getting into the groove of maintaining the status quo of the lifestyle we built, we lose sight of the simple pleasures in life, and the real meaning of being a contented human being. Sometimes we need these little detours to make our main journey a tad sweeter. This trip to the waterpark was a great reminder to all of us.
As the day went on, a few of the groups started to wind down, change, and get ready to call it a day. The kids from Yayasan Chow Kit on the other hand was still full steam ahead and we were totally fine with it. They deserved every bit of what the day had to offer. We called their main caretaker and mentioned that we were ready to pack up, but they were more than welcome to stay longer. We walked out with Rosie, Mimi, and Phyllis, who are also members of the Kiwanis group, and expressed how thankful we were for their kind offering in bringing the kids from Yayasan Chow Kit for this outing. Not only were they gracious enough to provide this outing for the kids, they have also played an integral part of Yayasan Chow Kit’s current project of renovating a new facility. This was all made possible by the power of human connection.
When mum and I heard about Yayasan Chow Kit’s project, I looked at her and asked, “What can we do to help?” Just like that, we hit the ground running with mum putting back her interior designing hat on and called up her friends, old suppliers, and contractors to help out in making their new home a real good one. When we shared the plan, there was no hesitation, and everyone showed up with what they could contribute. I think the remarkable beauty from this was how it naturally formed bridges of opportunities for both Yayasan Chow Kit and mum’s suppliers to make new connections and friendships as well. Poetically beautiful if you ask me when we are able to see these string of events pan out the way it did.
As we exited the park, we placed our things into the car and were ready to drive home. On our way back, I told mum this was one for the books. Our part was small in connecting people together to help, but the impact of it has been pivotal. This particular event gave us the opportunity in keeping the significance of my late brother’s philosophy of life. Hatred was never part of his vocabulary. He had a vision where if we have the power and means to help, then you better dang well get your hands dirty to make right by the world. My brother knew we can never move heaven and earth to make better change. He did however believe that one step forward and having the thought process of making someone’s day better, is all we need to see that change. So I leave this here for you readers to ponder- “What can I do to help make someone’s day a tad better?” If you are able to make a little room to spread happiness, then you my friend, are doing life right. As Chris Gardner said, “This part of my life, this little part, is called happiness.”
“We don’t aim high enough with our goals. We all have more in us, and we are all capable of aiming higher.”
Jesse Itzler
When I first watched the film Forrest Gump, and as cliché as it sounds, it became one of my absolute favorites. Of course many would go with the most iconic quote relating to a box of chocolates. For me on the other hand, the one quote that makes its rotations in my mind is… “And I was runnin!” This particular scene and quote if any of you can remember was short and sweet with a whole lotta heat. Heat how you may ask? It had so much passion and flare to do the impossible. I mean the man did run across America with the help of a check mark brand, while promoting life’s most iconic symbol and a quote that gives going no. 2 a whole new different meaning. Well, little did I know, this said quote manifested itself into my life with such significant flare.
My brother Haikal, or more fondly known as Carl or Mo, was diagnosed with Advance Metastatic Ewing Sarcoma at the age of 28 in April of 2017. A rare form of pediatric cancer for kids, let alone for an adult. When he was first diagnosed, the doctors gave him only 15% chance of survival. The thought of losing him within that year left a huge pit in our stomachs. But we didn’t let that bring our spirits down. We fought as hard as we could and we did get him into remission on New Years Day. Unfortunately, within three months, the cancer came back and we sadly lost him in June 2018.
Now many of you are wondering, where am I going with this story? The first two paragraphs have no connection whatsoever. But let me tell ya… Its tenacious bond is unreal. My brother was a giver. If it meant giving a dollar or even the last portions of his meal, with no judgements or anything in return. He taught me the purest definition of what it means to be an awesome human being. Not to mention, my first lesson on charity and kindness came from him, and has left such a symbolic mark in my life. He may not have moved heaven and earth to bring significant change to the world. But he etched a notable imprint in the people he loved, cared, and the ones who were blessed to have crossed paths with him. His little -isms and insightful nuggets taught many of us to cherish what life has to offer, as well as what we can do to give back in return. It is unfortunate to have lost him so young, but I try to remind people, how truly lucky we are to have experienced his love and heart. My brother Carl did what he could to bring smiles and happiness to people. Now it is our turn to continue what he started and keep his philosophy of life alive. Five years since he passed, and it has been my life’s mission now to do just that.
Jesse Itzler is one of the many human beings I look up to. His grip on life is absolutely exhilarating. It has changed my view on how to take life by the horns and charge through. His quote I mentioned above is what sparked the idea of me doing the unthinkable. A few phones calls, emails, and planning, Be Greater Than 15 initiative came into fruition on November 17th, 2022. 100km worth of running to raise RM100,000 for two organizations in Malaysia- Yayasan Chow Kit and National Cancer Society of Malaysia’s Children’s Home of Hope. The reason for the name is because my brother Carl felt he was more than just the 15% chance of survival he was given. He proved it when he was in remission. So it felt just right to use that as a motivational factor to show that we are greater than the cards we are dealt with. Now, for those who do not know me, I am not a fan of running. I wouldn’t run a 100 yards to save my life, so you could say this was potentially a quarter life crisis.
A few close friends thought I was nuts for taking such a leap. Then I looked at what Jesse has accomplished in his life and listened to his talks. The man created the song “Go New York Go” for the New York Knicks in 1992 and they offered to pay him $4000 for it. Funny thing is, it cost him $5000 to do the song, but he did not hesitate to go through with the deal. He sold it without a second thought. Eventually it became the No. 1 most requested song on New York radio, and it sparked an incredible journey for him. The rest of his life achievements are a no brainer by how his mind works in bringing his ideas into fruition. By far my favorite story to hear from him because it shows how you just gotta do it and don’t give two hoots about what will happen later. He strives to go even higher when people say he’s nuts to even hatch an idea that is extremely out of the box. He once said, “Are you willing to go all in? Are you willing to have a dialogue in your head that’s positive?” Be Greater Than 15 was something I wanted to do all out, and I was headstrong about it. I do have to say it was an absolutely insane idea to complete within a month for someone like me who has no clue about long distance running. But hey… I had nothing to lose and I was so pumped to get something going after such a mundane stroll through the year. This was a chance for me to do some real good for the people that need it. And so the training and run began.
Now I had no proper running shoes. Goes to show how truly prepared I was 🙂 So I headed to the store, picked out two pairs of running shoes and busted a move to prep for the first few kilometers in. When I officially launched Be Greater Than 15, I hit the ground running the very next day. It’s 6:45 in the morning. I’m groggy, and sluggish. I started thinking, “What the hell was I even thinking starting a running initiative?! Who am I? Some triathlete with invincible strength?!” But we were off. I hit only 1km that day and was running on fumes. ONE. Day one in the books, one kilometer in, 29 days more to go. FANTASTIC! This is gonna be a “fun” month. I knew I had to get a gameplan down if I wanted to reach the 100km mark. So it was time to unpack the college workout days and start getting myself back on track of gaining some physical endurance. Long story short, I was gaining momentum and moving right along. The kilometers were accumulating, the one short problem I had was that the donations were not coming in as much as I hoped it would. After just a few weeks in, I had only raised a thousand over ringgit. A tiny speck in my RM100,000 goal. I reached out to all my friends through my social media platforms hoping to gain some traction. It did with a few of my friends donating. Our biggest donor came from one of the kindest families I have ever gotten the privilege to know. The Schian family donated a whopping $1000 USD. It skyrocketed our donations collected by a mile. As time when on, a few donations trickled in here and there, but after awhile it started to lose its fire with just a small amber burning, yearning for it to be ignited. I had to figure a way to get the ball rolling again.
I was 2 weeks in, 50 Kilometers clocked with 6000 Malaysian Ringgit raised. A lot of ground left to still cover if we were to make any dent of a difference for the two organizations we were raising money for. This is where we always have to appreciate the universe for its little nuggets that it drops on us when we need it most. It was a Sunday morning of my usual pop up food stall to raise money for our main donation fund. A lady had stopped and bought a few of our items. She asked why I was doing this and I said I was raising money for the less fortunate in honor of my late brother. The conversation continued on with me mentioning about my Be Greater Than 15 campaign. A few minutes after, she mentioned she is affiliated with Free Malaysia Today and was really interested in sharing my story in their lifestyle section. Long story short, we got interviewed, our story got posted, and within the first hour of our article going live, we collected more than 3000 Malaysian Ringgit. It was unbelievable, and let me tell you, it did not stop. We had donations from corporations as well. Our interviewer Sheela could not even believe the response we were getting from the article. And just like that our donations hit the 5 figure mark.
At this point we hit close to 14000 Malaysian Ringgit in donations, 4 kilometers left, with a week to go. Although we didn’t reach our 100,000 Ringgit mark, we did make a good amount to bring better change for the 2 organizations. I knew the Terry Fox Run was the perfect occasion to close out my last 4 kilometers and my campaign. For those who do not know about Terry Fox, I suggest you read up on hisstory here. It will blow your mind on how awesome of a human being he was. So yet again, the universe decided to throw one last nugget down. For the first time since the Terry Fox Run made its mark in KL, Darrell Fox, his brother, made an appearance for the first time ever in Malaysia. Believe it or not, I was able to talk to him before the run about Be Greater Than 15. He congratulated me on the good work I was doing for Cancer patients, the less fortunate, and keeping my brother’s legacy alive. I was literally on cloud nine. I never would have imagine to have had a moment like so. After getting my composure back and pumped myself up for the last few kilometers in, I was off running. And just like that, on a hot blazing morning, I completed my 100 kilometers. Mum was at the finish line to get it all on camera. A kid who barely runs completed a total of 100km within the span of one month and had a week left before the end of the campaign. I’d have to say that is the mission statement of being Greater Than 15. You are greater than you think and you have the capabilities in overcoming adversity.
After cooling down, I walked over to the signature board and stamped Be Greater Than 15’s accomplishment. This was for Carl and all the kids in the two organizations we raised money for. The feeling of achievement was an understatement. Till today I can’t really explain how that day felt. I would say I was so overcome with emotions for sure. There was a week left before officially closing out the campaign. I figured why not keep going? We can still put in a few kilometers, and so I kept on going. 25th December 2022, Christmas Day, Be Greater Than 15 closed out with 104.5km covered, and 14,442 Malaysian Ringgit raised. We paid for a kid’s tuition for culinary school together with other necessities for other children, and we helped provide resources for cancer patients. It’s all thanks to the kind folks who took a minute of their time to learn about Be Greater Than 15 and was generous enough to chip in.
This was not a solo win. It was a group effort from everyone around the world who contributed. This my friends, is the power of community. I sure as ever would not have pulled this off if it wasn’t for the people who donated, my mother, and Free Malaysia Today. I know this initiative was completed last year and I am finally putting this out there. But it is a story worth sharing because we should never underestimate the power of perseverance and faith. When you put your whole heart into something and have faith in it, perseverance will naturally follow and the thought of adversity becomes a blur. Be Greater Than 15 had a good turnout and I have come to the decision in making it a yearly initiative. My ultimate goal for Be Greater Than 15 is to motivate others to continue supporting this initiative and hopefully to reach out to corporations to participate in it as well. As of now the plans are still in the works. Watching Jesse Itzler create 29029 Everesting has motivated me to believe Be Greater Than 15 can be something bigger and heck of a lot more memorable. Hopefully one day Be Greater Than 15’s banner can climb the very mountains of 29029. Here’s to moving onward and upward in making good change in our community.
“A dreamer is who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”
Oscar Wilde
Whenever I hear or see the word dream, my first thought would be the “I Have a Dream” speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Now Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech centered around the fight for equality and to break the horrid shackles of racism during one of America’s darkest periods. An iconic assertion of which was giftedly engrained into the minds of the past, present, and hopefully future generations. Uniquely… if we were to take the phrase I have a dream just as is, it speaks for all and literally holds its definition in itself. You have the ability to dream, have a dream, and manifest your dreams into the reality you wish to inhabit. Who is to stop you from saying, “I have a dream” am I right?
The thought of I have a dream became more potent recently after I met a few amazing human beings who brought theirs into fruition. Max Kong, Esther Liew, Chermane Ten, and Shawn Wah. These three powerhouse ladies together with an absolute highflyer of a gentleman came together to collaborate in creating the first one stop shop BeSpoke gallery in Malaysia called MXIW. Their mission is to cater you from head to toe in the finest quality of custom made goods. I had the privilege of meeting these exquisite individuals through the invitation of my mother’s friend, Douglas, who so happens to be the husband of shoe designer Max Kong. The quaint little store is located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur with just a minute’s walk to Malaysia’s ever symbolic Twin Towers. Talk about grandeur of all grandeurs, being in the heart of Malaysia’s capital and serving the crème de la crème of haute couture, with a splash of swanky accessories to complete your fashion trifecta. What’s not to like of this BeSpoke gallery?
As my mother and I made our rounds around the store, we were able to spark a chat with Esther Liew, the founder of Iconic Lab and partner of MXIW. Let me tell you, this lady is the definition of grit and daringness. Why do I say that? She has a spunk in her step with a whole lot of heart. When we look at a pair of glasses we think it’s a necessity for one to function on a daily basis. Some may consider it a nuisance and its occasionally known as a fashion disaster. For Esther, it is the total opposite. She has been in the optometry industry for 17 years and has used her abilities to transform what many believe to be an unfavorable look, into modern fashion regalia. A homage to the classics with a splash of steampunk, Esther’s refined taste of eyewear design brings major heat to the fashion game. Not only is she making a fashion statement, she is also going down the route of waste to wealth. The materials she uses to create her products are from waste materials. Her stance on sustainability creates a movement to reduce waste products in our current environment. From what she has accomplished so far, I have to say, she is an absolute powerhouse who has made a name for herself. Take notes friends, this is the perfect example of owning and honing your art to push forward in pursuing your dream.
Along the way of the event, we finally reached the ribbon cutting ceremony to officially launch their MXIW BeSpoke gallery. Before snipping the ribbon, the creators and owners were given a moment to say a few words. This is where we hear from shoe designer, and the anchor of MXIW, Max Kong speak a little of her journey in creating a name for herself. With her infectious and bubbly demeanor, Max gives us her humbling origin story of craftmanship and what it is to be a sole starter in the footwear fashion industry. We all know the fashion industry is a lucrative arena with unexpected outcomes. Its uncharted waters even for the experienced, and so for Max to be where she is today shows what persevering for your dreams is all about. Her career pathway has taken her to places, many could never imagine. From a regional chief manager designer for MCM Footwear to a senior brand marketing & merchandising planning strategist for Jimmy Choo, Salvatore Ferragamo, Giuseppe Zanotti, and an advisor for brands like Bally, Versace, Hugo Boss, and Ralph Lauren, Max has made a mark for herself in the footwear fashion industry in Asia. It did not come easy for her as her success story was not born overnight. She has worked countless hours and years to be where she is today. Max knows the grit needed to achieve her dreams and so she has decided that what better way to share her achievements other than gifting her knowledge of footwear designing. Max has taken many aspiring and upcoming designers in Asia under her wing in hopes to produce more local designers to take helm of the footwear fashion industry. Do I need to say more of this dynamo of an individual? And with her motivational speech, ribbon cutting ceremony, and an interactive lion dance performance, MXIW officially opened its business to the public.
As the saying goes, “the world is your oyster.” We have what it takes to have a dream and pursue it. There is no limit or hindrance to achieve it unless you put the thought of negativity as your barrier. What Max, Esther, Chermane, and Shawn have done, shows it is possible to. Granted, life occasionally throws its curveballs, but it should not extinguish the fire within you in keeping your dream alive. It is okay to have a dream, and it is completely normal to keep dreaming. Sometimes we need that little fire from it to maybe one day push us to take that leap of faith in pursuing it. I walked into this launch with the thought of just building my network. Instead, I walked out of there with more motivation to keep pursuing what I have been doing, and dreaming for it to become an even bigger project for the future to come. Stay solid friends and thank you for reading this far. Perhaps this one article might just ignite that dream of yours you left on the backburner.
“If love is as sweet as a flower, then my mother is that sweet flower of love.”
-Stevie Wonder
Mama, Ma, Mummy, Mom, Mum, Am’ma, Ohma, Ibu… So many ways of calling the person who we believe is the only one with the ability of gifting us unconditional love. Just by saying the word ma has my emotions taking a whirlwind of an experience. Mothers are our bringer of life, and that is the one thing no one else can give you. Without them, we do not see the existence of this world. I always tell people it is a honor and privilege to be given that designation. Never take it for granted no matter the situation we are in. As such with that very designation, there is always a wonder story that comes with it. A powerful one might I add.
Sunday May 21st, a regular weekend and a day I try to treat my mum by taking her out to stretch her legs without having the worry about work burdening her. We decided to hit up IKEA as it has been ages since we walked through the labyrinth that it is. My mother is a statistics genius, but is an artist at heart. For her to see furniture designs or art pieces bring her more joy far more than anyone can imagine. As a child to have a mother that has gone far beyond her unwritten call of duty, the least I can do is to bring her a little joy in times of difficulty and stress. We had no intentions of buying anything. It was more of taking her mind off work and letting her hair down… figuratively 🙂 With no purchases in hand after making it through IKEA, we decided to walk to IPC to grab a bite. Now this is where the story becomes one to tell for the ages.
As soon as we made it to the entrance of IPC, we were greeted by a little girl with a card and flower in hand. We asked her what it was for. She was a little shy at first and only had a huge smile on her face. We looked up and saw her family right behind her and they said it was for Mother’s Day. Not a second more, my mother was overjoyed and gave the little girl a big hug. For many who do not know our story, my mother lost her son, my brother, to cancer 5 years ago. It was a dark time for us, and it still is as we never outgrow grief. We are only able to grow around it in order to continue on in this living world. For her to receive such a simple yet highly poignant gift made her day exponentially better. As I always say, one small act of kindness can turn the lives of many for the better. This was one of it. A simple flower and kind gesture, filled my mother’s heart with a dollop more of love, light, and hope. My mother talks a lot about how we need to nurture our future generation to help bring better change. This little act of kindness was one of it and she could not be more proud of the little girl for being a part of that change. Not to mention, she was grateful to the little girl’s family for teaching her the trait of being compassionate.
After snapping a picture with the little girl, we took a closer look at the little note. It stated, “In loving memory of Norehan… #cancersucks.” Funny how the universe works doesn’t it? It’s sneaky little plays to make a connection. I went on to ask who was Norehan. A lady named Leah, who happens to be a family friend of the little girl mentioned it was her mother. She went on to let us know her mother passed away from cancer years ago and this was one way of honoring her memory. It brought my mother to tears as she could not believe how we were privileged enough to meet such amazing human beings that have experienced such horrible pain, yet are able to bring positive vibes to the people. I then told her how we lost our Carl to cancer as well and commended her beautiful soul for being generous in sharing her mother’s love with everyone.
My brother Carl with our mum
After a short talk with Leah and her friends, we went about with our day. It did not take long before I decided I needed to share her story. That night I reached out to Leah to ask her permission if I could share the story with my friends and community. Without hesitation Leah agreed and gave a backstory as to why she started this movement. Let me tell you, it is one of the most wholesome stories I have heard. Every birthday and Mother’s Day, Leah would surprise her mother with flowers and a card. Simple yet beautiful, and it was a tradition that meant a lot for the both of them. As the hashtag stated in the card, cancer truly sucks. Leah lost her mother when she was 16. Losing my brother was by far the most painful thing I had to endure. I could never imagine losing my mother at such a young age. Leah knew she had to do something and in her words, “I have extra rezeki in just extending a tradition that I’ve created, by giving out flowers to other mothers.” Rezeki for many who may not know is a form of blessing in Islam.
Not only is she sharing her mother’s love with the community. She is making a difference in the lives of mothers, fathers, and people that have their own story to tell. There are mothers who have lost children, still grieving over the lost of their own mother, being a single mum, currently expecting, not being able to conceive, fathers that end up being a mother figure for their children, and many more. Her mother’s love with the help of Leah, without a doubt spreads so much light into this world. That my friends, is a thing of beauty. Leah has been doing this for 11 years, and I pray it continues on because we need more positivity in this world. She has been so thoughtful in sharing a few pictures of her initiative, and if you have made it this far in reading, I encourage you to take a look at the pictures sent over by Leah. The reactions are absolutely raw and downright beautiful. Nothing but smiles.
When you think you have seen it all, the universe keeps on giving. It gives us more motivation to keep going and constantly work to be better. Leah, her family and her friends are one of them. If this story does not give you the urge to get up and do something, I don’t know what will. Her story has fueled our family to keep doing what we have to keep Carl’s legacy alive, and to get our gears going to do more. So thank you Leah for telling your story and allowing me to share it with everyone. I hope this one small act of kindness ignites the fire in everyone to be better, hate less, and love more. Stay positive, and keep doing your thing. Till the next my friends!
“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention” – Oscar Wilde
Here’s the story of the one Chicken Caesar sandwich that made a significant kindness effect in one night. Funky one liner am I right? Simple, but poignant. Yet, how could a sandwich have the power to bring such an impact? Well my friends, never underestimate the power of giving.
I started a food for charity initiative a couple years back with my mum during the Covid 19 pandemic. It was a simple game plan. We make the food and baked goods to sell, and we take part of the proceeds to help the community. To me, food can help bring change and is one outlet with infectious positivity that is capable in spreading happiness. We knew people needed assistance and figured we had to do something in some way to help. It started off with just two items on the menu- Mac & Cheese and breakfast sandwiches. Long story short and fast forward to today, we have expanded our menu with a variety of items, and most importantly helped the community. A hundred plus individuals across Malaysia have been assisted via the money we raised through Triple T, all thanks to the support of returning customers, as well as the many weekends joining farmers and flea markets to sell our products. Well last weekend was suppose to be one of those routine markets until the events that unfolded on the second night turned the tables for the better.
We were based at the Linc KL for three days. Due to the holidays, foot traffic was quite slow and it brought a sense of disappointment for the majority of its vendors. Nevertheless, we all carried on in hopes to get the sales we needed. On the second day it was the slowest out of all three. It came to a point where we contemplated in closing early. We started packing slowly as the sun began to set, while keeping a few items on the table in hopes a last minute buyer would come. I guess God really does work in mysterious ways, as we were about to experience the most surreal and amazing moment Triple T has ever faced.
Two individuals walked up to our table and asked what kind of cakes we were selling. After a few minutes of explaining and a couple looks at each one of them, they decided to buy two of our baked goods. As they paid their money and we handed over the bag of goodies over, we thanked them for the support as all the vendors were struggling for the night. It was a simple textbook transaction, and they were off to see the rest of the vendors down the row. Minutes later my mum decided we should give them our last Chicken Caesar sandwich as a token of appreciation for stopping by, buying our baked goods, and taking the time to see the rest of the vendors. So I picked up the packed sandwich, walked over to them and said the sandwich was on the house for being so supportive of everyone here. Initially he felt obligated to pay for it, but we were adamant he take it as a thank you from us, and we told them to pay it forward when someone needs a small act of kindness to make their day better. They evidently accepted and continued down the line of vendors. We noticed how they stopped at every booth and made one purchase. I whispered to my mum and mentioned how these two are absolute real ones for supporting local handmade sellers. She smiled and we continued on packing our things to close up for the night.
As we were about to pack the rest of our baked goods, the two individuals stopped by our booth again. One of them proceeded to ask if the baked items on the table were the only ones left. We responded yes. Without hesitation, he said he was buying all of it from us. Took us a minute to process what he said. He smiled and said he felt extremely touched by our kindness and wanted to help us finish up our baked goods for the night. We couldn’t believe it and started thanking him profusely. Not a flinch or second thoughts, but only a wide smile on his face. I have to admit, I had goosebumps the whole time while packing all our cakes for him. As soon as we handed over his purchase, him and his friend went on to give our cakes away to the rest of the vendors that night to say thanks for all their hard work. At this point, all of the vendors somewhat knew each other and have spoken through passing. As soon as they got the baked item, they looked over to us and gave huge smiles. With a few clasping their hand and bowing to say thank you. We were just as in awe as the rest of them. The two of them then came over to us and gave thanks once more. Before they left, we asked what their names were and it was Eric and Divain. We thanked them profusely and applauded them for being such kind souls. In the world we are living in now, the purest of hearts with kind intentions are rare to come by, and so we felt it was right to let them know of how great of a human being they are.
Once Eric and Divain left, the other vendors came by our table and wondered why the sudden purchase and giving of our baked goods. We went on to tell the story of how one little chicken caesar sandwich created all of what transpired. We knew the cakes made everyone’s night as some mentioned they would never imagine eating such desserts, and to receive such a big piece of it was unreal. From being acquaintances that night, it created a budding friendship between all of us. With just one act of kindness complemented by a little help of a sandwich, it created this big ball of happiness. All smiles, laughter, and sharing stories became the atmosphere for that night. The one thing we wished we did was to get a picture with Eric and Divain, but we were so in the moment, that we completely forgot. On our drive home I told my mum the reason we forgot to take the picture is because we were in the present and that is what giving back to the community is all about. It is about being there 100% rather than thinking of the intention that we need to take a picture to prove we did something right for the community. If we do remember to take a picture, then fantastic. If not, it is okay too. Our goal is to help wherever we can, and that’s what we’re going to keep doing.
I know this story is petite, but it holds such power to interpret how one action can bring forth such a significant impact to make a person’s day. I live by the motto where when you do good, good things will come back to you. This is one of them and it instills an even stronger foundation in what I believe in. As an individual you can pull the impossible to help others if you put your heart into it. Can you imagine if you rally a community to have the same goal as you? The change for the better would be absolutely gargantuan. So my advice from this piece is for you to take a moment and listen to one another. You may learn a thing or two and potentially unlock something extraordinary. Be patient, be kind, and never forget, the one act of giving a smile to a person in passing is one of the most precious things anyone can give. It could be the ultimate indicator in changing a person’s day for the better. Stay solid fam. Until the next random act of kindness.
“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.”
Maya Angelou
Charity- A word with such meaning, that undoubtedly holds a special place in my heart. I would have to say it is a term I do not take for granted. I guess it is the empath in me to seek solace in the beautiful vibe charity radiates, and to be honest it gives a sense of clarity that I am doing right by the world, even if it is just a tiny speck. You know, my mother constantly reminds us till this day of how charity should always begin from home. Of course the first meaning is to help the people around you. The second context however, to her ever so constant reminder, is how we should always do charity from the heart, and not from the thought of pleasing your ego or to gain recognition from the community. A lesson I hold on to dearly if you ask me.
You see, charity does bear many definitions, but the Cambridge dictionary gave a few interpretations, which I believe illuminates the true hidden gem of it. The Cambridge dictionary states the word charity as, “The quality of being kind to people and not judging them in a severe way,” and “Charity is also the belief that you should help people.” Now these two right here are what I consider the true connotation of what charity should be. In my honest opinion, helping someone in our means is already a deed of charity in my books. The range charity falls on the giving spectrum is infinite. Just to name a few, it can be as big as donating our old items, giving a small fund to an organization that needs it, or transferring and sharing or knowledge. Go big or go home is a cliche saying for sure to make significant change, but we can also practice charity that is as small as just a smile to a stranger as well. Your actions to make someone’s day, is an act of charity. It is just like the saying by Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him. The Prophet states, ”Your smile for your brother is a charity. Your removal of stones, thorns, or bones from the paths of people is a charity. Your guidance of a person who is lost is a charity.”
In Islam, I learned that the word charity is stated more than once in the holy scriptures of the Quran. We have what are called Zakat, Sadaqah, and Sadaqah Jariyah. Now Zakat is one of the very foundations holding up the 5 Pillars of Islam. What it means is giving alms to the poor. In all simplicity is to provide a little bit of your earnings for the poor. Zakat is usually done around the time we embrace the month of Ramadhan, due to the requirement of paying it before Eid comes rolling in. Now when I look at Zakat and Ramadhan, they both hold such a beautiful meaning, which emulates the values of charity. During Ramadhan, we are taught on why we should be performing the act of fasting. It is to teach us the value of what we possess, and to have a little empathy by understanding how the less fortunate feel when they do not have a hot plate at the end of the day to replenish their hunger. It is a life lesson of putting yourself in the shoes of a person who is going through a rough time. When Ramadhan reaches the end, it brings us in full circle to perform our duty of Zakat, which is to provide a little bit of our earnings to the ones who need a helping hand. The holy month of fasting always sheds a light of empathy for us to acknowledge the things we have, and how we should use it to help the ones who are in need.
Sadaqah and Sadaqah Jariyah on the other hand are slightly different from Zakat. Zakat is our duty to share our wealth. Sadaqah and Sadaqah Jariyah are more of a voluntary act of giving. It is a form of providing charity anytime, anywhere, and to anyone. As they say, “the world is your oyster.” So have at it as to where you want to spend your charity on. Now there is a slight contrast between Sadaqah and Sadaqah Jariyah. Both are voluntary and in some way, an act of giving, but only Sadaqah Jariyah is a form of continuous charity. When my brother passed, my parents had every intention to keep his legacy going. They went with a Sadaqah Jariyah to provide a well with clean water for a village in Cambodia in honor of him. This small gesture is a continuous form of giving whereby the people in this village have access to clean water. He may not be here in person with us anymore, but in some way he is giving with the Sadaqah Jariyah my parents created for him. So in all clarity, charity can begin in any shape, form or way. What makes it wholesome and pure is that our every intention to do charity comes from the heart.
Going back to the story of my brother’s legacy, he was the first person to ever teach me the act of charity at a very young age. When we were little, mum and dad would always bring us to the Sunday night market right by our house to get snacks or certain foods for the house. Before we even head out, he would always ask mum if I was tagging along to the night market. With everyone entirely unaware of his intentions, this was my first lesson of giving.
These markets are usually the spots where people who were struggling would come to find either food or a little bit of money to make it through the day. Back then, most of them carried milk tins as their pouch to carry the money that were given to them. Now this story has an appreciable nuance to it. My mum never realized the impact of what my brother knew at such a young age, until he passed. He would ask our mum for four dollars, but in coins, because he refuses to take dollar notes. Two dollars for him, and the other two for me. As we walked down the lane, our mum would wonder where the dinging sound was coming from. Each stall we stopped, there would be a dinging noise. Little did she know, my brother and I were dropping coins in each milk tin we saw a person holding as we walked down the night market lane. A story that always tickled our mum, but the lesson behind it is so potent.
This then led my mum to understand why he would always say, “Mama, you should always give away 25 cents if you have a dollar. When you do, you will get back a dollar and 25 cents.”
At first she was confused with his statement. She questioned him after and asked, “If I give away 25 cents, I am left with only 75 cents. How would I get a dollar and 25 cents from it?”
His only response was, “Don’t worry mama. You will get back a dollar and 25 cents when you give 25 cents. And when you give another 25 cents, you will get a dollar and 50 cents.”
It took our mum some time to realize that what my brother was trying to say is that when you give with your right hand, you gain double in the other. Now this, is a small teaching of charity in Islam. It sure gave my mum the goosebumps of how a little boy at such a young age, understood the principles of what charity stands for. I guess you could say his actions rubbed off on me, because nothing means more to me than being able to help a person if they need it. If I have the means, then by golly I know I can spare a little bit of my energy to help. I constantly carry the thought of how everyone has something they haul, and you never know what they are going through. So I always make an effort to smile at someone, or just say hey. Charity is to make an individual’s life better, and with just a smile or a “hey there”, you could have moved the moon for someone who’s having a bad day. Just think about it.
“The most truly generous persons are those who give silently without hope of praise or reward.”
Carol Ryrie Brink
I know charity can vary in size, and sometimes it gets pretty massive. So much so, it garners the attention of the media and press. Quite frankly the bigger the charity, the better help we can provide to those who need it. Though the word exploitation gets tossed in there, and it just sours the good name charity brings. What I mean by exploitation is how some individuals, corporations, and other organisations, including NGOs who have taken charity as a form of personal gain. In terms of personal gain, it can range from the vanilla 5 seconds of fame in the limelight, to a more sinister complex of tax exemption schemes or good ol’ money laundering. Sad to say, it happens all the time. A word that holds such good palpable values gets dragged through the mud for a slice of money pie. I know I have my fair share of disappointments of certain topics and actions, but this one right here, breaks my heart. This is beyond disappointment. A pure act of sheer kindness that is brought to mix with the wrong crowd, which ultimately rancids its true purpose and definition. Just inconceivable. I know you all probably think, well that is not all true. Yes, I agree it is not all true. There are some individuals, corporations, and organizations, including NGOs who are genuinely doing great things with charity, and making a difference. Those are the few rare gems I am okay with them receiving tax exemptions, because they are doing right by the people. Though I will tell you this; my thoughts on charity exploitation still stand strong, because I experienced it when I came back home with a goal in hand to create things for the betterment of the people when it comes to healthcare.
The reason for why I chose healthcare is because of my personal experience of being a primary caregiver to my brother while he had his treatments in the United States. Relating back to my article The Color of Blood, I saw a vast difference between the medical institutions of the United States and Malaysia. There were methods and attributes we could adopt from the US, and quite frankly be instilled in Malaysia’s healthcare facilities. This was a thought I had when my brother had his last moments in the hospitals in Malaysia. I felt I had to share my knowledge and suggestions as a form of opening up the minds of our people here in Malaysia to better our methods of caring for a human being. Being quiet about something I know that can make a change is being selfish. It was a duty I considered to be significant to educate our people about embracing good change, and broadening their horizon, for the betterment of our people.
“We can never get a re-creation of community and heal our society without giving our citizens a sense of belonging.”
Dr. Hunter “Patch” Adams
After my brother passed, I wanted to set up a foundation in his name. He was a giver, and come to think of it, growing up he was sort of my mentor from the time I started to speak. I knew I had a duty to continue his life mission in helping others if they need it. After seeing how many families in the United States who start up foundations in honor of their loved ones, I figured it would be easy for my family to set one up as well. Little did I know, Malaysia’s guidelines of setting one up was not as easy as I thought it was. After getting my ducks in a row, I asked my dad to tag along with me to the Companies Commission Malaysia to figure out what documentation we needed to register a foundation. Well, let’s just say a milk truck came crashing into me when the officer at the counter told me I needed $1,000,000 Malaysian Ringgit in capital to officially open one. A million Malaysian Ringgit… Equivalent to $247,000 USD. It’s okay. You can take a seat to ponder on that for a moment. I too need to take a minute. Boy did my plan take a major 360 roadblock.
I asked what was the reason for such a high capital start up for a foundation. The officer then began to explain how there have been many cases of individuals, corporations or organizations who started a foundation solely to get donations for their own personal expenditures. Hence the change in standard of procedures for setting up a foundation. As dismal as I felt to hear such a thing could happen, I was honestly not surprised. With the current affairs happening in Malaysia, I had a speck of suspicion of individuals who would smear corruption all over charity’s good name. I figured this was a route I had to pull a U-ie and head back to the drawing board. After much discussion with my mum, I decided to do something out of the box. If I am not able to set up a foundation as an individual, I figured why not work with someone who could help bring forth my vision of better healthcare methods in our hospitals. I decided to write a letter to Malaysia’s Health Minister in 2018.
Draft after draft, I finally came up with a 3 page letter explaining my intentions of meeting him to discuss my goal of changing a few things in our hospitals and care centers. Before you jump to any conclusions, the contents of my letter was not about asking for money. It was asking for his input and what course of action we could take with the government to help change things for the better. So off the email went to him. I waited and I waited. Unfortunately, I did not get a response back. I have to say I was a little salty about it, but it did not discourage me from moving forward. At this stage of my plan, time was against me. I had about a week left before heading back to the United States to start my Practical Training. After much thinking and discussion with my family, I chose to pull a hail mary to see if I could make a dent out of my whole plan, one last time. I printed two copies of my letter, put one in an envelope, and the other in my folder. Then I told my mum, we are going to the Health Minister’s office to see him. Come hail or high water, I was going to make it to his office. Of course there was hesitation and tension in the air with my current plan, but my mum was all for it. So to his office in Putrajaya we went. I admit, I was a tad bit nervous, but this was the one shot I had to take.
When we arrived at the main building of his office, we did get many stares and glares from the officers when they found out I wanted to see the Health Minister in his office. They could give me all the looks, but I was not breaking any rules. I was just a simple person with my mum who wanted to see the Health Minister. No big deal. We signed in and got our badges. My heart was racing as we took the elevator up to his floor. As the door opened we were greeted by his personal assistant. I gave him the whole spiel of why I was there that morning. Well to no surprise he gave me a generic smile and said the Health Minister was not in but he was happy enough to give him the letter. I obliged and asked him to sign the acknowledgment of receipt. After dropping off the letter at his office, I had no other choice but to head home. I knew it was a long shot, but I took a chance, and I did what I could to try and make a difference.
If you are still with me reading this article, I could probably guess a few of you would say, “He probably never got back to you.” Evidently yes, he did not get back to me. You know, it would have been grand if he did get back to me, but in my honest opinion, even if he was not interested, he could have just sent an acknowledgment email. I don’t know, but that’s just how I function where I believe common courtesy should be a bone instilled in us. The dejection stung a tad bit I have to admit. A little demoralizing, but not to the extent of giving up. For those who know me well, I would always say we have to look at the brighter side of things and be positive about it. Looking at it, Wabi-Sabi sure does fit the bill for this one. The little roadblock I hit was not going to stop me from doing the good deed of charity. I just had to figure out another alternative, which still stood for what my late brother believed in.
“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention”
Oscar Wilde
I was dreaming big. The sheer act of amelioration was yearning sustenance, and quite frankly burning inside me to act. Little did I know, my mum’s advice was the key to bring me back down to Earth to get my ducks in a row. What I needed was and has always been in my backyard to make the difference I strive for. Charity begins at home, so the first step was for me to acknowledge how I should be starting from there. Consequently, I hit the ground running, punching gas, and burning rubber to help anywhere I can for the organizations and individuals who crossed paths with my family during our time of hardship. A simple gesture of support and sending prayers to them were the acts of charity I could afford to do. Sure it’s a speck of an act, but a heck of a momentous one with such paramount.
A smile or prayer are always one of the best charity practices to go with. An occasional simple donation to organizations you know are credible with their form of utilizing the charitable gifts given to them is also a well deserved pat on the back. To me, organizations like Family House San Francisco is the one I am more than willing to lend a hand to if I could. This organization was there for our family at our lowest, and they provided nothing but comfort and friendship. As mushy as this sounds, Family House ultimately gifted us with beautiful at heart individuals who became a part of our family. They did not have to provide us with much. All they did to earn my respect and support is by their charitable ways of smiling every time a family walks in through the front door, or when they set up activities for everyone to enjoy so they would not have to think about being at the hospital all the time. Their services of free accommodation, laundry, food, hugs, and smiles are in some way a form of benevolence, which I believe deserves some recognition. They never ask for anything in return. The only time I have seen them put out a call for support was for new toys to stock up Fozzy’s Toy Room for any kid that walks through their doors. A piece of comfort they can provide to a kid who is going through a rough journey, or to their siblings who have to live in a new environment after moving for their brother or sister’s medical treatment.
Family House is not the only organization I feel who practices the act of giving. UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, the very institution who gave my late brother a fighting chance, gave us and the other families a gift, I feel that represents the very essence charity stands for. Of course hospitals are the last place we all want to be in. So the people who work in one, especially the one we were in, made sure we never thought about the agony these institutions can unintentionally bring. These are families with little ones who have no clue why they have to go through such pain. The hospital is the last place they need to be, therefore the doctors, nurses, and caregivers make it their goal to ease the pain. We were blessed to have absolutely brilliant doctors, nurses, patient care assistants, and pastors who gave us nothing short of graceful acts of giving. They made us smile and laugh, with the constant comfort they showered us with when things got gloomy during treatment days. Their benevolence is what I distinguish as an act of healing from the pain each illness brings. People may overlook it, but believe or not, the actions and deeds of providing emotional remedial relief is in some way the formula of complete healing. The beauty behind this is how my late brother reciprocated the same acknowledgement to the people who cared for him. His way of doing so is by only asking and saying, “How are you today doc? I know you have to deal with a lot of patients with different medical issues. So I thought I should ask how you are doing.” Need I say more on how much charity and giving does to provide solace?
“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead”
Nelson “Madiba” Mandela
Charity is something I consider to be a treasured asset we need to safeguard from corruption. After the experience I went through, I have become sort of an advocate to educate people in Malaysia about what it means to donate, and what charity is really all about. Look in our backyard first, and see what we can afford to give in some way. It could be a relative who is going through a rough patch. Your form of charity is to maybe provide some assuring words, with a shoulder to cry on. You could even look up local initiatives that do not get the backing of the government. They are the ones who rely on the funding of people like us who could provide items or even just a little bit of cash to help them get by. If we are a little adventurous, you could even smile and say, “How’s it going today?” to a stranger as you pass by them. Like I said, it can be anything, “the world is your oyster.” There is a lot we can give in this world. It is a matter of whether you are doing it from the heart.
My friends and family are the people who give me the inspiration and motivation to bring life into my late brother’s mission. I believe I am doing his work in some way, by being a good person to the best of my abilities, and doing my fair share of helping wherever I can. I know it may not be as big as my initial intentions of starting his foundation; but the act of giving within my means with no judgment and half-baked decisions, is far more meaningful than a big donation with the purpose of gaining publicity. All I can say to everyone who has made it this far with my article, I hope you gain a different perspective of what it means to be a giver. God willing, and fingers crossed, I have done my part to open up your mind and heart in knowing how rich your life can be, knowing you have done right by the world, with one act of kindness at a time. Now, the healing process can begin.
“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it”
“I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law.“
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
I admit I am no political devotee. My life revolves around doing good, and savoring life with every ounce of positivity it gives back to me. Though lately, after seeing what has unfolded in the world of politics, I felt I should at least speak about it, as a journalism grad. As far as it is going, I have been cruising full speed on the anti-corruption train. I kept telling myself, “Yea… I’ll just write one article on politics and Democracy. Then I’ll go back to lighter yet more significant topics.” Well, so much for that. With how apparent politics have played out this year, I figured I should at least use my voice to speak out about the related topics and issues, which I believe have undoubtedly impacted our lives, one way or another. Like I said, this is a safe space with zero tolerance for hate, and a place for people who understand the meaning of agreeing to disagree in a civil manner. I have my opinion, you have yours, and that is okay. So without further or do… Let’s begin!
The three C’s in my political textbook- Corruption Collapses Communities. Pretty simple to grasp right? It’s just like the saying of how it takes one rotten apple to spoil the whole barrel. I have mentioned Corruption a few times in the last few articles I wrote about Democracy. Never really dove into it much. Though today, I think it’s high time we focus on it just a tad bit. With everything happening in regards to allegations of voter fraud, election tampering, and candidate biasness; Avoiding the topic of corruption seems inevitable.
So what is corruption? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, Corruption is an, “illegal, bad, or dishonest behaviour, especially by people in positions in power.” If you ask me, the definition is pretty self-explanatory. Dishonest bad behaviour by people in positions in power, sure does roll off the tongue easily, as we see it so prevalent these days. So much so, it has become the new normal. Now that is scary to even say. Just as I explained in my last Democracy article, corruption’s sweet malice does have its flare of rubbing people who are hungry for power the right way, with such reprehensible outcomes. Mind you, those outcomes are what we citizens face, while the ones who embrace corruption, reap its greasy benefits.
Now let’s put aside talking about corruption, and look at the lighter side of things in this article. The word community- it’s got this flare, and pizzaz in all things good. Let’s bring back good ol’ Cambridge to give us the definition of community. It states that a community is, “The people living in one particular area or people who are considered as a unit, because of their common interests, social group, or nationality.” Collins dictionary on the other hand gave a slightly different spin in their explanation. Their definition of community is, “Friendship between different people or groups, and a sense of having something in common.” Like I said, it’s got a whole lot of pizzaz in all things good. Even if we are introverts, or lone wolves among the crowd, we are still somewhat connected to a community. It could be a big community like being a part of a sports team, or even as small as the community living in your cul-de-sac. The fact remains, we are connected to one.
Though with this article, we’re looking at community as a nation. We venture into how political leaders, government officials, and even state officials play their hand in spewing their influential plea to garner a community’s support. Quite frankly their plays in recent years have been quite devious. So much so, it has resulted in many communities turning against each other, with turmoil seeming evident. The sad part is, the individuals who are blinded by these pleas, undeniably bring forth the collapse of our community without even realizing it. We bicker among each other over the dispute, but you know what? The officials who planted this bad seed are just sitting on the sidelines, with a bag of popcorn in their hands, and watching everything burst into flames. They got what they wanted, and it is this thing we call votes. These votes circumstantially end up with them filling their pockets with a wad of dirty hundos to fuel their personal greed and political gain, while we suffer from the collateral damage it brings. The last thing on their mind is your peaceful, and ever so harmonious community. I hate to say it, but when our community’s strength is at a feeble stage, the unity we have becomes flawed. Sadly this causes a few individuals to sway their votes in favor of these cutthroat politicians, which inevitably fuels the little sly dog called corruption; and what does it do? It brings the collapse of our community, which in totality, our nation. Thinking about it already gives me goosebumps.
We all know corruption is not the new kid on the block. It’s a frequent flyer out in these parks, and it is ever so fruitful with its insidious acts if you ask me. As I said before, corruption is currently on a constant vicious cycle. Sure enough with the rate everyone is going, it is full steam ahead to corrupt cityville. The traits are so apparent, even the look of bribery is not considered a heinous act. I’m not talking about just my home soil. I’m talking about the whole world. It is a disease that has made its mark in everyone’s community, and it has become absolutely metastatic. As scary as it sounds, we are already seeing the downfall of our communities as we speak. Corruption is not peaking through the curtains anymore. It is full blast out in the open, and boy is it not afraid to strut its stuff. Why do I say this? Just take a look at how each country has been handling the pandemic crisis we are all facing. The true face of what corruption has done to our political leaders is sure taking the red carpet by storm, and striking its true colors to the world. Crazy how it took a pandemic to actually expose the dirty linens of our political leaders.
In honest to God truth, Covid-19 brought the whole world to its knees. It brought forth political, governmental, and community turmoil. As much as my heart aches to say this, it was sort of an ugly silver lining to uncloak the corruption that has sheeted over our community. It’s like peeling an onion. The more layers you peel, the harder you cry. Well, we as a nation here in Malaysia felt exactly that. As the pandemic rampaged our country, after lockdowns became lax, we began to see our government’s corruption protection wall crumble. From a drastic change of a prime minister in an unconventional way, to a squirrely flip, and take backsies on Standard of Procedures (SOP) to handle Covid-19- Malaysia’s political officials were not shy of letting everyone catch sight of their ever so “clean” and “religious” hoohas. After seeing a backdoor takeover of political power, an exponential rise in lawsuits against government officials, and an ever growing number of covid-19 patients due to SOP negligence, I say it is time to bleach our whole government clean.
Well… Judging by all the news articles coming out about the corruption in Malaysia, we’re gonna need a whole lotta bleach to make a dent for a cleaner country. A streak of arrests involving company directors, civil servants, and public prosecutors linked to shady government contracts, sure seems to be the new trend of how corruption plays its cards by the looks of it. Recently on October 10th, 2020, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) arrested a Deputy Public Prosecutor for accepting a bribe of up to MYR 300,000. According to Free Malaysia Today, the said suspect was a 37 year old individual who accepted the bribe from a company owner who was connected to a land scam case. Here is another spine chilling article written by various news outlets in Malaysia showing the statistics of how many civil servants who have been arrested for abuse of power and corruption. As reported by the Malay Mail, MACC released a statistic stating from the year 2015, till October of 2020, 2,607 civil servants were arrested for dancing with corruption. What’s scary with this statistic is that these individuals range from the bottom tiered civil servant, to top management. A silent by vile cycle corruption has put us on.
A third one just to keep the ball rolling, we have recently seen the news about an individual named Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor. Multiple news outlets such as Free Malaysia Today reported how Malaysia’s court had granted a discharge, not amounting to an acquittal to Tengku Adnan, in regards to him accepting a bribery of RM 1,000,000 from a businessman named Tan Eng Boon. Mind you this is not the first rodeo for Mr. Tan, who offered bribes to Tengku Adnan. According to Free Malaysia Today, Tengku Adnan’s defence lawyer insists his client should receive a full acquittal, due to the prolonged time frame and chronological methods taken to bring forth his charge . Well, things took a 360 degree turn, as on 21st of December 2020, the whole of Malaysia found out Tengku Adnan was found guilty for accepting a RM 2,000,000 bribe, a day after his son’s grandeur drive through wedding. Okay, so this fourth case I am about to state is mind boggling. This is the case, reported by The Edge Markets, of Sabah’s former chief minister, Tan Sri Musa Aman, who was discharged and acquitted of 46 corruption and money laundering charges. The part that surprises me the most is how he had 46 charges, and not a single dirty linen was found. If he was squeaky clean, those 46 charges would have never existed. In order for a charge to be brought forth, there would have to be an element of suspicion to trigger a red flag for it to be proceeded as a case. I get it if it’s one case, but 46? Like I said, it’s mind boggling. Well, what do I know right? I’m just a plain Jane citizen with no political background to state my case in point. How do we fathom this? But I’ll tell you this, we Malaysian citizens are not blind and naive not to see what is happening with our country. I can bet my bottom dollar, there is an entity sticking out like a sore thumb to discover 46 charges.
Now these cases are just a mere smidge on the colossal corruption land field that has made itself comfortable in Malaysia’s political scene. Pardon my French, but there are a few I would say are an inconceivable pile of manure. I guess with Covid-19 frenzying through our nation, it has given our law enforcement personnel ample time to dig into these cases. Like I said, Covid-19 is like an ugly silver lining for us.
We all know Malaysia has been in the semi spotlight of the international committee, in the ill-famed 1MDB case, with a connection to our former prime minister, Dato Seri Najib Razak. It sure was a high stakes game of corruption, with 1MDB cashing in as a high roller for money laundering. Before I go on with this, I want to just clarify that this case is out in the public domain, with reputable news sources reporting it. Not only are our local news outlets covering and looking into it, but the United States Department of Justice was brought in as well to investigate the case. So you can imagine the severity of the implications brought upon our country and political leaders, in regards to the dirty game our government officials have played. From my point of view, this was a shameful and undeniably wrong way of gaining spotlight in international waters. In connection to the 1MDB case, recently our former prime minister Dato Seri Najib Razak was implicated for criminal breach of trust (CBT) and money laundering in the SRC International Sdn Bhd trial. According to the reporting done by The Star Newspaper, Justice Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali said he had no hesitation of classifying this case as “one of the worst kind” of abuse of position, CBT, and money laundering. He even stressed how it was not just about it being a criminal act, but it involves a huge sum of money with a huge impact on the people of the country. You know what gave me chills after reading the news article? It was the fact of his demeanor and defending acknowledgement of not knowing about the MYR 42 million from the said company. Let me repeat the amount… 42 million Malaysian ringgit… A close $11 million US dollars. What’s insidious about this particular case is that countries from Singapore, the UK, to Switzerland have concluded their findings of unearthing the seedling of the 1MDB case. Malaysia on the other hand are still fact finding through our court system. Okay Malaysia… You do you.
The article written by The Star in regards to Dato Seri Najib Razak’s trial
I mean… I don’t even know where to begin with all that has been said above. As Forrest Gump said, “Stupid is as stupid does.” Quite frankly, he is absolutely right. Like I said, it’s happening all over the world. We should be watching a person’s actions, rather than their appearance. In all clarity, we as the community should be observing what our political leaders and corporate dogs are doing with their position of power. These are individuals in high end dress wear, with sweet as can ever be words for the people. Crisp and clean, with a mouth full of positive vibes- Boy do they look like the poster child for a better, innovative, and far more progressive future. Yet, their actions make trash bags look like fashion week material. Step aside designers, the Dirty Corruption line is making headlines. What an absolute disgrace. They hide behind their position of power to lie, cheat, and steal, while they plaster a smile on their face, ensuring the people that they are doing great things for the community. Corruption comes in many shapes, colors, and forms. What we are seeing with this particular scenario is a hint of nepotism, with a smidge of parochial political culture, and a whole lotta patronage. In all short form- Professionally Organized Legal Corruption. They bring the true definition of cherry picking to the table, by selecting their close allies or friends, and even family members to be a part of their board of directors, or political party. Talk about creating the all time circle of trust, but with a wrinkle of deviousness. Honestly, are we that naive? Because sure as ever I know, this amount of bureaucratic stupidity being conducted is sure to rub off you the wrong way, regardless of your political beliefs. This is what I call, differentiating what is right and wrong. Simple as that.
A greasy pedestal grown from utter corruption- These individuals believe they are untouchable. Slow your roll bud. As trite as it sounds, nothing lasts forever, and for these dirty folks, all “good” things will eventually come to an end. As I stated before, Covid-19 has brought an ugly silver lining into our lives. The dam holding up all the lies, deceit, and downright corruption crumbled, because it could no longer withstand the garbage it was holding; And if you ask me, I’m glad it did. This blunder of a scenario had to happen one way or another. Our community deserves to know the truth, and in some way, a little bit of justice. It’s high time these folks face the music for what they have done, and as a community we must stand our ground to establish our rights which have been taken advantage of. We are what makes the country, not an individual who has gained social power through their greed mongering traits, and sly dog tactics to garner votes. The community is what makes our country. Just think about that for just a sec.
“What I try to tell young people is that if you come together with a mission, and it’s grounded with love and a sense of community, you can make the impossible possible.”
John Lewis
I know it sounds like we got a butt load of fight in us to get the change we want. Trust me, I know we do. It’s just unfortunate how we are not taking that step forward to use it. We the community, or better known as the nation, have yet to learn the harsh lessons of the intolerable mistakes our government officials have made. We keep falling for the same mistakes and giving these political officials a slap on the wrist for a blunder, which quite frankly I believe deserve jail time. Then we have us regular folk, who end up suffering from damaging reprimanding for a microscopic mistake. Now that is ludicrous if you ask me. Why are we still in the delusional lull? Is it because we have sniffed the candied smell of money when they put it close to you in order to buy you? What are we? A pet getting a treat for obeying our owner? Come on. We are better than that. As for the other politicians who have a sense of dignity to not allow corruption to frolic in their mindset. Where are your cojones to take the lead in trying to put a stop to the dirty mess being unfolded in our political arena? Are you lot just resting on your laurels? From the looks of our current State affairs, we as a community are far from being satisfied with the results given to us. I get it. Times are tough. Believe me I know. As an individual who worked her butt off to ensure I could secure a job in the Malaysian market, and was only to come back with absolute zilch- I am the true definition of times are tough. But, here I am, persevering to do what is right. I am not about taking the easy road of sucking up to a bourgeoisie narcissist, just because they have the power to give me a job, and provide me with the money I need. There’s knowing how to ask for help, and then there is being a straight up apple-polisher.
“The duty of youth is to challenge corruption“
Kurt Cobain
All I am saying is, we have the power and integrity to turn things around in our political arena. As cliche as it sounds, we gotta put some elbow grease in to make some noise for these leaders to understand one thing. Just because they hang a carrot in front of us, doesn’t mean we are going to take the bait in being their puppets, and do everything they ask us to do. This is not the behavior we want the upcoming generation to emulate. By far the worst example and excuse we can provide to the younger generation on how to lead a life of humility and civility. This is not a trait we should pick up, and we should not bow down to plutocracy and kleptocracy. Now now. Not ever.
“I rebel against this idea that politics has to be a place full of ego and where you’re constantly focused on scoring hits against each one another. Yes, we need a robust Democracy, but you can be strong, and you can be kind.“
Jacinda Arden
November 8th, 2020- It was 4 in the morning in Malaysia when I woke up from my deep sleep to see messages and notifications on my phone saying, “Biden has projected to win Nevada and Pennsylvania.”, “Your candidate did it!”, “Biden has been projected to be the President of The United States of America.”, “He won and it is incredible!”, Talk about a jolt to your system. My eyes grew wide open and started scrolling to every social media page. I could not believe it. Joe Biden became the projected 46th President of The United States, and Kamala Harris as the projected first Black, South Asian, and female Vice President of The United States.
This was a monumental moment well deserved in the history books of American Politics. This one mattered. America was the center of attention as many around the world watched closely. It was an election that hit close to home for many, whether they are citizens or not. Persons of every age glued their eyes to the television and phone screen to see the constant updates of votes being counted. Talk about literally being at the edge of your seat. As the final results and projection of the 46th President of The United States was revealed, it felt more like liberation than a win. A liberation out of systemic racism, discrimination, and social decay. A huge step forward towards a better and more accepting America.
Being excited about the projections is an understatement. My heart is full of pride, and downright elation. I can just imagine it being absolute bliss, not just for the citizens of The United States, but for the rest of the world, who have left a small piece of them in this beautiful country. After living there for nearly 10 years, I sure as ever left a piece of me, and gained a few new ones in this amazing country. This was home for some who have traveled far to harness bigger and better opportunities, but unfortunately had the short end of the straw of not being able to secure a permanent placement. I call the United States of America my second home. Acquaintances who have turned into lifelong friends, and their family members as one of mine. So much so I would address their parents just as papa or mama. This election brought me through a whirlwind of emotions. I lived through two great elections in the United States, and believe me, as a non-immigrant I have experienced the good and bad of it all. I have dealt with the outpouring love and acceptance of many fellow Americans, and I have also gone through discrimination, racial and religious profiling, and sometimes, unwelcoming looks for my skin color. Quite frankly, the last four years felt more of protecting myself rather than embracing the freedom America stands for. I am a non-immigrant Muslim woman who is of a different skin color. I think that sentence itself is self-explanatory for many to understand where I am going with this. I know I have not faced harsh incidents many people of color have endured, but there were a few where I felt if I were to speak out to defend myself, I would either be arrested or harassed even more. It saddens me to even write such a thing for a country I love, and a place where I believe holds principles of empathy. But after what I have seen and experienced, it felt like the total opposite of the American dream I lived for, 5 years prior. Do not get me wrong. This is not a hate speech for America. This is me saying, “Be in my shoes for once, and understand where people like me, who come with good intentions struggle to gain the respect of some, because their leader has a different view of individuals such as myself.”
My view on politics does not step in the way of the relationships I have with my friends and family in the United States. What matters the most to me is the bond among individuals who accept one another, without prejudice and hate, regardless of their beliefs, and political stand. I can tell you now, I have great friends who have strong political views from both parties. You have your point of view, and I have mine. That does not mean we have to fight among each other. Respect is a two way street, and I am not going to demean you for having a different belief. The only thing we have in common, and should be addressed constantly when things get heated, is being good to one another and gathering the positives to make a country better. That is all there is to it. You can hate the person I believe to be a better leader. Though let me accentuate this- There is no room for the attribute of truculence over politics when it comes to friendship.
As I said in my previous post on Democracy, everyone has a right to their opinion, as long as we can agree to disagree without any tiffs. I know there are some who are over the moon about the win, and there are some who are disappointed. I get it and everyone has a right to react towards the results of the election; But it does not give you a right to react in a way to cause harm, destruction, obstruction, and endangerment of other’s well being. There is a bigger issue at hand here, and the people should look past the divisive environment of the current matters of state. This was not about politics. This was about plain democracy, and most of all human decency.
In all truth, America’s democracy is what the people should be fighting for; Not come to blows with one another, because the person they wanted did not win. Sure there were talks about the blue wave, and keeping a state red. At the end of the day, this election was not about whether you are part of the blue or red team, but more about the people, by the people, and most importantly, for the people. This was about picking the leader who would bring forth democracy. A leader who believes in ending the systemic discrimination of all faiths, races, and sexual preferences. Unity of a nation is what’s important. This is what we should take out of this election. Honestly to me, I do not care if you are a Democrat, Republican, Independent; or for Malaysia, a Malay, Indian, Chinese, Sabahan, or other races. If you have the ability to instill democracy, economic growth, and unity for the nation, then by all means you have my vote.
For this matter, the United States was given the opportunity to rejuvenate their Democracy, and by God they did it. Take a bow Americans, you spoke your mind. You used your voices, exercised your rights to the best of your abilities, and boy did the world hear it, when the nation spoke for a leader. Some got who they wanted, and unfortunately some did not. But sure enough those voices were heard. That my friends is what I call a bellow for Democracy. A call by the people, for the people, in hopes for a leader who will listen and act in accordance to what the nation needs. Believe me America, I know you are hurting from the actions caused by many who smeared the reputation of Democracy. Now with change in the picture, you can start the process of healing, not just for your individual selves, but for all Americans. It is time to put aside the hate and political rivalry. Now is the time to look upon rebuilding the foundation where democracy once stood.
Malaysia, this is prime time to take America’s election as an example. Power of the government does not rule you. You are what the government has to oblige to. You have a God given right to voice out your opinion on what you believe is right for your country since August 31st, 1957. Do not let a power mongering government dictate what is right or wrong to benefit their personal agenda. The definition of a leader for a country is to serve the people; Not dictate. They took an oath before being sworn into office, to protect the country’s assets, its people’s liberty, and its unity; Not for personal gain and power. Quite frankly, our leaders have been blinded by the gluttony, greed, envy, and pride, corruption brings. Funny how one word can bring such destruction, just by the taste of its sweet malice. As I can tell now, our leaders had more than just a taste. They have savored it. It is pretty clear too as we are now seeing almost everyday, of lawsuits being filed against government officials becoming more apparent. The staggering number of lawsuits stated by the Malaysian Anti- Corruption Commission are rising in the thousands, ranging from civil servants, to management and professional groups since 2015. How heartbreaking it is to see all of this unfold.
Mind you, it is not just in Malaysia that we are seeing the destruction of corruption. It is happening all around the world, and sadly even in developed nations. We need to wake up from the delusions our leaders have tranced us with. We have to realize as citizens, we are the ones who face the harsh consequences of corruption’s vile doings. Not them. They take advantage of their power in office, and benefit the most, even after they step out of office. As for us citizens? What do we get? A pat on the back saying we have done our service to our country for voting a monster into office? Yeah… Screw that. Now it’s time for change. If not now, when? The waiting game is what causes the vicious cycle of corruption to gladly take its due course. Enough sauntering about. Start making big strides to bring forth a revolution, for a better, and much greater Democracy. This is a stand we must all gallantly take to overturn the practices that have murked the waters of democracy. I know it is easier said than done, but we all have to start somewhere. We do not fight this battle physically. We fight it with every ounce of intellectual strength we have. This is how we shift the mindset of corruption. We shift it from being the only source of success, to it being a detrimental trait we need to get rid of, for any nation. Time and time again I have always said, one voice can make a smidge of change. But with many, we will be a force to be reckoned with.
“Fight for the things that you car about. But do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
“Where you see wrong or inequality or injustice, speak out, because this is your country. This is your democracy. Make it. Protect it. Pass it on.” Thurgood Marshall.
My oh my election season is upon us. First off let me just say I am not here to have a political fight or debate. I hold onto my principles of giving people the right to believe in what they want, as long as we have a mutual understanding in agreeing to disagree. I stand firm with my belief in the First Amendment, even if I am not an American citizen, because I believe we have a right to speak our minds with integrity, and respect, without having to demean one another. At the end of the day, it is the benefits we reap from a proper governing body.
Abraham Lincoln stood at the National Cemetery at Gettysburg after what was known as one of the most important yet horrific engagements of the American Civil War. He addressed the nation with what is now a speech learned by many. The final statement of his Gettysburg address, “The government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from this earth.” is known by many and all Americans who studied the history of American Civil War. Putting aside the history of Abraham Lincoln and his controversial decisions in certain areas of interest, which I for one do not stand by, let us talk about this particular statement in general. Strip clean the politics, hate, and grudgery from any parties. Just plain understanding of what this statement means to you, without thinking about the events unfolded prior to it. In my opinion this statement in general holds such depth and potency to establish a far greater initiative, and to be honest, it seems like a perfect statement for democracy.
So what is democracy to you? Meriam Webster stated the definition of democracy as, “A government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.” The saying, “vested in the people” is the most crucial out of the whole definition. You need a government and a leader who is wholeheartedly vested in the wellbeing of the people in the country. I believe the foundations holding up democracy are the traits of respect, candor, integrity, honesty, and last but not least a moral obligation to the people. There could be more, but these five are of paramount importance, because these are some of the traits a leader needs to have to govern a country. Sadly, this has not been a case for most countries. A few gems pushing for reformation and change, but the toxicity created by past leaders have murked the waters of democracy.
Why do we have leaders? Why do we vote for these leaders? Who will help our nation flourish? These are questions we ask ourselves before we step up to the ballot box to cast our votes in. We ask these questions because we want our voices to be heard, and have a leader who will listen. We want a person who takes our voices into consideration and fights for it, for they have the stage to bring forth our vision and beliefs. This is why it brings me back to the statement Abraham Lincoln gave. We need a government who is of the people, and we sure as ever want a government who is there for the people. We do not, and I will state it again, DO NOT want a leader who uses their platform for personal and political gain. When we lose grasp of having a leader who will listen, our voices diminish, and the path to freedom of speech, religion, to assemble in peace, and petition becomes obsolete. Is that what we want?
You know, I have lived in both worlds of democracy to speak forth my point of view as to where we all stand in the political arena. As I said at the very beginning, I am not here to fight, but rather use my privilege to voice my opinion. I was born and raised in Malaysia, a parliamentary democracy, with a federal constitutional monarch. Then I lived in the United States for 10 years, a representative federal democracy, consisting of two major parties- the Democrats and Republicans. A mile of difference if you ask me, and let me tell you it has been quite the doozy to see both sides of the spectrum.
I was not much of a political follower prior to me living in the United States. I saw politics through my parents’ views and was never fully exposed to the true colors of Malaysia’s matters of state. It never dawned upon me the significance of the people’s voice, until I was on State side. This all changed when I took Ms. Hobson’s US Government class in high school. Talk about breaking down doors, because I was shown a whole new light in grasping American politics. Till today I remember the pillars holding the very foundation America stands on- the Constitutional Amendment. I guess the constant quizzing by my roommate Julia for my final had finally engrained all 27 Amendments into my brain. All 27 hold such significance, but only three of them stood out for me. The 1st, 15th, and 19th Amendment. These three are crucial, because the first is giving you the freedom to use your voice, the 15th allowed African Americans to vote- in all clarity, everyone regardless of race, or skin color are allowed to vote, and the 19th gave women the right to vote. Three highly crucial amendments everyone should look into. Why? Because it is important now more than ever as we reach election week. If we look at it as a whole, it clearly states that everyone, regardless of race, gender, religion, skin color, and sexual preference should go out to vote, because we have a right to do so, and this is our only chance to have our voices be heard. If we do not go out, put in our ballots, and stick the “I voted” sticker on our shirts, we are doing America no justice. We look up to the statement, “Land of the free, home of the brave” then by golly Americans live up to it. Be brave to vote for someone who will give you the liberty to live in the land of the free where you have a voice, and a stage to speak your mind.
Same goes to the Malaysian people. Tunku Abdul Rahman, the prime minister and father of freedom and independence said, “We are all Malaysians. This is a bond that unites us. Let us remember that unity is our fundamental strength as a people and as a nation.” In 1957, Tunku Abdul Rahman broke the shackles binding our hands and feet, free from reign and colonization, so we could exercise our rights as an independent nation. Yet how far have we come? Because unity is a word that seems to have dissipated from our core beliefs and practices as we speak today. I was born and raised in Malaysia, and I am real proud to be one. We’re truly a one of a kind country that has been blessed with a grey matter of 3 multis- religion, culture, and race. Talk about a gold mine of opportunity if we were able to access this grey matter in full force. Unfortunately it is a gift well underutilized, and it is a shame now to see us be put in the back shelf, covered in dust, from other developing countries who work towards innovation and cultural heritage. All for what? A slice of power pie? Give me a break. We have it all, but we choose to throw it all away for a smidge of self-decaying ego. Our governmental institutions have quite frankly deterred from the very foundation our forefathers have paved for us. This comes from my current observation and read ups of our leaders in the print and digital media. Just for personal gain, our leaders are willing to put a band aid on a broken concrete slab just to keep citizens at bay, without figuring a proper solution to resolve anything. True, we progress, and develop as a nation, but our fundamentals should not be left astray. We talk about teaching our young generation about our 5 pillars of the nation, or better known as our Rukun Negara. Yes it talks about respecting the law, religion, and the nation, but do we teach them the reason behind it? What were the elements that made us decide on creating the Rukun Negara?
Kepercayaan Kepada Tuhan • Kesetiaan Kepada Raja dan Negara • Keluhuran Perlembagaan • Kedaulatan Undang-undang • Kesopanan dan Kesusilaan
A little backstory of how our Rukun Negara came to be. We gained independence on August 31st, 1957, but we took a huge step back when we as a nation went into racial dismay on May 13th, 1969. Many called it a dark day in Malaysia. We were fighting each other due to our race, skin color, and religion. A short 12 years of independence, and yet we could not even uphold the principles of harmony among each other. Months of grueling incidents and casualties led to the creation of the Rukun Negara. It was a declaration and proclamation for unity in Malaysia. Peace and unity for all races was one of the reasons it was created, but there was another which stood out, and honestly I was never taught this in school. We were always told to memorize all five of the Rukun Negara, and was never told to embrace the true meaning of how it came to be. It was the preservation of living in a country of democracy. It was an initiative the government took to assure they were going to learn to listen to the people. There was compassion and willingness to fight for the people instilled in our Rukun Negara. It was a step forward in creating democracy, but truthfully, I think we never fully recovered from this incident as we still see today the disparaging of one another. Of course there are no killings and demonstrations much like May 13, but systemic racism is still prevalent today in Malaysia. Quite frankly my reason for it is the fuel being dumped into the fire by our elected officials. The sheer blindness caused by greed, power, gluttony, and pride, has denounced the true meaning of democracy in our country, and in truth, it is not only in Malaysia we are seeing this. We see it everywhere in the world, and the one word to sum up my explanation for this is a little thing we know as corruption.
Corruption fuels on silence. Silence is what kills our democracy. When we keep our mouths shut, and close one eye, we set precedence for the corrupt leaders we have in power to continue their sinister ways. Mind you, corruption is not solely about money. Words go a long way, and sometimes with the wrong ones, it germinates the seed of corruption. Is it fair for them to reap the benefits from our suffering? To hell with that. It is time for us to make a stand. As Frank Underwood said, “If you do not like how the table is set, turn over the table.” I know there is irony in taking a quote from a fictional politician, but what he said is true. If we do not agree with what is happening, then step up to the plate and change it. Granted we are only regular folks compared to politicians who have stashed away their dirty linens and carved their malarkey ideals into our policies to establish their superiority; but we have one way as citizens of our respective countries to clean up the corruptocracy by doing the one thing we all have the God given right to do. GO OUT AND VOTE. Simple as that. What else is there to say? Us being silent is the death sentence we wish upon our freedom, our rights, our beliefs… our democracy to live in liberty. Our one chance of better democracy lies in our hands, and we should not let it go to waste.
“We are a nation made strong by people like you.” Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Malaysia, do not let our leaders use the pandemic as an excuse to scare us away from a reformation our country is dying for. Enough is enough. The fallacies, lies, and outright indoctrination has gone far enough for us to tolerate. Please, use the one strength we have and that is the ability to vote. To my American friends and family, my heart and soul is with you at the polls even if I am not able to vote. It hurts me to know your voices are bellowing to break down the barriers created by the same disorganization and pandemonium we are currently facing here in Malaysia. I know Covid 19 has fueled the complexity of politics, and to be honest, exploited to a certain extent. Malaysia was doing well during its initial stage of addressing the pandemic, but when the issue of personal and political gain were in peril, the disease was used as an excuse and in the end the citizens are the ones to suffer from it. In America, a piece of cloth put across our face is now known as a political stunt, when in fact it is to protect us and the people around us. Then there are talks about Covid 19 being a conspiracy, and yet thousands pass away each day from the disease, without having their family members be there to say goodbye or bury them in person. How could we have reached this stage? This is why we need to exercise our rights to vote for a leader who can help us progress to a better future. One voice can help spread change, but when many come together, we can be a force to be reckoned with. If you can vote early, by all means go. Use your voice and civil action to not allow democracy be dragged through the mud by individuals who believe it is their right to deter from the one job they were sworn into office for- upholding their promise to protect and be there for the people. Put aside the hate, xenophobia, and racism. Think about compassion, acceptance, and human decency. This is our one chance to make change. So make it count.
“I always find beauty in things that are odd and imperfect- they are much more interesting” -Marc Jacobs
Within these 26 years of living, I know I have grown, taken a step back, failed, succeeded, and matured through the endeavours I have gone through. Each chapter I have started is filled with the highs and lows of self growth, and by the end of the last page, with the word fin in place, there was always a lesson and afterthought of what made me during that particular time of my life. All this? Led to me discovering the saying Wabi-Sabi.
Now hold up, I did not just find this word out of curiosity. Erik Anders Lang, the creator of Adventures In Golf, brought up the saying Wabi-Sabi on his Instagram story. Initially I thought it was one of those -isms we create for ourselves, but then when he posted the meaning of it, it truly resonated with me. This was a saying I have learned to embrace and live by, prior to knowing it even existed. Who would have thunk it? The motto I live by, which I explain in several sentences, is nothing but just two words. Talk about an epiphany!
Wabi-Sabi… the definition of this word is broken into two. Originating from Japan, Wabi is known as rustic simplicity, and Sabi is defined as taking pleasure in the imperfect. When you put two and two together, it brings a whole different meaning of living your life. Mike Sturm, who is a writer for Medium explains what Wabi-Sabi is and said, “Embracing wabi-sabi, is as easy (or as difficult) as understanding and accepting yourself-imperfections and all. It’s about being compassionate with yourself as you are, and building on whatever that is- not feverishly trying to rebuild yourself in order to pose as something else entirely.” In simple form, or as I would like to see it, it is the ability to embrace life with all of our imperfections. For anyone who knows me, they always know I would say, “It’s all good. You gotta laugh at some point in the situation and look at the positive part of it.” All those times I have said these words, it was basically me embodying Wabi-Sabi in my life. What a way to blow my mind, and before I move forward in this post, I want to thank Erik Anders Lang for introducing the word to me. Now I can go ahead and spread the meaning of living life to the fullest with just two words!
Looking back, I could say Wabi-Sabi first appeared in my life during my final year of college. I was going through a rough patch, and my golf coach in college gave me the best advice I never thought would later be known as Wabi-Sabi. It was these five words that lifted the burden off my shoulders. “Learn to let it go.” Having anger and frustration be bottled up is the worst prescription for resolving conflict. I took the courage of telling myself,“You know what? Is it honestly worth it to be this angry?” Ever since then, I have taken every stride in life with a hint of positivity, even when the world decides to throw a curveball. Now the trait of Wabi-Sabi truly presented itself even more when I went through a chapter of my life by being a primary caregiver for my brother during his cancer treatments, while still attending school. There were times during this chapter I felt like those memes of where things were blowing up behind me, and yet I was walking out with my head held high. The sense of my whole world crashing down, but knew I could lift the middle finger up to the chaos unfolding in my life, and still have a smile on my face from any positivity that came my way was a feeling of all sorts. I guess Wabi-Sabi gave me a coping mechanism to walk through my life, which was filled with so much adversity, and yet still had the power to be strong and positive. I’ve had people look at me and wonder, how it was even remotely possible for me to still smile, joke, and be happy, when my life was in total anarchy. Trust me, there were times, it was absolutely grim. I had days where sitting and crying in the shower in solitude was the only way to calm myself down. Regardless of all the coping mechanisms from multiple breakdowns, there was one thing which pushed me to keep moving during this particular adversity in my life, and it was when my late brother said, “Tin, if it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have made it this far. You kept me going.” I knew that was my rustic simplicity in embracing the imperfections of my current state. It was my Wabi-Sabi at that time to keep moving forward despite all misfortunes. Till today, I still think it is. Sure it sucked having to deal with so much at one go, and be alone for it for that matter, but what is life without a few kicks in the gut to get us going right? Our lives would just be a blank piece of canvas with no character, color, and dents that make us, well… Us.
Now, the form of living with Wabi-Sabi was natural to me during my time in the United States. I guess the empathy and understanding of people were somewhat of acceptable traits a good majority of individuals had in that country. I loved it. Even with squabbles and bickering over issues of today’s world, we always met in the middle and always agreed to disagree, when time of help is needed. As of today I am currently back in Malaysia, and let’s just say the trait of Wabi-Sabi is not really one to be shown or understood among people here. I may be wrong… Who knows? Anywho, from what I have experienced, I think it’s the implementation of restriction and facing dire consequences for a small wrongdoing are what suppresses the ability for an individual to embrace adversities as a form of living their lives in full bloom. It seems to me if I were to bring up talks on certain issues we all face as a society, people tend to recuse themselves, and digress to a different topic. The fear of embracing these issues, might seem detrimental to their social lifeline. If these little general discussions make a person feel on edge, I could not imagine them facing their adversities to better themselves. But you know what? Little did I know I would find Wabi-Sabi in an individual I would least bring up social topics with. It truly opened my heart to understanding and listening more.
This individual is my uncle who I fondly call Pak Cik Fauzi. The man hails from Kedah, therefore frequent visits were never in the picture unless the family made their way down to Kuala Lumpur. Sure, he is family, but conversations were never a thing between the both of us. I guess the distance and my absence of being abroad created the relationship between the two of us as just a hi and a bye. It was from a recent trip back up North to visit my cousin who’s fighting cancer, who so happens to be his daughter, is what brought a whole new light into our relationship as uncle and niece. I remember it clearly. We were sitting in his living room, together with my mother, cousin, my aunts, and uncles. They were all conversing among themselves and Pak Cik Fauzi decided to ask me a question.
“Fatin sekarang buat apa?” He asked. (So what are you doing now?)
I looked at him with a hesitant look fearing judgement as it has been a struggle for me to find a job, and be accepted in Malaysia’s society.
“Sekarang Fatin tengah buat benda sendiri sebab tak dapat cari kerja.” I replied. (Right now I am currently doing my own thing, because it has been tough for me to find a job.)
Thoughts were racing through my mind as I waited for his response. It was the unsettling feeling of being judged or questioned for the lack of perseverance in finding a job and getting an honest wage to fend for myself. I tapped my fingers away on the couch and it was brought to an abrupt end by the answer Pak Cik Fauzi gave to me.
“Pak Cik faham. Memang susah sekarang.” He responded. (I understand. It really is tough now a days)
It took me a minute to process his response. Usually the answers I would get from people are mostly demeaning and outright condescending, whenever I say it has been tough to get a job back in Malaysia due to my demeanor and straight shooter attitude. They would say I should change my attitude and be more of a Malaysian. But pardon me, being polite, and professional for any job application is a universal language which is to be practiced around the world. So do excuse me if I do not understand and miss the memo of the MALAYSIAN way of applying for a job, or the way I speak is not MALAYSIAN enough. I know I should stick to principles that I believe are right. Life is not meant to cater your soul to a job, and change who you are completely just for a piece of cheque at the end of the month. It was a slight breath of fresh air, and an opened door of opportunity to talk about how I felt. I looked at him and took a breath before jumping into the deep end of all intellectual conversations.
“Fatin cuba semua. Selepas diorang tengok resume, dan nampak kita pergi luar negara untuk belajar, terus tak mau dah. Depa bagi muka sindir, dan terus reject. Tak faham kenapa sampai macam tu.” I said. (I tried everything. After they looked at my resume and saw that I went to the US and graduated from there, they rejected me at that very moment. I do not understand why it has become this way.)
He looked at me with a sad look and knew what I was going through. Little did I know, he used to be a student counsellor. The man was the right person for me to seek guidance and understanding.
“Pak Cik faham. Masa pak cik masih mengajar, pak cik selalu bagitau semua budak-budak, jangan dok pikir satu jalan je. Kita tak tau masa habis sekolah, dapat ijazah jadi doktor, tapi tak dapat kerja. Macam mana? Mesti cari jalan, mesti try semua. Jangan dok kisah hat buat satu benda ja. Dunia ni, kita mana tau semua kita nak akan terjadi. Kalau tak dapat apa kita nak, jangan give up. Cari jalan. Jangan putus asa. Buat apa kita suka. Jangan buat kerja kita rasa tak seronok. Tu penting.” He said. (I understand. When I was still teaching, I would always advise my kids to not think about just one road. You never know. You could study hard, gain your degree, wish to be a doctor, but could not get a job. So now what? You always have to find a way, and try everything while you are still young. Do not just think of one thing only. In this world, not everything goes as we plan it to be. If we do not get what we want, we should not give up. Find a way. Do what makes us happy because we must love our work. That is important.)
Our conversation went on for a solid hour uninterrupted. I felt a huge weight lifted off my chest as I poured my heart out with all the frustration, anger, and disappointment I harbored from the rejection, discrimination, and outright prejudism. He truly gave me a bigger and brighter perspective on viewing life. This man was the definition of Wabi-Sabi. I could not believe it as I looked back at this conversation. He viewed the imperfections of an individual’s life, and asked us to make the best of it by pushing forward. It was a surreal moment, knowing I was riding the same wave as my uncle who I would least expect to. It was refreshing and downright amazing to have a full blown conversation of embracing adversities and looking at the bigger picture. Who would have thunk it, my own family member walking through life with a Wabi-Sabi mentality. We both faced and are currently facing adversities of having a loved one go through cancer. I guess you could say it changes you for the better in looking at life differently.
Prior to this conversation, and what I am currently working on, I sensed all the hard work I had put in to achieve what I needed felt like absolute rubbish from the countless rejections and judgments spewed at me. It seemed my ten years of working my way up to learn and gain experience was all for nothing. It was and has been heartbreaking. A six month ride on the sulk train after coming back from the United States, drained my motivation tank dry. Optimism and eagerness looked more like distant traits as I rode the lull of the self-degrading track. It was then I realized it was time to get off this Debbie-downer locomotive, and took the quote by Jake Baker out of the Cheaper by The Dozen film, “Chin up! Charge the mountain!” to get my gears fired up to do something for myself. Sure I may not be making money instantly, but at least I’m not slouching away at a job where I do not love or feel unwelcomed. As my dear friend Lou Skovron would say, “I would rather love going to work, than hate going to work.” Well Lou, that is exactly what I am doing now, and I am not looking back.
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The point of me writing this is to say it is okay to have a few setbacks. We have a right to be mad, upset, and sob till our eyes puff up. Just be sure to dry those tears up and think about working through it with the positive vibes you still have in your life. Sure it’s hard. Nothing ever comes easy, but the beauty beyond the sorrow we all will face at some point is something worth fighting for. Embrace the Wabi-Sabi that has been given to you, and learn to let go of all the hate and angst, because it is never worth it to dwell and ponder on negative traits. Look at all the pessimism, give it the middle finger, and say, “You ain’t getting me this time.”
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