Blogging and Merdeka

Yes, it's the eve of Merdeka, so soon after DSAI's Merdeka Mission quite accomplished in Permatang Pauh on August 26.

Desiderata's My Blue H'aven has marked each Independence Day with the MERDEKA ESSAY series, and I hope this tradition will be continued if my Esteemed Readers care to participate. From Today -- not Malaysia Today for the blardy government wants that BLOG blocked, but the Devil's Den will open its floodsgates for UMNO-rites to conduct its RIP rites -- YL-Desi will reprise a few of last year's WRIES,and the series will hopefolly -- we have time for FUN-d; Yes? -- till September 16, when VVVVVVVe celebrate the more meaningful MALAYSIA DAY since the PM inpresenting yesterday's Bajet 2009 acknowledged that poor fellow brethren in Sabah and Sarwak have been neglected like "orphans" until the GE cometh around once evrey four/five years.

Here's from Desi and Y&A kyels and johnleemk's --- who BTW, also helps Wan Fadzrul coordinate YouthSpeak at cpiasia.net, which BTW2, will be officially launched on Monday September 8, 2008 at SCAH at 2.30pm. Please mark this Date with us in thy diary, or even with the dairy with da cowws:) Plenty of milk today! STAY TUNED for official announcement!:)

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Tuesday, August 28, 2007

MERDEKA: Travelling Back In Time

DESIDERATA was surfing through his own archives to lift out of the cobwebs something PERSONAL for me to reflect on as Merdeka approaches. I find my second anniversary of Desi's Place struck a chord and I don't know the exact reason why I reprised this today. Maybe some happenings don't need a reason. Being alive and kicking now is reason enough.

___________ REPRISE OF POST March 15, 2007 ______________


PREFACE:

I was working at an online newspaper for a year not that long ago and so was well exposed to electronic sources of news and debate, mainly from foreign sources, and I felt most at home with the American and British scenes. Having worked some time with the Aussie diplomatic mission, I also had a soft sport for Down Under people and happenings.

Being of Chinoserie ancestry -- but first and foremost a Malaysian, I stress! -- and knowing a smattering of Mandarin so I can comfortably see annd enjoy a movie like The Banquet without the need to staray to the subtitles, emerging China as a political and economic juggernaut also naturally was my radar-scape.

But being born and bred in NegaraKu, I feel very at home whether in a kampong/ new village or town/ bandar or the city of Kuala Lumpur (though I have never trusted local KL-ites compleatly! hence I describe the capital as B'g, B'd Wolfish Koala Lumpuh!), Desi would never allow any blardy idiot to question my loyalty as a Malaysian.

I mostly enjoy Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisines seven days a week, but make an exception to have a CON BF (continental breakfast) on a Sunday, my capitalist indulgence as I am an out-of-the-closet Socialist (In the league of the current French Sigolene Royale, someone I tease mGf based in London who is quite introvert plus sensitive/ble? > hence "sensintrovert")

Chapter 1

As a freelance journalist taking up blogging chiefly influenced by JeffOoi exactly two years ago, I was happy to be able to connect with a core group of fellow/fella (Fella is defined as the female counterpart as fellow is always considered male) bloggers. I must also thank those readers who don't blog but visit often enough to engage in conversations.

There is yet a more connected group who progressed to join Desi's EMAIL LIST, numbering about 12-15 gathered over 24 months. (YOU know who you are if you have exchanged thoughts in intimate detail with Desi. This is mainly jesting -- most ly talking shop on political matters that are not safe to go public; well a small percentage of mayhaps five percent do venture into personal territory, but that's reserved for spinning my fictional novels later, with Hollywood blockbustier in mind. Rest assured I'd do it a 30% to the protagonist-blogger who has opened up his/her/gender-neutral soul to Desi.)

Most of all, I must thank these various categories of EsteemedReaders ("ER") who take the time and trouble to comment on my "writes", more formal as in a serious Essay following all the rules of Intro, Body and Conclusion; 'rites as in recording Malaysiana titbits and snippets that are eye-catching and define our local culture and politics; and lastly, more lustily perhaps than the earlier two, my writHings. In this category I lend my pretty frank thoughts on Malaysian goings-in which concern or trouble or amuse me as a Malysian citizen. The "H" implies that Desi does a lot of gymnastics, sometimes using the much maligned DDC ("Da Desi Code" methinks first gifted by the hoRst of allofhelen.blogspot.com; the R in host arose from an actual event narrated to Desi about how a Guest speaker was pronouncing this word with the R sound consistently -- neigh, neigh!)

Back to my stated Objectives as revealed in my first three Posts from March 15, 2005, to date they are, in gist:

**

I shall be touching on subjects broadly categorised as desiderata.english; desiderata.civilsociety; desiderata.truth -- generally with the ultimate objective of promoting the love and appreciation of outstanding writings in English; the cultivation and promotion of human traits and endeavours to build a civil Malaysian society, and finally, if possible, embark with fellow travellers in this journey called Life in the pursuit of Truth, that undefinable yet essential and desiderable, in my opinion, ingredient in the civilization process so that the human race continues to uplift itself beyond and above the banal, the demeaning and the destructive actvities that now pervade, and in some societies, even dominate human activities worldwide.

**

I believe I am by nature and nurture an organiser and team leader (RESUME hilites include Student Union's office-bearer; Press Training Programme Director; Chairman of LES Committee Chairman at AHC), so it was a natural course I organised what I termed as G7 meetings among Bloggers, mostly KL-based. Numbering half a dozen such meets, with quorum ranging from 2 to SE7EN. These meets gave the participants to see the person behind the anonymous masks of the cyber-writer, and I think all of us ranked these as a peak in our journeys. What say you, mates, Yes?

I believe in a non-profit adventure that is my type of blogging, it's the constant Hi's with very few Lo's (when combined, Hi-Los are still pleasing!) that makes Blogging a happy and learning adventure. The blogging experience spans a wide age range, non-discriminatory of sex, colour and race. Religion and partisan politics take up little space in our discourse; mostly it has been friendly banter and trading of jokes, satire, allowing for caustic soda in-the-face barb trading with an occasional "stranger". Few and in-betwen, such hostile encounters were easily terminated by one party just calling TIME-OUT, erase all traces of animosity and there's no legacy of enmity to bequeath. I can only off-hand record two such episodes.
________________________________________________________

Chapter 2

Today I arrive at a sort of crossroads. This Second Anniversary on the Ides of March ushers in what I think is the second chapter as I spent some time the past few weeks of where I am, and the journey I had traveled thus far. Much waters has flowed under the cyber-bridge. I have gained much, didn't lose any, perhaps made a few enemies I term as Agents Provocateur (APs), so I count my journey positive, productive and most important in my mind, "enjoyable".

I have reviewed my Three Original Objectives, and today announce that I have retained
the three objectives, viz:

* Civil Society;
** Promotion of the English language, especially using Poetry as a Special Medium;
*** Truth-seeking.

But to be added a fourth, namely:


**** Nation-building,
which I think is timely and must enjoy priority as Malaysia approaches its 50th anniversary of birth.

I would think Nation-building would encompass Politics, whether Partisan or Non-partisan. I have decided that a citizen has every right to involve himself/herself in partisan politics, and this would not detract from the role of any Blogger in contributing to the community.

I borrow the words of a media fraternity member: "One cannot remain neutral in a moving train." -- Jacqueline Ann Surin, whose writings have caused much and spirited debates in blogosphere, and mGf Howsy holds her in higher esteem than Desi (YOU, Time's Person of the Year 2006, can interpret this statement any way YOU like, Desi, as you know, tries to practise democracy even in all his discusioins, especially when media is the open field. Blogsworld members aspire and want to be treated with respect as the Fifth Estate. So let's start by adhering to the same exacting and high standards demanded of the Fourth Estate.


At the personal level,
I penned the following over the past 48 hours.

Inside the head resides the rational mind,
In the heart dwells one's soul seeking its home.

But to my mind, at journey's end it's all fruitless
If a seeker finds he has gained much of worldly treasures
but can't feel the warmth in his/her heart at night
to feel the comfort of a person at peace with his soul

The ultimate treasure
resides within the individual's heart
even as soon his life's journey began
except many did not feel their own heartbeats
until it's too late, the heart has stopped chanting.


Follow That Dream

by Elvis Presley


When your heart gets restless, time to move along
When your heart gets weary, time to sing a song
But when a dream is calling you,
There's just one thing that you can do

Well, you gotta follow that dream wherever that dream may lead
You gotta follow that dream to find the love you need


AS the song comes over the airwaves, my thoughts often go back to some lonesome travel by an Andalusian shepherd boy who one night dreamt of a distant treasure in the Egyptian pyramids. This shepherd boy broke out of the comfort zone of his father's Andalusian farm in Spain to set out for Morocco, then towards Egypt seeking "the soul of the world". When he bade farewell, his father's only advice was: "Travel the world until you see that our castle is the greatest, and our women the most beautiful".


His journey through desert storms, narrow escapades from theives and marauding robbers, and from other life-threatening situations, being left penniless, and betrayed by a companion -- these werre challenges in an answer to a call to follow his dream that a youth could not ignore or resist, even with a sacrifice of leaving behind his sweetheart. To seek out his destiny he must, or else his heart would not let him rest, for he would be trapped with an unquenched thirst. Even his sweetheart understood his longing, so wished him well on his journey. She too sought the peace within even as her sweetheart sought his far away in a strange and foreign land.

My dear ER, if you have the time, try to read

The Alchemist

by

Paulo Coelho

The Brazilian story-teller only suggests.
He hints. He asks thee to listen to your heart.


As Santiago the shepherd boy travelled on his journey, he found that was "a language that doesn't depend on words". He realised: "If I can learn to understand this language without words, I can learn to understand the world."

So each of us have to define our dreams, then follow these dreams, because to find the Truth at the end of such a quest on Earth is the way to find "God", which could mean happiness, fulfilment, and understanding the ultimate purpose intended by an Almighty perhaps, of individual Man's transient journey on this good earth.

The novel tells the tale of Santiago, a boy who has a dream and the courage to follow it. After listening to "the signs" the boy learns of various intangibles on a terrestrial trip, alike in spirit Jonathan Livingstone Seagull's adventures on air, guided by a few stranger-friends and "omens" that cropped up.His search for a hidden treasure located near the pyramids in Egypt would end...YOU find out yourself, for Desi's a practising democrazee and wouldn't want to serve thee false "madsin" forced down the throat.

I know I must write first true to my heart's desire.
The desiderata of happiness is to seek the Truth within one's soul
to be able to separate the precious from the banal
to discern the right from wrong
to find meaning and tranquility in the dance of life
While we may stumble, even fall,
we learn the language of overcoming the tests
So we won't lose the rhyme, nor the rhythm
As a quest can end in failure
because of corruption of the soul
by discordant notes and unsound distractions.

I just completed the first and second years' movements.
I am still composing the symphony of Life.
The third movement has just begun.
Do be one of my travelling companions
to be entranced by this common dance of life.

posted by desiderata

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Following share the thoughts of Young&Articulates JohnLee and Koi Kye Lee:)




Guest Blogger: johnleemk

"I still believe in Malaysia!"


All the other Merdeka essays I have seen to date touch on pessimism for the future of this country, and either explicitly or implicitly refer to certain controversial policies of our government. While I have written more than my fair share of essays on those (indeed, for the second Merdeka running, I have lambasted a particular bastion of these policies on my blog), it is not my intention to contribute to the burgeoning crop of condemnatory and in some rare cases, insulting, pieces of prose in this field.

Rather, permit me to explain why, even at times when I feel there is no hope, I still believe in Malaysia. Why I still believe in being Malaysian. And why, after all we've gone through, some Chinese might say, I still fervently believe in calling myself Malaysian first, rather than Chinese.

I don't believe there's a need to explain the bout of pessimism about Malaysia and its future. It wouldn't be too hard to examine the root causes of this discontent and resentment. Rather, what one ought to be doing is attempting to explain why some who share this same feeling of discontent and resentment still love this country.

As much as I have joined the usually resounding clarion call of voices in the blogosphere denouncing the government's approach to certain fields of its administration, I nevertheless continually find myself in an odd spot amongst them. Even among those I know in real life, pigeon-holing me into one category with others is something that remains hard to do. Unlike many, I have never felt any hate or frustration with this country -- rather, the sole focus of my anger has been the government and those within it.

~~~~~~~
I hail from a rather mixed background. I was born in Japan, to a Chinese Malaysian father and a Filipino mother. I was raised in Singapore, but educated wholly in Malaysia. On my father's part, I have never really managed to empathise with his mixed feelings towards our country. Logically, I understand them, yes, but emotionally, I do not feel them. Nevertheless, we can be broadly painted as moderates - people who do not believe that this country is wholly doomed yet. We are certainly far from Chinese chauvinists, making it hard for us to relate with several stereotypical Chinese grievances such as those related to the (what I will continue to refer to as segregatory) vernacular education stream. And as for my mother, her being non-Malaysian naturally precludes her from holding any strong views about the future of our country.
~~~~~~~

Similarly, amongst my peers -- especially those who were denied scholarships! -- there is a simmering feeling of discontent and frustration at the system. In some cases, this has even translated to a dislike or hatred of the Malays and Muslims. However, having grown up amongst them, I have never shared such feelings -- and this is where my story begins.

Unlike 95% of all Chinese Malaysians, I was educated in a national -- and by national, I do mean national; it was far from a Malay school, thank God - school. I never knew anything of discrimination or that taboo phrase, "second-class citizen". As far as I was concerned, I was just another nine-year-old grumpily getting on the bus for school with his friends. Until I was about 12 or 13, I did not even know what the word "Bumiputra" meant. Perhaps it shows how insulated I was by my circumstances; I do not know.

Whatever the case, I grew up feeling no reason for anger towards my country or my peers. Even though Islam was often brought up by my Malay friends in ways that could have been construed by some (probably those over-sensitive non-Malays) as incitement, we were very much a united bunch. My memories of primary school consist not of discrimination or frustration. Maybe my school was particularly liberal; I am not sure. They certainly gave one little excuse to argue that meritocracy was not being practiced; I was a member of the entirely non-Bumiputra school team that sent us to the district level Mathematics quiz. (Although in retrospect, they did make sure that the Head Prefect was always a Malay...) Still, if one considers the attitude of national school students and compares it with those from, say, the Chinese education stream, it is clear that one group is more "Malaysian", shall we say, than the other.

In primary school, I still remember, there was no distinction between Malay and non-Malay or Bumiputra and non-Bumiputra. We were all the same, and all treated equally. We took pains to respect one another's background, and we never encountered difficulties accomodating one another. We attended each other's birthday parties, with my parents making sure catered fast food was available for those with particular sensitivities. After school, we'd play football with crushed tin cans, nobody caring what the skin colour of the other bugger was like. We even made fun of those with particularly dark skin -- to us, that was just a physical attribute; race never came into the picture. "What does race have to do with anything?" we'd probably have asked.

After leaving primary school, as one matures, one better understands the way things are. I am sure all of us acutely understand the picture currently -- or at least understand it better than we once did. Nevertheless, we still maintain our practices and habits. I still invite my Malay friends to my birthday celebrations, and they make it a point to attend if possible. I do the same with them. The way you are brought up in primary school is crucial, because in our case, it has made us think like Malaysians, not Malay, Chinese and Indian.

There was a huge brouhaha earlier this year about a survey indicating that a sizeable percentage (I forget the exact amount) of Malaysians have never shared a meal with one of another race. This, my friends, is the legacy of that segregatory school system. This is why I continually and habitually rail against the establishment of vernacular education.

Never had a meal with someone of another race? A mixed group eating, and laughing together -- National school students have been doing that by habit since we can first remember, and it is not a habit that dies easily. Even in college, we think nothing of lepaking or yes, having breakfast or lunch, with those of a different skin pigmentation. It doesn't even come into the picture.

There are very noticeable differences in the behaviour of Chinese-educated and national school-educated students which can last for a lifetime. In secondary school and college, it is not too hard to tell these kinds of people apart. The Chinese-educated generally keep to themselves, while the national school students invariably have their own clique. That is not to say the Chinese-educated do not mix with the non-Chinese-educated; that certainly does happen. However, by inclination, one group is partial to keeping itself racially pure (whether they intend this or not is debateable; it could very well be unconscious), while another has no issues with mixing things up. Even those national school students we regard as racist thumb their nose at the Chinese-educated -- to them, this is another class of racists altogether.

Perhaps I am being too blunt. But whatever the case, it is my feeling that being of a national school background has made a tangible difference in who I am and how I feel today. Maybe this effect on my character was accentuated by my being a tabula rasa - blank slate - seeing as I had no inkling whatsoever of anything being wrong with a "Malaysian Malaysia" (still a taboo phrase for many government leaders). Nevertheless, I notice how I think differently and react differently. Some of these differences are probably attributable to my being completely race-blind at a young age (though I hope I remain race-blind today). But still, many of them, I believe, are rooted in my upbringing as a Malaysian, and not as a Chinese.

Today, my Malay accent is a bit Malay - and I do blush with pride when Malays remark on what they consider the quality of Malay. (To be honest, folks, it's atrocious. I need a dictionary whenever I intend on writing a decent essay in Malay. I'm just good at bahasa pasar.) To me, there is nothing to be ashamed of in knowing Malay, or being proficient in it. It is not the language of one race to me -- it is the language of one nation, and that is the Malaysian nation. My Malay may be atrocious, but I can tell you of the difference between kaum (race) and bangsa (nation).

Bahasa Melayu bukanlah bahasa kaum Melayu; ia merupakan bahasa bangsa Malaysia. Some might take umbrage at me referring to this language as Bahasa Melayu. If so, I apologise. Again, it is my upbringing. But I feel nothing wrong with "calling a spade a spade"; we do not recoil at calling English what it is, do we? After all, it is no longer a white man's language. What something is depends not on what we call it, but what we perceive it as. A rose under any other name would smell as sweet (Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare).

But enough of that digression. Some might think I have been assimilated as a Malay/Muslim (the two are generally synonymous, are they not?). But is this true? My faith in Christianity has never been stronger, I would say. And as for race, I have always been (perhaps rather idealistically) race-blind. I have never really come to think of myself as a Chinese, although if asked for a race, I will continue to habitually speak of myself as Chinese. As far as I'm concerned, I am Malaysian.

One common ground I hear for retaining Chinese education is that it is, well, Chinese education. That it teaches our young to be perceptive of their nature as Chinese. I will have to disagree on this, then. It is my view that what is far more important is to be brought up and educated as a Malaysian. If it means diluting one's Chinese-ness, so be it. I do not intend to pull any punches here. We are Malaysians, not Chinese. That is what must be foremost in our minds, and what must be inculcated in us from young. Our home is not a place where our classmates, colleagues, and friends are practically 100% Chinese. It is not a place where everyone can converse in Mandarin, or where everyone shares the same cultural understanding. The Chinese school is a poor mechanism for preparing our young to live in a heterogenous nation.

And as for diluting one's Chinese identity, I do not put as much stock in that argument as I once did. After all, my girlfriend's identity as Chinese remains strong despite spending her entire life in a convent school instead of a Chinese school, and being educated entirely in Malay. She habitually speaks in Chinese proverbs, and lectures me on the need to be more, well, Chinese. And yet the beauty of it is that our conversations are - what else could they be? - Malaysian. To use a bit of linguistic jargon here, we code-switch between English, Malay, and a variety of Chinese dialects. (Some day, perhaps I shall find an occasion for inserting the one or two words of Tamil I know into a discussion - although I doubt there is a way one could politely utilise my profanity-centred vocabulary.) To us, there is nothing wrong with speaking in bits of English and Malay, with the occasional Chinese idiom.

And this is what gives me hope for the future. That perhaps some day we will all be able to be as unrealistically idealistic as I am, and speak of ourselves as Malaysians. When that day has come, my friends, we shall no longer encounter the need to shelter ourselves in communal schools (be they MARA Junior Science Colleges, or SRJKs), or derogatorise those of another race as kaum pendatang. If Malaysians have decided that we are Malaysians, what can the politicians do? And that is what I hope for Malaysia, this 49th Merdeka of ours.




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Bonus Guest: Koi Kye Lee aka Kyels, and she has a distinctive Blog @kyels.com named
Laments of a Broken Hearted Silhouette.

The Silhouette, like Mona Lisa, often maketh Desi pause and wonder and wait,in anticipation, about the mystique. Meanwhile, she sometimes sounds morose and lost, yet other times rise to ecstasy and poetic brilliance, not knowing Des's lapping it all up, shyly peeping through the semi-darkness under the silvery moonlight.

Sometimes I touch gold.



What’s Happening?
Quo Vadis,My Country?

The youths today are vastly different from those of yesteryears. I believe there is this Generation Gap, in Malaysia and other countries -- a common phenomenon.
What we perceive today is almost different from what our forefathers had distinguished. During the olden days, moral values were of supreme importance in daily lives, especially when it comes to older people in the society and in familial ties. Benevolence, respect, empathy, sincerity, honour, sympathy, and more, were the vital traits, and featured prominently when it comes to teaching and raising a child.

But one question I’d like to ask: Do you see in the children today inbibed with those values?

It's not to say that I am very well endowed with such "wonderful" values, but I do have a clear conscience that I try hard to contribute to promoting a civil society.
Let’s take the public transportation scene in Malaysia, for example. How often do you see youngsters getting up and offering their seats to the elderly?

I take the Light Rail Transit (LRT) every day and from what I have observed all this while, I realised that many youths are either ignorant, or they lack certain social values. There was the occasion when I stumbled upon this scenario. The LRT was packed and it so happened I witnessed this episode with my own eyes. One blind man stepped into the train and made his way towards the bar since he could not see any seats and no one took his arm and to guide him to an empty seat. Looking from afar, I saw that a young girl was seated on one of the seats, and I could see her gaze was set upon the blind man. What hit me was: why did she not get up and lead the man to her seat?

I observed for more than three minutes and she was still giving the blind man the same uncaring stare. She was not ready to give her seat up until a good Samaritan told the girl to stand up and let the blind man have the seat. The amazing part was that she was so unwilling to do so, discernible from her facial expression. But she had to -- because a whole load of strangers were looking right into her!

When we see more such scenarios happening, can we figure out that there is something wrong here? Charity begins from home after all. No, I am not judging the credibility of our parents and guardians today, but rather I believe the education system of our dear country has some role to play in bringing about such sad state of affirs.

What do you really see when we talk about the education system here? There might be differuing points of views because we all have our own perspectives. Yes, it is indeed a subjective issue, but certainly begs the question: Does the system serve to ionculcate the social values and graces in tandem with an aspiring developed nation status society?

From what I see, a certain percentage of people no longer care about morality. Many still do, but they do so at a much deteriorating scale as compared with the era of our forefathers. The people today care more about getting straight A’s in Government examinations. Yes, it’s not wrong to aim for good grades but what good does it make when you are a smart person yet you have a very bad personality? Stop and ponder...

What I am trying to point out here is that Malaysian society faces a trend that poses a dilemma: where have the moral values of the society gone to?

My opinion is that the percentage of selfish people is growing higher and higher with every passing day. Selfishness latently runs in our veins, perhaps, but there are times that we have to put that aside and look at things in a wider perspective and to put ourselves in the shoes of others. It would be good if Malaysians start caring about each other, be it the neighbours, or other members of the public, regardless of the differences in skin tones, race or creed. There would be fewer squabbles in the range of the public eye, and it can start with the political parties. We have seen many instances of "hurtful and sensitive remarks" coming off politicians' mouth willy-nilly. My wish is that such incidents would lessen in NegaraKu so that all the races would be able to live in peace and harmony.

Let not unfairness and selfishness rule us all. Differences could be made if all of us are willing to co-operate and walk along hand-in-hand to make Malaysia a better world to live in. After all, we are Malaysians.

I’m not perfect either but at least, my conscience and values are clear cut and I believe in striving towards noble values with enough to go by. I hope fellow Malaysians will strive to build a more considerate and caring society. With this hope I wish all of you, Happy Independence Day."

Merdeka! Merdeka! MERDEKA!

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DESI @9.39AM: After reading many Merdeka posts and comments that border on pessimism and surrender, it's so uplifting to "see the other side of the
picture" expressed by two Young&Articulates. I've often urged my Y&A like Sabrina that IT'S NOT ALL GLOOM and DOOM! And johnleemk's and kyels' perspectives give grounds for optimism.

And their sharing of their "personal" stations is
precisely what I wish for, especuially from the
YoungOnes, in this Series -- perspectives from a
generation whose age range matters a great deal
for the future of NegaraKu, not that the elder/older
folks do not play a significant role. We must not,
however, lose sight of the fact all Malaysians
DO DIFFER in our perspectives, as our perceptions
and vantage points are shaded by from where we were,
where we came from -- city, semi-rural, kampong, village --
we are enriched by our diverse backgrounds and cultural roots.


DESI to John ~~ I read from your "hint" you are likely to
proceed to the US for tertiary studies -- Economics/Finance
plus a minor in Law, God-willing. I still use this public
forum to urge my Young Mentee (sometimes turns Mentor) that
you should turn Law into the major. Come home on graduation
to play a more significant role in the politics of NegaraKu,
and enrich the Malaysiana landscape and journey. And also
help write The Malaysian Story.

DESI to kyels ~~ Continue thy poetic laments, and I will
seek solace and meaning in the mystique. But I will
sometimes intercept to mend a li'l that broken-hearted
Silhouette, can I?

It's more on young shoulders like yours -- johnleemk, and kyels,
and Sabrina, Imran Ahmad and Primrose, that the future of
Malaysia depends very much on, transforming it into a truly
united nation where most of its citizens
Rise Above Colour, Race and Creed,
and Across Gender and Age barriers too.


PS: This hoRst shall neigh the Essay Series finale IF
he has strength and energy left to make across those 49 liners.
Meanwhile, Strive To Be Happy.