malaysia boleh?
It’s that time of year again. Or more like time of the semester. I think I’ve repeated this for the past… let’s see... the past 5 semesters, since I started a blog. I’m eating like nobody’s business, and I can’t even be bothered if I piled on the kilos. Okay, wait, I’m lying. I do mind, and I will become obsessively obsessive with my weight. These are just tips of the iceberg, of what goes on with me during exams.
Next. I get panic attacks. Especially when it’s nearing the exams, and people ask me questions that I’m supposed to know how to answer, but for some unfathomable reason, cannot at that point in time, when asked.
Then, I throw tantrums; both the silent and not so silent ones. I get all moody, and for that, I’m thankful that I moved out, because these past 3 weeks or so have been absolutely great, as one of the sources of my anger, so to speak, is eliminated.
And last, but not least. I blog. I write crap even if I don’t post it, because it helps. And today, I want to talk about Malaysia Boleh.
I just saw the news. Some dudes are going to jump off choppers on parachutes at the North Pole. Very commendable indeed, because all are done in the spirit of the nation. Malaysia Boleh! I know some people from the Faculty and some others who are on an expedition to Everest. Very commendable thing to do too. After all, Malaysia Boleh!
But tell me why we do all these things? Tell me why we try to climb the tallest mountains? Tell me why we jump at the North Pole? Tell me why we try to cook the biggest feast? Tell me why we bake the longest cake or attempt to do all ‘longest’, ‘strongest’, ‘farthest’, and all else with the ‘est’ at the back, when what goes on in our heads do not change. At all. Period.
We’ve heard every now and then, that we are a country with first class facilities but with 3rd class citizens. Now, does that serve as an embarrassment to you, or does it not? Studies have shown that we are one of the rudest countries in the world. Does that not embarrass you yet? We’re known for hiding, denying and trying to cut out the truth, when the absolute truth is not how we or they are painting it.
Take for example the studies done by UKM, which was published sometime in March, stating that out of 800 over students, only one is a virgin, and the rest had already encountered some kind of sexual experience of some sort. I believed the study, trust me, I did. It’s not surprising, with all this globalisation and borderless world, where the internet is at our disposal, and where the media basically tells you everything and nothing at the same time.
I believed it not because I don’t mind it. I am worried. I am worried for my future, and for my children’s and their children’s future. I am worried for what they might become. I don’t have to go that far, even. I have a teenage sister, and I’m worried about her. And because I am worried, I choose to believe in it so that I can take extra precautions. So that I can keep an eye on her and remind her and pull her back if I see that she’s slipping away.
But no. a few weeks later, a press statement came out stating that the studies aren’t true. So, maybe they aren’t. They might not be. But so what if they are? “air tak berkocak kalau tak dibaling batu” What are these people trying to hide? There’s nothing to hide. We’re all liberated now and we are certainly not stupid to be fooled into thinking that there is no problem when it’s crystal clear that there exist such a problem.
I start to see why a lot of issues in this country become the “flavour of the week”. And it’s because we don’t care enough to look into the matter deeply enough. And it’s because we can’t be bothered to follow up on the solutions we come up with to solve problems. We don’t look far enough to see the repercussions of our actions, and all that, because we have become complacently comfortable with what we already have.
Probably we’ve never thought of the possibility that all this peace might not last. We’ve probably never even thought of the possibility that our resources are going to run out soon, and that we might be left with nothing to live on.
Probably, it takes a war, or famine or some disaster to make us open our eyes. Probably then, when it’s too late, we’ll start thinking of what we, as Malaysians could have done better to save our nation. By then, it would be too late to think of Malaysia Boleh!
Next. I get panic attacks. Especially when it’s nearing the exams, and people ask me questions that I’m supposed to know how to answer, but for some unfathomable reason, cannot at that point in time, when asked.
Then, I throw tantrums; both the silent and not so silent ones. I get all moody, and for that, I’m thankful that I moved out, because these past 3 weeks or so have been absolutely great, as one of the sources of my anger, so to speak, is eliminated.
And last, but not least. I blog. I write crap even if I don’t post it, because it helps. And today, I want to talk about Malaysia Boleh.
I just saw the news. Some dudes are going to jump off choppers on parachutes at the North Pole. Very commendable indeed, because all are done in the spirit of the nation. Malaysia Boleh! I know some people from the Faculty and some others who are on an expedition to Everest. Very commendable thing to do too. After all, Malaysia Boleh!
But tell me why we do all these things? Tell me why we try to climb the tallest mountains? Tell me why we jump at the North Pole? Tell me why we try to cook the biggest feast? Tell me why we bake the longest cake or attempt to do all ‘longest’, ‘strongest’, ‘farthest’, and all else with the ‘est’ at the back, when what goes on in our heads do not change. At all. Period.
We’ve heard every now and then, that we are a country with first class facilities but with 3rd class citizens. Now, does that serve as an embarrassment to you, or does it not? Studies have shown that we are one of the rudest countries in the world. Does that not embarrass you yet? We’re known for hiding, denying and trying to cut out the truth, when the absolute truth is not how we or they are painting it.
Take for example the studies done by UKM, which was published sometime in March, stating that out of 800 over students, only one is a virgin, and the rest had already encountered some kind of sexual experience of some sort. I believed the study, trust me, I did. It’s not surprising, with all this globalisation and borderless world, where the internet is at our disposal, and where the media basically tells you everything and nothing at the same time.
I believed it not because I don’t mind it. I am worried. I am worried for my future, and for my children’s and their children’s future. I am worried for what they might become. I don’t have to go that far, even. I have a teenage sister, and I’m worried about her. And because I am worried, I choose to believe in it so that I can take extra precautions. So that I can keep an eye on her and remind her and pull her back if I see that she’s slipping away.
But no. a few weeks later, a press statement came out stating that the studies aren’t true. So, maybe they aren’t. They might not be. But so what if they are? “air tak berkocak kalau tak dibaling batu” What are these people trying to hide? There’s nothing to hide. We’re all liberated now and we are certainly not stupid to be fooled into thinking that there is no problem when it’s crystal clear that there exist such a problem.
I start to see why a lot of issues in this country become the “flavour of the week”. And it’s because we don’t care enough to look into the matter deeply enough. And it’s because we can’t be bothered to follow up on the solutions we come up with to solve problems. We don’t look far enough to see the repercussions of our actions, and all that, because we have become complacently comfortable with what we already have.
Probably we’ve never thought of the possibility that all this peace might not last. We’ve probably never even thought of the possibility that our resources are going to run out soon, and that we might be left with nothing to live on.
Probably, it takes a war, or famine or some disaster to make us open our eyes. Probably then, when it’s too late, we’ll start thinking of what we, as Malaysians could have done better to save our nation. By then, it would be too late to think of Malaysia Boleh!
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