Selamat Hari Raya Puasa!

First of all, Selamat Hari Raya Puasa to my fellow Muslim friends, and a good day to everyone.

Hmm....I love the Ramadan month especially with all the lovely delicacy available at the markets in the evenings in preparation to 'berbuka Puasa'. It's the only time of the year that it is available at our 'kampung' which I look forward to. I remember the times as a child visiting my grandparents during school holidays and helping out at our provision shop. I'd always look forward to the various stalls opening up in the late afternoon selling all sorts of mouth watering 'kuihs' during the fasting month. It's hard to choose with all the varieties available but then we have a whole month to sample all of them!

The stall owners, young and old, always has a kind face and big smile at our enthusiasm as we rush to buy their wares as soon as they are all set up for business. I'm lucky that my dad grew up in a 'kampung' and foods of diverse culture is a norm. We get to try out all sorts of food and are quite adventurous in trying out food from diverse cultures. My favorites are 'putu piring', 'ondeh-ondeh' and 'kuih koci'.

Breakfast and suppers are made up of 'roti prata', 'lontong', 'mee goreng', 'rojak', 'dhosai' and others. Living in 'kampung' for years, everyone knows everyone. Everyday, there are friendly greetings, a smile and little chats about how life's going, the latest happening in our 'kampung', who is getting married etc. Everyone is a friend and an extended family regardless of race, skin colour and religions. Mutual respect and kindness is the norm.

On the first day of 'Hari Raya Puasa', our kind neighbors brought us 'kuihs', 'ayam masak merah', 'lemang', 'ketupat' and all sorts of delicacy to share with us. It's heartwarming receiving these gifts for we know they spent a lot of time preparing it and we are included in the celebration even though we are non-Muslims. These gifts of sharing from our neighbors would last us for days even though we have it every meal and there were always more than 20 of us in the family around as it is also an opportunity for us to get together during the holidays. Our elders has been practicing love and peace for a long long time. Is this not the kind of camaraderie and peace we look for? It's been here all along and we just need to open our eyes to it, appreciate it and continue to uphold the good values behind it.

Everyone has a story of peace and kindness, of unity and love. Let's share our story and show the people, our friends and family what is it about Malaysia and it's people that we love. And let us contribute in our small ways by practicing the good values we hold dear and aspire our country and people to become.

Of people, the choices we make, and our ability to affect the future.

We read and hear news everyday of rallies, protests, riots, and wars and conflicts all over the world. We are told that we may be targets of terrorists who must be destroyed at all cost and hear the leaders and politicians who tells us that they go to war on humanitarian grounds, to bring democracy to the people who are being oppressed. They spend millions in military spending, go into war frequently and all the while, the economy is in dire straits, needing infusions, and the stock markets and banks are having multiple crisis one after another, in a race to the bottom and decimating the savings and living standards of ordinary people all over the world.

We may live in different countries, with different cultures. But doesn't everyone wants a better living standards, to enjoy life and hopes for a bright future for our family and friends? We can all learn lessons in the happenings around the world because we live in a connected world. What happens in another country and place can happen right here in front of our eyes and at our doorsteps. 

Many in the society thinks that it does not matter. As long as it does not affect their earning and spending power, many would happily leave the politicians and leaders to their antics and treat them as mere theatrics. The majority of the people couldn't care less. "It's politics! I don't want anything to do with it". We can practically smell the fear, disgusts and indifference in the reply.

But when hardship falls upon the people, it is natural that everything is government's fault. It is they who steers the country, we say.

Wait a minute. Who gave them the mandate? Yes. It is you. Me. Every single eligible voter (yes, it includes each and everyone that did not vote, you were given a say in the future and you chose to ignore it. By letting others make a choice for you, you made your choice too. So if things go wrong, blame yourself). 

It is politics. And it matters. It matters because the government we elect will set economic policies, pass laws, design the education systems for our children, and provide public services for us while we, in turn pay taxes to the government. As the government is appointed and paid for by the people, it is thus, accountable to the people in all it's actions.

Everything the government touches affects us. The economic policy will determine whether we are resilient and can withstand economic crises, whether our laws will encourage business friendly environment to encourage entrepreneurship and investors to come and invest here to create a vibrant economy and improve the earnings and living standards of the people. Bad policy will results in our being left behind as the world progress, brain drain as our people seeks greener pastures elsewhere and lower living standards as our purchasing power erodes. 

'But i did not vote for the government!' we say. Well, majority wins. Try harder the next round. 

'It is unfair! They cheat! They lie! We are being oppressed! We will never win!'. Yes, it may be so. We read the details being exposed by concerned and responsible citizens with evidence to boot. We get angry. We get upset. We vent our frustration and anger in the blogsphere. And we try every election to vote in our representative of choice. Our passion and fervour in pursuing accountability, justice, and our constitutional rights are misconstrued as being extreme by the main stream media and a majority of people who has yet to hear both sides of the story to make an opinion. 

Since when is the proposal and act of presenting a memorandum in a peaceful manner to a representative of the people is considered an extreme action? Is it rational for governments to counter it with tear gas and water canons? Who has been looted during the event to present the memorandum? Any shops or car vandalised or burned? Where? Is it rational for government to ban people from wearing a colour and threaten to arrest them for ignoring the ban? Seriously, arrested for wearing a colour? Who is being extreme here? 

Sadly, many who condemn the BERSIH 2.0 rally has no idea what it is all about and most simply do not care one way or another. Why is the rally organised? What is written in the memorandum? Have you read the memorandum? Does it occur to you why the ordinary people who has families and friends, who has been silent for years, young and old alike and the physically challenged, who has the same fear of being arrested and ostracised as you and me chose to attend the rally in spite of everything. Is it rational for ordinary citizens to want to create chaos? We all prefer to spend our weekends with our families or on our hobbies. Why do the people chose instead to brave all the fears and violence to send one memorandum? 

Please, get your facts and stories from both sides before making your own judgement. Let us not be blinded by ignorance and reduced to snap judgements without an analysis and consideration of all available information and its consequences. The attitude of indifference is all too prevalent in our society today. To quote: "we must fear evil men, but there is another evil that we must fear more....and that is the indifference of good men". Indeed, there are evil men, but it is the indifference of good men that allows them to prevail.

What then can the good men do?

There are a lot that we can do:-

1. Let us engage and help to enlighten the people who will listen on why politics is important to everyone. It is an uphill task that not many will appreciate. More often than not, we may be labelled extremist (please, we respect that everyone has a choice and is entitled to their opinion). It is up to us to show them that we are merely passionate in pursuing our rights to have a say and contribute to a better tomorrow. We believe in what we stand for and in lending our voices to the people who shares the same value. We want peace, harmony and prosperity for each and everyone. We abhor sufferings of any kind inflicted upon people. 
2. Show them how  the media reports the same news differently. Let them be the judge on which news agency is worth their time. Present them with choices and let them decide on the quality they prefer. One at a time. This is how i manage to convince my friends and family that there are more worthy and relevant news to read online:

•  One day, my dad announced that he cancelled subscription of the newspapers he'd read faithfully everyday without fail for more than 20 years as there is nothing there worth his time. It happened a year after i introduced him to online alternative news websites. (By the way, i read the same newspapers back in my school days). Oh, and an uncle of mine caught on the trend the same way.
• A foreign friend asked me about the Bersih 2.0 rally. I showed him the Bersih web page which listed the demands, he opined that there is nothing wrong with the demands which is quite ordinary and rational. And he reacted in disbelief and thought i was joking when i told him we were banned from wearing yellow and risks arrest for ignoring the ban. And by the way, he is a public servant back in his country.
• My sister who is never interested in politics read a few articles I recommended via facebook and compared to the mainstream media. I show her occasionally some funny posts which reflects the current events and we had good laughs over it. While i wasn't looking, she told my mum out of the blue one day that the mainstream media is not credible and advises her not to trust them too much. My mum is a housewife and an avid newsreader too and has been so for as long as I can remember. My dear sister did what I (the one who always has a strong opinion on everything which I call passionate, my mum deems extreme) have difficulty doing. My mum asks her, "Who then. can i trust?". Good question. We are getting her an iPad on her coming birthday and teach her the wonders of technology and online news. Keeping my faith and fingers crossed on her ultimate choice!

1. Dispel lies, untruths and fearmongering, by sharing and recommending articles that is substantiated with evidence and facts via social media, especially current issues. Facebook, twitter, blogs, etc. We can provide an alternative platform for the people to broaden their mind and views. Encourage discussion (please, not aggression, insults nor abuse. We are rational people capable of thoughts without degenerating into uncouth behaviour despite provocation). 
2. Encourage our leaders to think and act rationally. Share the views and actions of the elected representatives, aides and others when we think they are doing the right thing. If they can articulate well on the nation's well being and economy, by providing us facts and valid reasoning and analysis, by all means, share and spread their views with the world. We do not care who or which political party they are affiliated to. We will lend them a hand in making their voice heard. And we will give our vote to the one who is worthy. We check both sides of the same coin. 
3. Show our people that we care. That we truly are colour blind. Greet our neighbours and help each other. A simple smile and a greeting each day. A helping hand to one in need. Invite our friends and celebrate our diversity together during the festivals (Raya, Christmas, Deepavali, Chinese New Year). We are not merely tolerant. We accept and embrace each other. We are humans, brothers and sisters despite differing political and religious views and we can agree to differ without hurting each other. We do not need slogans, we can show by our actions the stuffs we are made of. A small gesture goes a long way.
4. Dissatisfied with the education system? It is still a necessity for our children and the future generations. We can start by encouraging them to read and develop their mind. Teach them to ask why and explore the answer together. Let them not be seen and unheard as the generations of the past. The world is advancing each day. Teach them to differentiate and analyse information that they may cultivate critical thinking skills and differentiate between right and wrong, truth and lies. To speak out their mind without fear and be allowed a chance to explain their standing. Teach them and educate ourselves on our values. Where do we draw the line and say that we will not cross it no matter what? (This is another story for another day). 

The list goes on. Its up to us how we contribute towards the kind of society we hope to see one day. The real power lies in us, the people.