Many of us are frustrated with many things but we keep the frustration inside us. Many of us feel that we cannot do anything about the situation in the country but we are wrong. Many of us are doing something but we feel we are not doing enough. Let this letter encourage us!

High mountains were eroded to become plains. Mighty oceans filled. Small ponds become large lakes, a tree grows spreading more seedlings and eventually a forest appears. Of course, all this takes time. Fortunately, for political changes we need not wait for millions of years! It takes only four to five years to happen.

What can the ordinary person in the street do? Plenty if that person opens his eyes and ears. See what is happening to our lovely country; listen to what your politicians are saying. Listen to what others are saying. Compare what you see, read and hear and form a conclusion of your very own. Know for sure of one thing that in this country, your printed and broadcast media are all stanted towards one side of the political arena.

Secondly, know another thing for sure - your politicians are mainly self-serving, poker-faced (at time blatantly so) liars. Therefore, what do you accept? Listen to the voices of the people. Your generation is lucky today to have unprecedented avenues of information via other media, especially the electronics media.

Not all you get here is again the truth and the whole truth, but at least you have the chance to read many views and listen to different opinions. The final decision is yours. Who you believe is telling you the truth or who is lying to you. Be open to suggestions and form a wise opinion. It may not be a popular opinion you eventually hold.

Some will be against you, some may support you, but most important of all it is your personal opinion and they have to respect it. Once you have become a thinking person, once you have a clear idea of what you want for Malaysia, use the power of your vote wisely each election time. Stand up and be counted for you can make a difference in the type of government we have.

Secondly, to enable a fledgling democracy (I am being kind, actually Malaysian democracy is choking itself to death) we need to resuscitate it by speaking out and speaking out loud and clear. Contribute to the discussion of issues relevant to you and your fellow citizens. Do not waste energy and time talking about useless things like where to eat what, who we love to watch on TV, who is sleeping with who and what electrical stuff your neighbour has!

Spend more time for social and community issues. Spend more time enriching your own minds, the minds of your children and neighbours by discussing serious issues with them. Share with them your own discoveries, discuss, be open to listen to their views and form better and stronger convictions.

Unless and until Malaysians become more intelligent in gathering, discriminating and forming ideas, our society will remain backward and will be easily exploited (as we have been for the last 50 odd years) by crafty politicians out to enrich themselves, their families and their cronies.

Don't be simple enough to believe that the opposition parties can provide you with the solution. They might, they might not. Evaluate them carefully too! Do not get into a situation where you jump out of the frying pan into the fire. Every person you vote for must have reached the high standards you have placed for yourself and expect of that person! Make hopeful leaders realise that unless they serve the people, they will not last.

God has gifted us with different talents. Not all can do every task. Do what you feel God has given you and use it for the people. In my twilight years, I should be sitting comfortably looking after grandchildren and enjoying a simple, mundane life but knowing that God has given me the talent to communicate, I have spent literary hours reading and writing so that my wonderful country can gradually change.

Do what you can and do it well and honestly. The rewards may not be immediate, but any change you produce by your own actions today will have cumulative effects for the future and will benefit those generations to come. They will then look back in history and say, ‘We are we are today, because of what our forefathers did.'

If we remain complacent today, our future generations will look back and curse us for putting them in a position worst than the position we are now in (you know how bad a position we are now in, don't you?).

Doing your duty is not to be active politically. It is not to have your articles read by all Malaysians in the media. It is as simple as teaching your children to grow up well, keeping your environment clean and safe or telling off someone straight in that person's face if that person is doing something wrong.

Cooperating with the authorities (when they do things correctly) to ensure that society benefits from their actions but pointing out their shortcomings when they don't perform well are things every citizen must do.

Please don't get me wrong. I am not an anarchist! I respect the institutions of a democratic system. I respect the voices of my fellow people when they have decided on who is to rule. I respect my constitution. I accept decent (not draconian) laws passed for the good of the people.

I respect the authorities (when they do not abuse their powers like saying we cannot wear black!) and will work with them for the benefit of our nation.

Finally, because you are a Malaysian and you live in Malaysia - a land of diverse people, cultures, religions and sensitivities - please understand each other more. Learn not merely to tolerate but to appreciate and accept the differences because the differences are what make us One unique nation.

If we don't, we cannot be strong and respected by other nations. The story of the father who gave a stick for each son to break and later a whole bunch of sticks tied together is a wonderful illustration that all Malaysians must understand and remember.

Let us work as one unit, one people, one nation to make Malaysia a wonderful place to live in.