The Malay community's bad habits of gossiping ( mengumpat, menfitnah ) and condemning other people's success or failure can be traced back to the Melaka sultanate's glory days. Then the courts ( istana ) and the noblemen engaged in such activities to protect their turf and privileges by slandering rival noblemen.

Modern history has shown that the Melaka sultanate fell not because the Portuguese were strong, but because the Malay community was weak and not united in facing their enemies. It was also due to the backstabbing and treachery of the noblemen who betrayed their rulers for short-term gains.

Sometimes I cannot understand the Malay community. They might be religiously inclined, the women might be wearing the scarf to cover their head (but not their tongues), they conduct their daily prayers regularly, and perform umrah and haj several times, but still like to slander other people behind their backs.

If they have bothered to read the Holy Quran and Hadith Nabi, they should know that it is a cardinal sin to comment on other people's weakness to all and sundry, but old habits die hard as our tongue does not have any bone ( lidah tak bertulang ).

I always believe silence is golden, and would not give two hoots about malicious rumours as my religion tells me that it is the uncivilised and uncouth person who suffers from foot-in-mouth disease.

George Bernard Shaw said it succinctly, "the best scorned is silence", and the reason why the Almighty gives us two ears and one mouth is to listen more and talk less, and only say things which benefit the public and do not hurt other people's feelings.

Eleanor Roosevelt's words of wisdom still hold true: "Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events and small minds discuss people."