Much as I am worried for my motherland, the way she’s being governed, abused and bled dry, I must admit there are some things and people, I’m grateful for.
When adversity strikes, you will find out for sure, who truly is your brother, sister and friend.
A relative once told me - just because we are relatives, it doesn’t mean that we are friends. That broke my heart. How can a friend measure up to a relative?
(To me, family was and still is everything. Really, everything. My husband told me that on his deathbed, he would only make one single request. That our children will always be there for each other, no matter what.)
That one incident has been the most painful of all my experiences. However, like what I’ve learnt and hope, too, my children will, that the most painful experience of them all will make the best lesson, if we let it be.
From that one incident, I found friends among my remaining siblings, and in my friends, sisters and brothers were born.
Malaysia has gone through a lot, in recent times. All of us Malaysians have been dragged through the mud, at one time or another. Mostly, unnecessarily so.
But that one thing always stood out.
No matter who. No matter what. No matter when. When one of us is being selectively persecuted, another would rise and stand up for us.
She is no other than Sisters in Islam (SIS).
When adversity hits some of us, SIS will drop her barriers, forget her prejudices (if any) and be there to share our misfortune and suffering, as if it were her own. In her acts of kindness, she helps dispel our misery.
Mana mau cari, Malaysia? Mana?
SIS is not just a gem for our Muslim sisters, both locally and globally, but she has proven herself to be that ‘sister’, for all of us.
What’s so wrong in working towards a nation based on the principle of justice? Towards a better society? For gender justice?
What’s so wrong in trying to put right, what’s truly deviant - using God’s name in vain to justify domestic violence, oppression and discrimination?
SIS believes that Islam could help elevate the stature of women. As Zaid Kamaruddin said at the Negara-Ku roadshow which kicked off in Malacca last night, if someone truly “berakhlak Islam”, there should be no problems. God is love. If someone truly profess Him, the way SIS does, she is indeed God-sent and not deviant. We should praise The Good Lord for SIS!
On behalf of all right-thinking Malaysians, thank you SIS, for all the mercy, love and compassion you have shown to each and everyone of us. Thank you so much for empowering, not just Muslim women world-wide, but each and every one of us through your leadership and acts of love.
Gallant youth coming forward
All is not lost with Malaysia, for we have the UM8 and their friends. Gallant youth coming forward to fight not just for themselves but for their peers, lecturers and even evicted folks of Kampung Chubadak. In their courageous fight for academic freedom and against injustice and oppression, they are now facing suspension for having gone ahead with unsanctioned talks featuring Anwar Ibrahim and Opah Wahida and the villagers.
Do not fear, my young friends, for the majority of Malaysians are with you. In you, we have found hope for a better Malaysia. For a better tomorrow, for everyone. Even if they kick you all out of UM, many others will welcome you with open arms. If they strip you of your scholarship, Fahmi, many others will help you out.
Do not be afraid to be true to yourselves and to Malaysia, my young friends. Malaysia needs your courage, more than anything, right now. Remain steadfast in your quest to be proactive thinkers, independent and to learn beyond the four walls of your classrooms. Don’t let anyone tell you what and how to think for only, when you have control of your minds, can you control your actions.
Have total control of your own minds, my young friends. This is your life, not anyone else’s. Engage, collaborate, and most of all, discern. You are the future leaders of Malaysia, a Malaysia blessed with a multiracial makeup. Blessed, because there is so much we can offer each other if only we do not let others control our minds and feed on our fears.
All of us, Malaysians, only want what's best for our beloved motherland. No one in his right mind wants to destroy Malaysia. We can’t do this alone. We need each other. So, my young friends, voice out your fears. Tell each other what’s troubling your goodselves. Find a middle path. Find a way. Agree to disagree. Unity is neither uniformity nor conformity but unite, we must. Strive to unite all around you. There’s no other way to go. This is Malaysia, after all.
Abandon the ways of old - of divide-and-rule, of bigotry and of ‘Ketuanan’. If there are no masters, there won’t be slaves. Be courageous and leave behind cowardly practices. You have all of Malaysia, behind you. Go forth, my l’il Davids and slay the Goliaths in your midst.
Chong Wei, everyone loves you
Last but not least, let's all rally behind that one guy who has never failed to unite all Malaysians in his enduring quest to bring glory to our nation, again and again.
Dear Chong Wei, everyone loves you. You have given us much happiness, pride and joy for so many, many years. You have shown true grit in all your endeavours; something our youth should and will emulate. You have worked very hard to be World Number 1, for so long and you deserve all that comes with it, and more.
You are our gift from God, Chong Wei. We believe in you. You have brothers and sisters, among us, Malaysians. We are a family, Chong Wei, and we love you so.
We have many angels among us; sent by God to hold our hands when the going gets tough.
I cannot remember all of you but I do know many of you out there have made a difference to all our lives. You know who you are and I thank you, all. Know that we are forever, grateful, for your graciousness and acts of love you have displayed; just because we are fellow Malaysians.
May God bless each and every one of you, forever more.
