Hail to the good, brave Malaysians among us

 

Some friends in Jakarta asked recently if I have anything good to say about Malaysia. Of course, I do. In this holy month of Ramadan, let me pen my uncensored answers for them as well as for my other respected readers.

My first point, which may please many Malaysians and Indonesians alike, is about the durian, Malaysia’s king of fruits.

I made the mistake of bringing some “Musang King” durian to Jakarta when it first hit the market, as I thought good things are meant to be shared, especially among special friends here in Jakarta.

Never did I think that it would become my routine for the last 10 years to fill half my suitcase with packets of “musang king” on every trip to Jakarta. (Covid-19 gave me a two-year hiatus).

I was told many years ago that two of those packets found their way to the presidential palace in Menteng. “Musang King” became an instant hit, and more supplies were demanded.

Since then, Malaysia’s durian season was added to the official calendar of the president and regular air freight duly arranged between KL and Jakarta.

That’s a real story that has never been told before.

Heroes of the Malaysian judiciary

Indonesia doesn’t have the kind of problems that we have in our political, social and justice systems.

My second good point about Malaysia has to do with the unilateral conversion of children to Islam, by one parent only.

We have read our fair share about this predicament recently, arising out of discord among the feuding parties. Our media love it, as news sells well.

But thanks to our brave judges in the judiciary, the issue has been nipped in the bud before it got out of hand, preventing further polarisation by religious lunatics.

Despite all the criticisms and a well-planned campaign by state-level religious zealots, our judiciary kept their cool and steadfastly subscribed to our well-defined Constitution.

Well done, and please stay brave.

Towering politicians

Talking about bravery, I must mention several names whom I consider as deserving individuals that makes us all proud to be Malaysians.

A couple of notable brave acts by our budding politicians are found down south in Johor. Marina Ibrahim is one of them.

Through her Twitter account, I noticed that she has been very consistent in her charity and political work, in helping the locals especially during the last two difficult years.

Her hard work and dedication were finally recognised by her political party, DAP, which decided to field her as a candidate for the state seat of Skudai, a predominantly Chinese seat, just outside Johor Bahru.

Her perseverance duly paid off and she won handsomely in the recent Johor state elections.

I could easily classify her political stand to be in the same mold as Rafidah Aziz, an old timer who I much admire for her bravery, astuteness and integrity. Marina, I believe, is similar in character and has a bright future in Malaysian politics.

As for Rafidah, I can only imagine the tremendous pressure she must have faced in not covering her head during her heyday of leading Wanita Umno. It must have been a nightmare for her as a leader, to engage those fanatical members.

Cultural diversity

I pity many of the ladies today who easily crumble or succumb to peer pressure and must conform. I truly think they should put up a fight and be as brave as Rafidah was.

Marina displayed her originality by promoting the traditional Malay dress and culture during her election campaign. If only all the female election candidates follow her methods, Malaysia would receive a boost towards the rebirth of Malay culture, traditions and heritage.

I believe politics play a major part in inculcating the right culture. Only brave politicians could incorporate those elements in order to fight the cultural neurotics, not to mention the open bribery of voters. The voters should be brave enough to record and report those disgusting acts.

In the same vein, I must also mention the continuous bravery displayed by Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman in the run-up to the formation of his new party, Muda. He and his party, with the right cultural diversity and multi-racial ideals, would be a tremendous force in national politics.

PKR’s comeback kid

Now that Rafizi Ramli has decided to make a comeback, there is a small window of opportunity for his party, PKR, to make a difference and get voted back again, provided he wins the No. 2 post.

Rafizi is another brave young man who is old enough to admit all the past mistakes. How I wish his party members would listen to his arguments, for the sake of a better PKR and for the country.

Some leaders in PKR, no doubt, have too much ego but are short on ideas. At least, Rafizi has some sense of renewed hope and purpose for his party, with the right approach to expose bribery and corrupt practices.

Old warrior bows out

I cannot end my observations on Malaysia without mentioning an important figure in politics, who has just retired recently. Saudara Lim Kit Siang dedicated 56 years of his adult life to DAP, providing useful understanding and wisdom on the rights of all Malaysians.

He was also a pillar of strength when it came to bribery and corruption. So, happy retirement, Sir. You will be dearly missed by most Malaysians.

Cultural and sporting heroes

Besides the good and brave people in politics, I must also salute Farah Ann Abdul Hadi, a brave young lady who made it to the Olympics. It’s never easy to please religious bigots when you wear a leotard and do gymnastics.

I would also like to tip my hat to Fahmi Reza and Zunar, whose satire and drawings have always caught my attention. I think they are both very brave men of art, inspiring and talented. Two examples for many young people in this country to follow.

Finally, we must appreciate the ingenuity of four Malaysian girls who excel in music and have made Malaysia proud.

They call themselves “Dolla”, and their song “Make me Glow” is a No.1 hit in the international music scene. The people behind their music, dance routine and composition are tremendously artistic, creative and persuasive Malaysians, too.

They must accept criticism that Dolla are copycats of South Korean K-pop bands. Yes, quite similar, but given the diverse Malaysian crowd, Dolla is more discerning, not so garish and less gaudy.

Selamat Hari Raya to all and please enjoy this catchy tune by Dolla.

 

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.