Once We Were Beautiful

By Art Harun

Once we were beautiful
I am blessed. So are many of my friends who are of or around my age. So are many who are older than me.
As a child of the 60s, I went through my formative years in an English-stream school. It was a big school in town. And there were hundreds of us Malays, Chinese and Indian boys (it wasn’t co-ed). Our first headmaster was a Chinese gentleman who was as fierce as they came those days. When he left, he was replaced by an Indian gentleman, who also was as fierce.
My first class teacher was Ms Leong, all long haired and short skirted. And yes, armed with a wooden ruler, she would knock my knuckles for failing to properly write the number 8. My first English sentence, learnt on the first day at school was to be uttered after raising my right hand, “Please teacher may I go out?” That was to be said if any of us had to go to the toilet to do the normal stuffs we all do in the toilet (and not to eat).
Then there were Mr Linggam, Cikgu Aziz and wife, Sharom, Mr Lee the karate guy, Mr Khor, Cikgu Mutalib and various others.
We were a happy bunch. We played together, ate together, learned together and of course, at times, punished together. And we were equal.
In standard 5, I began fasting. The school canteen stayed open for the whole month. No renovation. No closure. Muslim and non-Muslim kids, who did not fast, ate as usual. If they bought a proper meal, such like nasi lemak or mee goreng, they would eat at the canteen. If it was some kind of snack, they would just eat while walking around, in the class or where ever.
No fuss. No issue. No problem.
My impressionable years were spent in a boarding school. It was the same scenario. All of us, regardless of race or religion studied together, ate together, played together and at times, getting one or two rotan together.

Visiting a non-Malay house was not a problem. Eating there was not a problem too. Sharing food with non-Muslims was not an issue.

Things have however, sadly, changed. And change for the worse.

Nowadays, non-Muslims don’t send their kids to national school anymore. They prefer to send the kids to the vernacular schools. The ones who could afford would send their kids to private schools. National schools are almost invariably filled with Muslim/Malay students.
National schools would recite prayers before classes begin in the morning. Quranic verses and hadith would adorn walls in the canteen, school office and even classes. Ustaz and ustazah would even ask school kids to raise their hands if their parents do not pray 5 times a day. In secondary schools, the tudung is not compulsory for girls – according to the Ministry of Education’s circular, if I am not mistaken – but girls without tudung would be viewed askance by schoolmates and teachers alike.

Due to the small number of non-Muslim/Malay kids in national schools, the Malay kids do not have the opportunity to mix around and integrate with non-Malays in their formative and impressionable years. The small number of non-Malay kids also gives a sense of false superiority complex to the Malay kids as well as teachers.

Thus, my race and my religion are more important than you, your religion and everything else. Hence the closure of the school canteen during Ramadhan. This is prevailing in many national schools. Apparently, this is done to “respect” the Muslim students who are fasting. Forget the fact that non-Muslims do not fast and they, like any other human beings or animals, have to eat and drink. Forget the fact that there are Muslim kids who do not fast. Anybody who just about mentions the word “food” would have been taken as insulting Islam.

On Facebook last week, there were two guys admonishing a hotel which advertised its breakfast package on its page. They viewed it as disrespectful. But to be fair, the two were widely condemned by other Muslim facebookers.

The eating-in-the-changing-room debacle yesterday is just the surface of a far unhealthier trend in Malaysia. Beneath that surface is a society which is fractious, intolerant, selfish and uncompromising.

The obvious question is how did we, as a nation, become like this?

As a nation we started so well. The Federal Constitution was agreed upon by consensus between three major races anchored to a give-and-take and win-win camaraderie. There was a blemish in 1969 but that was quickly nipped in the bud and we soldiered on.

In football, we were in the Olympic final in 1972 and 1980. By the law of progression, we should be in the World Cup by now. By contrast, Japan and Korea, whom we used to beat, were already in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. We now struggle to beat the likes of Vietnam and even Singapore.

Like our football team, the state of our racial integration and inter-faith relationship has moved in reverse gear. Years of political posturing utilizing religion and race have now begun to show its ugly consequences. The so-called Islamisation that we embark upon, which is shorn of any meaningful spiritual understanding of the religion, but rather born out of political necessities, convenience and mired in political one-upmanship has now produced a nation which is unsure of itself and a people who are fractious, angry, suspicious and at odd with each other.

We need to take a real good look at ourselves and examine our ways. And we need to reboot our operating system if we want to avoid a total crash.

And we need to reboot fast.

Why Being Bias ?

First of all, I would like to say that the act of uploading the picture of a non-halal food while wishing "Selamat Berbuka Puasa" is a "stupendous" act and it clearly shows immaturity of the person who did that. We are living in a multi racial country and we have been brought up by our religion, our parents, our teachers, our society to live in harmony with one another, regardless of race and religion and social background.

Now they have been slapped with charges, and not allowed bail. Ok.

But, what about the person who ask for the Alkitab (Bible in Malay) to be burn ? Isn't that person suppose to be charged as well for uttering seditious comments and thus inciting social disharmony ? Or the person who went undercover into a Church to take Holy Communion, and spitting it out back and then published it in a local daily ? Isn't that consider an offence of uploading content that has possibility to stir hostility ?

My question is - why is it so bias ? Why not treat all with the same respect due ? Its so sad to read the newspaper nowadays wondering why some has been let go with just a reprimand even though there was no apology to the public, and the other one was charged in court even though a public apology was given.

We are getting advance in one way, but it doesn't look as though tolerance and respect towards one another is advancing. A point to myself to always teach my children to respect one another. That is what Christ expects us to do - "Do unto others as you would like others to do unto you."

Spectacular View of the City of Cannes

Had a opportunity to visit Cannes for a Working Group Meeting. Cannes, the city of film...
The scenery was just breath-taking. Truly wonderful and marvellous...

A Wonderful Reminder For Me....

People are often unreasonable & self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good.
Give the world the best you have & it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.

For you see, in the end, it is between you & God. It was never between you & them anyway.

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

What A Man Wants

“…as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything.” - Ephesians 5:24

Wives, do you often find yourself wishing that you could figure out what your husbands want? Do they want looks, devotion, or smarts? Of course, every guy is different, but many wives are clueless about what their husbands need the most. They often make the mistake of thinking that his greatest need is like hers - the need for romantic love. Well, he may want that, too, but the husband’s greatest need is for respect. This is how God has wired him. So wives, how can you live this out? Here are a few clues:

Praise: Build him up in a world where he often gets beaten down. Just think how much you like to hear the words,”I love you,” and praise him just that much and more.

Seek to be his best friend: With his wife, he needs support not competition. Men as a whole, are not as relational and verbal as women.

Have a willingness to follow his lead. You’re kidding! In the 21st century you want me to follow his lead?

Well, if this makes you mad, argue with God, not me. It’s His Book. This is how you really respect your husband. When he senses this, it’s amazing how much he will strive to please you and respect what you have to say.

A Letter To Daniel

Dear Daniel,

Since you cannot follow mummy to Langkawi, mummy will bring to you the jet fighters from Langkawi.

Mummy loves you and will see you soon this Saturday.

Lots of love and kisses,
Mummy

Bye Bye 2012, Welcome 2013

Bye bye 2012
I hv had a memorable year of ups and downs, happiness n anxieties. Thank you Lord for 2012.

Hello 2013
I look forward to 2013 - joy & happiness, health and success, and all that The Lord shall bestow upon me.

Happy New Year all bloggers..
May the coming year be a fruitful year for you and me.
God bless..

Luv,
Elena & Family