I know Malaysia as the place for where I was born. In a more familiar Malay saying "The Land Where My Blood Spilled". It is a saying to say the moment we were brought out to the world, it was through our mothers womb that we were given chance to live through this life. Knowingly, it is an accustom (for Malays to be exact) to relate birth with our mother, our mother's pain at labour and all the other sacrifices that were made to bring her child to the world. We cherished, we valued our mother which follows the saying that "Heaven is beneath a mother's foot".
I know Malaysia as the place I grew up. At age 7, all children was made compulsory to attend school. Although many suggestions were made by the most influencial people about our education system, there are no immediate changes to make children to start school at a younger age, say like 5 years old. I do believe that the education system that we have followed closely to that of the British considering we have uniforms, grades, a standard form of examinations that was equivalent to GCE and GCSE exams, do need reconsideration. The first point that I solely agrees with (quoted from the Prime Minister of Singapore) was to change the approach of schooling from learning to exploring. This I believe enhances the way a child is thinking, i.e. to be intuitive.
So, coming back to the Malaysia I know, at school I learned all sorts of subjects. From Maths to English to the Malay language, to Islamic studies. We never had any sciences subject then. As I grew older, I learned more complex subjects such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History.. oh, and tell me about history... I LIKE... well, it was a boring subject but I take it as something that taught us to know more about ourselves. Why do we have the Sultans as the Head of States, why Malacca don't have any, why we were to have an ID card. Does anyone knows where we came to use the saying of telling time "Satu Setengah" to tell time of 1.30 pm? Well, well, well.. If it was not the friends we have over here who tells time like "Half One" or "Its quarter past" and "Its quarter to". Yeap, these are the friends whom occupied our country, back in the time of Leornardo Da Vinci ( recalling that I am reading the Da Vinci's Code now hihihi) painted his famous Mona Lisa.
Well done ME, I know my history, I know where I came from, I know how important it is to be able to integrate this knowledge with the current modern thinking of a MALAYSIAN. I know enough that we were NOT CONQUERED by China, or India for the reason we have mixed race now in Malaysia. Thanks to the British whom introduce our country to the world (Malaysia Truly Asia ey??) by bringing Chinese and Indian immigrants into the Malaya we knew then.
And therefore now, the Malaysia I know.. I have many friends back there. In fact I've had a best friend whom is a Chinese girl. We were the best of friends in the days of our undergraduate studies. I know she is all successfull now, I am glad she is. Oh, and did I mention another dear colleague of mine, this sweet Chinese lady. The other colleagues in the office called us "Twins" as we were in separable at all times. My dad have by his side his two "partners in crime", two Indian contractors. I think these were the best of his contractors he ever had to back him up with his work at this hotel with world known reputation. Surprisingly, my brother kept constant contact with his long distance ex-classmate, the Chinese boy whom I knew had gone to the same school and same class since he started schooling. Although he moved to another state, but they are still in contact with eact other (my brother kept all his contact number in his mobile phone, yeah).
And so, I have been thinking about this for sometime. To tell everyone about the Malaysia I know. A friendly note that we Malaysian although modern, does cherish our traditional values and intend to keep it that way.
I know Malaysia as the place I grew up. At age 7, all children was made compulsory to attend school. Although many suggestions were made by the most influencial people about our education system, there are no immediate changes to make children to start school at a younger age, say like 5 years old. I do believe that the education system that we have followed closely to that of the British considering we have uniforms, grades, a standard form of examinations that was equivalent to GCE and GCSE exams, do need reconsideration. The first point that I solely agrees with (quoted from the Prime Minister of Singapore) was to change the approach of schooling from learning to exploring. This I believe enhances the way a child is thinking, i.e. to be intuitive.
So, coming back to the Malaysia I know, at school I learned all sorts of subjects. From Maths to English to the Malay language, to Islamic studies. We never had any sciences subject then. As I grew older, I learned more complex subjects such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History.. oh, and tell me about history... I LIKE... well, it was a boring subject but I take it as something that taught us to know more about ourselves. Why do we have the Sultans as the Head of States, why Malacca don't have any, why we were to have an ID card. Does anyone knows where we came to use the saying of telling time "Satu Setengah" to tell time of 1.30 pm? Well, well, well.. If it was not the friends we have over here who tells time like "Half One" or "Its quarter past" and "Its quarter to". Yeap, these are the friends whom occupied our country, back in the time of Leornardo Da Vinci ( recalling that I am reading the Da Vinci's Code now hihihi) painted his famous Mona Lisa.
Well done ME, I know my history, I know where I came from, I know how important it is to be able to integrate this knowledge with the current modern thinking of a MALAYSIAN. I know enough that we were NOT CONQUERED by China, or India for the reason we have mixed race now in Malaysia. Thanks to the British whom introduce our country to the world (Malaysia Truly Asia ey??) by bringing Chinese and Indian immigrants into the Malaya we knew then.
And therefore now, the Malaysia I know.. I have many friends back there. In fact I've had a best friend whom is a Chinese girl. We were the best of friends in the days of our undergraduate studies. I know she is all successfull now, I am glad she is. Oh, and did I mention another dear colleague of mine, this sweet Chinese lady. The other colleagues in the office called us "Twins" as we were in separable at all times. My dad have by his side his two "partners in crime", two Indian contractors. I think these were the best of his contractors he ever had to back him up with his work at this hotel with world known reputation. Surprisingly, my brother kept constant contact with his long distance ex-classmate, the Chinese boy whom I knew had gone to the same school and same class since he started schooling. Although he moved to another state, but they are still in contact with eact other (my brother kept all his contact number in his mobile phone, yeah).
And so, I have been thinking about this for sometime. To tell everyone about the Malaysia I know. A friendly note that we Malaysian although modern, does cherish our traditional values and intend to keep it that way.
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