It’s not that I’m complaining. I just love my country, that’s all.
Fellow Malaysians, do you hear a lot of this, “our country is so dirty, the rubbish is everywhere, unlike Singapore,” I believe that there are many other exemplary countries too but we Malaysians normally compare with Singapore because it is just about 15 minutes (or less) drive from the south of Johor.
I don’t know as for the rest of you but it burns my ears having to take heed of such comment.
Those days when we were younger or young children today I believe have been taught with all the basic good deeds in life in view of a guidance for them to grow and become morally right grown-ups.
Despite the notion where learning begins has progressed over the years, if I were to present my belief in a plain context, it will be something like “Education starts from home, as young as when a child develops a sense of understanding a simple manner,” Example of simple manners like putting an index finger on the lips to show silence, or call a mother ‘mama’.
And as a child grows, he is capable to comprehend something more complex. Something like when an adult says to a child, “Please throw the rubbish,” He would go to the garbage to get rid of the trash. My cousin’s 5 year-old (or 4 going to 5) boy does the same act and that is also how I was taught and what I practice until today.
The sad part is that there is no continuity to this or relatively the approach is not holistic enough? Names shall not be mentioned (as I have promised) but I do know some adults who just toss rubbish anywhere they like as long as it is not in their home or car. So I guess the missing element here is to educate the young to throw rubbish at the garbage bin – and this does not just apply at home, at school or in the car but it concerns everywhere!
So if Malaysians are made up of ‘rakyat’ with this kind of could-not-care-less attitude, how can we even be recognized as world-class citizen?
It is an eyesore to witness a person open the car door and throw toll receipts and candy wrappers outside of the car. It’s like the biggest garbage bin is there – outside of the car!
Children are like white piece of cloth. It is the duty of the elder ones to precede with decent examples.
Happy Chinese New Year to those celebrating.
Listening to: Black Velvet by Alanah Miles.






