1Malaysia, boleh!

Joy does not last long.
After the happy moment at my school that my baby, ESN had finally been published yesterday(29th of May), I had to say goodbye to my classmate, Hafizuddin (I always call him Hafiz), who has decided to study in SPA (Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam), instead of STPM. I was sad as we have studied together for nearly one year. We might not be close friends, but we are good friends!
That would be the last time we met, so Hafiz decided to treat all his classmates from 6 A SAINS for lunch at the KFC restaurant at 3 p.m.
Well, we had a great time when we were at the restaurant. We enjoyed our lunch very much. We chatted and joked, a sense of joy filled the air. It seemed that we almost forgot Hafiz was leaving us.
Honestly, I was quite happy when we could mix together so well although we were of different races, because we were doing our part to achieve 1Malaysia.
Let us get to the point, we can easily observe that many young Malaysians nowadays are mixing with friends who are of the same races. They discriminate those who are of different colours. In fact, this is not a healthy phenomenon in this multi-ethnic country, as it will make the bond of unity among the young generations more vulnerable. Probably, the tragedy of 513 race riot may recur (of course I don't wish it might, but I just state the probable results). Why must they discriminate each other? We are all humans, and best of all, Malaysians! We have so many things in common - we have a pair of eyes and of ears, a nose, a mouth; and we can speak, walk and think as well! What we are slightly different are our skin colours, cultures and mother tongues. How can we let these kinds of distinctions to stop us from befriending with other races, who just have some very slight differences from us, but still, they are humans and Malaysians? This is pretty irrational!
We are born in this land and we are equal. We should share our cultures and beliefs with each other to deepen the understanding among us, in order to cultivate a sense of tolerance. Therefore, there are no longer Malays, Chinese and Indians, we are all Malaysians! We must play our role to accomplish 1Malaysia!
Well, at the KFC restaurant, I could see there were 14 Malaysians, who were enjoying their lunch, and bidding farewell to their friend, who was leaving. Thus, 1Malaysia, boleh!

Hey, show your guts, man!

The Birth of ESN

I am a chief editor of the editorial board of an English newsletter under the English Society. ESN (English Society Newsletter) is the name of the newsletter. I had been painstakingly working on the newsletter, in the hope to publish it as well as to help our schoolmates improve their command of English, and most of all, to create an awareness of the importance of English among them.
After two months of hard work since the April, the publication of the first issue of ESN has finally seen the light of day. Yesterday, that was 29th of May, was a historic moment when my baby was brought to SMK SG. BESAR. Aye!
To be honest, the publication of the English newsletter is a great effort that had never been done before. Thus, I can proudly and confidently say that I am the one, who come up with this idea, and the brainchild of mine was greatly complimented by my school principal, Madam Zuraidah and my advisor, Mr. Thamlarason. My idea was a trademark, and hopefully, the publication of ESN would not die a death.
I sincerely hope that my coming successors of the President of the English Society and also the chief editor of ESN could continue my effort to publish ESN. More importantly, I hope they can be as dedicated as me to raise the standard of English in SMK SG. BESAR to a greater height.

Leave Off the Drama, Get Back to the Reality

Teacher’s Day is the time when all the students must take the opportunity to appreciate and be thankful to their teachers for teaching, guiding, and moulding them to be better ones.
As Teacher’s Day approached, many students started to busily think of what kind of gift was best for their teachers; many were also busy preparing for a great and memorable ceremony for all the teachers in conjunction with the very special day to every teacher. I believe many teachers were busy “preparing” for the big day, too – “Which kind of clothes should I wear to attend that ceremony?”; “Oh, I need to go shopping to buy an attractive outfit for that function.”, etc., were lingering around their minds.
Before the ceremony, the students were busy rehearsing KOMPANG, NASYID, DIKIR BARAT, and other performances; some were painstakingly decorating the hall; and the emcees were cudgeling their brains to write a speech and creating some poems to praise the teachers. I believe all of them felt those were worth their efforts, as those were for their beloved teachers.
During the ceremony, like the usual custom, there were speeches from the powers that be from the Education Department and the school authorities; then followed by singing our national anthem; and came the performances from the students. I bet all the teachers enjoyed themselves very much and had a good day.
However, the joy was not permanent…
On the following days, everything goes as usual. All those students, who begged their teachers’ pardon and who thanked and gave adorable gifts to their teachers during the Teacher’s Day, are found snoring and chatting in the class as if the teachers are transparent. The teachers’ temper is pricked as the students do not complete their homework or assignments, yet they are not guilty, and are fooling around. The discipline teachers still have to hold a cane, patrolling all over the school to search for smokers, loafing students and other trouble-makers, and chasing the lawbreakers when they find some.
The appreciations and the forgiveness the students had besought from their teachers were all gone. Everything we had during the Teacher’s Day was just akin to a heart-warming drama – it was not genuine.
Many students who performed during the Teacher’s Day were “wearing masks”. They performed to entertain the teachers, in the intention to appreciate their teachers for teaching them. Behind the stage, with their masks off, they do not even greet their teachers properly when the teachers enter their class; some do not greet the teachers when they see the teachers outside the class; and some are being rude to the teachers. Even worse, some students secretly swear at the teachers they hate by writing on the wall in the toilets. Gratitude and respect do not exist any longer.
Don’t you think it is totally meaningless to celebrate the Teacher’s Day, which is claimed as the day when all the students must thank their teachers, but which is just a drama?
What a teacher needs is a truly polite, obedient and diligent student, who always respects the teachers and studies hard, and in turn, they can pass their examinations with flying colours. Only those students will truly make the teachers happy and proud and that pleasure will last throughout the lifespan of the teachers. The teachers gain nothing but only a sense of pride. Only the students themselves get the compliment and they are the only ones, who would go far. However, the teachers are still tirelessly pounding knowledge through our thick skulls. That’s why a teacher is always said as a noble profession. The teachers are the unsung heroes, who yield those students, and the teachers have done a great job in the development of our country by producing more and more talents. Aye, teachers!
Therefore, a teacher does not need any drama or gift that intends to entertain him/her temporarily. What he/she needs is a life-long-lasting satisfaction that he/she has produced many humble and talented students, who can help to develop our country. If the students want to be thankful to their teachers, they just need to study hard and score well in their examinations. That is the way to repay our teachers who have struggled to bestow everything they know upon us. Most of all, the students must always be polite and humble to their teachers to show their respect.
Since Teacher’s Day is a day when we show our gratitude to our teachers, and if every student studies hard and respects their teachers every time and everywhere, then shouldn’t everyday be Teacher’s Day, when there is no any drama? Thus, hereby, I, from the bottom of my heart, wish all the teachers – Happy Teacher’s Day!