I'm indebted to you..

I'm indebted to God... for my faith,
I'm indebted to my parents...for my life,
I'm indebted to my siblings, my wife and my children...for my love,
I'm indebted to my teachers and lecturers...for my success,
I'm indebted to my friends...for my ups and downs,
And I'm indebted myself...for my freedom.

In life, we actually owe or indebted to someone some thing...and these things are meant for life. Some people don't realize this and they tend to become more materialistic and selfish. That's what destroyed our morale (and sad to say, our country as well). Everyone cares for themselves and only care what's best for themselves.

There's a phrase, "give and take" is something that everyone should put in mind and in their life principles. Ever wonder why the word give is before take? Not because it was placed in alphabetical order (although technically supposed to be that way). But there's more to it. 'Give' was placed ahead of 'take' brings a significant meaning - that we should learn how to give before we learn how to take. But practically, we don't practice this in life - when we were young, we always received gifts before we even know how to give them (and we demand for more!) But, as I grew older, I realized giving meant much much more than taking. I now felt much much happier than before. I've learnt from the people i'm indebted to...how to give. For me, what they have given me, i'm bonded with them for life. I can never return it to them. Therefore, i would rather give others what i have...coz i've taken more from them.

My parents, gave me life, they deserve every right on my life...how can i return it to them? All i can do, is to make the best of my life..enjoy what i'm doing, make my life a useful one.

My siblings, gave me endless love of a family...together with my wife (hope it'll be u,KC) and my children (oklar, in future not now...) so to return the love they gave...is to love them more! Sometimes, it's hard to show the emotions, but i hope they realise deep down in my heart, i love them more than they ever thought!

Teachers and lecturers, with all the advice, and guidance...i can never return it to them....my success are all because of what they have taught me, all the unselfish knowledge they have given me. The best i can do, is to make my life, as successful as much as i enjoy it. What they have given me, it's bonded til the day i die. And share my knowledge with all, that's what they wish for!

Friends, without them, life is meaningless. They brought happiness and sadness as well...without these spices, i wouldn't see life as sumthing meaningful. Without their support and friendship, i would have been nobody. This makes me to appreciate my life even more!

In the end of the day, learn to give and give more than take for it will not just brighten up our day, but others too! Taking makes us indebted to some one, which we may never able to pay in this live...so better to give! Share the love, kindness, knowledge and everything we have with everyone coz every living being on earth deserved them!

This is dedicated to my family, teachers, lecturers and friends...and specially for u, KC...for u have enlighten me with what u gave...u've restored the confidence that i've once lost...love u all!

Syed Imran: Antara pendatang dan penumpang

This is an article i got from a friend, Shirleen...I dun care if i'm being sued for plagiarism, but to me, the awareness of Malaysian and also the unity of Malaysians are more important to me. Therefore, i decided to spread this to people around me, hoping that they are enlighten and start to develop a mindset: Malaysia is for Malaysian. Enjoy reading, and hope that everyone, who call themselves true Malaysian, will spread the good united Malaysian spirit around.

Pada mulanya saya agak keberatan nak ulas kekecohan yang berpunca ekoran daripada kenyataan ketua UMNO bahagian Bukit Bendera, Pulau Pinang bernama Ahmad bin Ismail. Sama ada benar atau tidak apa yang didakwa dikatakan olehnya mengenai rakyat Malaysia keturunan Cina bukan persoalannya kerana isu tersebut sudahpun merebak dan mengapi-apikan keadaan.

Jika tidak ditangani dengan cermat, teliti dan bijak, isu itu boleh ditangguk dalam air yang keruh oleh anasir-anasir yang ingin melihat negara ini hancur serta mengundang campur tangan kuasa asing. Dalam zaman dunia tanpa sempadan dan liputan meluas dan segera oleh media elektronik antarabangsa, apa yang berlaku di sesebuah negara itu tidak dapat disembunyi atau dinafikan.

Isu pokok yang dibangkitkan oleh Ahmad Ismail membabitkan persoalan "menumpang" iaitu rakyat Malaysia keturunan Cina adalah penumpang di negara ini. Beliau menjelaskan bahawa ia merujuk kepada zaman pra-Merdeka. Bagaimanapun, sensitiviti rakyat Malaysia keturunan Cina telah terguris.

Saya tidak mengenali secara peribadi Ahmad Ismail, tetapi kenal agak rapat dengan Allahyarham abangnya, Abdul Rahim Ismail, pemilik Syarikat Pembinaan Rahim yang pada satu ketika dahulu agak terkenal sebagai sebuah firma pembinaan Bumiputera yang unggul di Pulau Pinang. Saya tidak tahu apa dah jadi dengan syarikat itu selepas Abdul Rahim meninggal dunia.

Secara peribadi, saya tidak setuju dengan apa yang didakwa dikata oleh Ahmad Ismail atas beberapa sebab.

Bagi saya, hampir 90 peratus rakyat Malaysia, khususnya di Semenanjung, adalah pendatang dan kita semua sebenarnya menumpang hidup di bumi Allah. Kita bukan pemilik kekal tetapi hanya menumpang.

Sebagai contoh, saya sendiri adalah keturunan pendatang yang menumpang hidup di bumi bertuah ini. Datuk nenek di sebelah bapa saya berhijrah dari Makkah dan dari Brunei ke sini manakala di sebelah ibu pula dari Hadhramut, Yaman. Kami adalah pendatang dan penumpang sama seperti hampir semua penduduk negara ini khususnya di Pulau Pinang.

Bagi Ahmad Ismail, dia juga datang dari keluarga pendatang dan menumpang hidup di negara ini. Ahmad Ismail tidak boleh menafikan hakikat bahawa datuk neneknya adalah pendatang dari India untuk menerokai penghidupan yang lebih baik dan selesa di bumi bertuah ini.

Perdana Menteri Abdullah bin Ahmad juga tergolong dalam kategori yang sama. Datuknya di sebelah ibu adalah pendatang dari wilayah Guandong, China. Pendek kata, datuk Pak Lah iaitu bapa Allahyarhamah Kailan bernama Hassan Salleh atau Hah Su Chiang adalah seorang pendatang. Beliau berhijrah ke Tanah Melayu dari wilayah Guandong (Kwantung) pada pertengahan abad ke-19 dan menetap di Bayan Lepas sebagai pekebun getah, pesawah padi dan kemudian saudagar intan berlian.

Najib Tun Razak, Timbalan PM juga berasal daripada keluarga pendatang iaitu dari Sulawesi, Indonesia atau lebih senang disebut orang Bugis manakala sepupunya Hishamudin Hussein tidak terlepas daripada darah keturunan Turki.

Datuk nenek mantan PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad juga pendatang dari Kerala, India manakala ibu Almarhum Tunku Abul Rahman berasal dari negeri Siam (Thailand).

Kesultanan Melayu Melaka pun dibuka oleh orang pendatang dari Sumatra bernama Parameswara, seorang anak raja atau bangsawan beragama Hindu.

Dalam sejarah kesultanan Melayu, kita dapati ada yang ditubuh oleh pendatang dari Bugis dan ada pula dari Hadhramut selain dari Minangkabau.

Hampir semua orang Melayu di sini berasal dari luar Tanah Melayu tetapi diiktiraf sebagai "bangsa Melayu" oleh Perlembagaan Persekutuan. Kita adalah "Melayu mengikut takrifan Perlembagaan" iaitu beragama Islam, mengamalkan adat resam Melayu dan bertutur dalam bahasa Melayu. Malangnya, bahasa Melayu nampaknya dimatikan oleh orang Melayu (UMNO) sendiri apabila dinamakan sebagai bahasa Malaysia.

Oleh itu, orang Arab seperti Syed Hamid Albar dan saya, orang Aceh seperti Sanusi Junid, orang India seperti Kader Sheikh Fadzir dan Nor Mohamed Yakcop, orang Bugis seperti Najib, orang Minang seperti Rais Yatim, orang Jawa seperti Mohamad Rahmat dan yang lain seperti dari Madura, Pulau Boyan, Siam, Burma, Yunnan (China) dan selatan Filipina dengan mudah boleh diiktirf sebagai "Melayu".

Mereka diterima sebagai orang Melayu tidak kira sama ada mereka bertutur bahasa Melayu atau tidak di rumah umpamanya si Arab berbahasa Arab, si Jawa berbahasa Jawa dan si Minang berbahasa Minang atupun si Mamak berbahasa Tamil.

Bahasa-bahasa yang disebut itu bukan bahasa Melayu dan jika dilihat dari sudut Perlembagaan Persekutuan, tidak boleh diterima atau diiktiraf sebagai bangsa Melayu. Walau bagaimanapun, atas kepentingan dan faktor politik, semuanya diterima sebagai Melayu dan Bumiputera.

Oleh itu, adalah tidak adil untuk menuding jari kepada orang Cina yang juga kaum pendatang sama seperti orang Arab, India, Aceh, Minang, Batak, Mandailing, Jawa, Madura mahupun Bugis, sebagai menumpang di negeri ini. Kita tidak boleh menafikan bahawa sebilangan besar datuk nenek orang Cina telah berhijrah ke negeri ini semasa Kesultanan Melayu Melaka, bahkan kesultanan-kesultanan terdahulu di Kedah mahupun Terengganu dan Kelantan serta semasa Francis Light berjaya menipu Sultan Kedah untuk menduduki Pulau Pinang pada 1786.

Kita adalah kaum pendatang yang menumpang hidup di negeri ini. Golongan yang boleh diiktiraf sebagai orang asal atau anak bumi tulen adalah mereka yang kita kenali sebagai Negrito, Jakun, Semang, Jahut, Orang Laut, Orang Darat, Senoi dan suku kaum masyarakat Asli lain yang masih menjadi penghuni belantara.

Kita tidak harus lupa akan sumbangan dan pengorbanan semua kaum dan suku kaum untuk membangunkan Malaysia sama ada dari sudut ekonomi, kemasyarakatan, keselamatan dan yang paling penting kesepakatan dan perpaduan. Semua orang yang kena dan seharusnya membayar cukai, berbuat demikian tanpa mengira kaum atau asal keturunan, sama ada pendatang atau penumpang.

Kita semua adalah rakyat Malaysia.

Posted by Syed Imran at Monday, September 08, 2008

[Syed Imran is an Arab-Malaysian born in Penang, Malaysia. Ex-Bernama journalist (1971-1998) and former press secretary to Minister in PM's Department.]

Merdeka today, Merdeka 51 years ago...the same?

51 years ago...

Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!...Finally we are free from the British occupation and Malaya was establish. The Union Jack flag lowered, Malaya's Stripes of Glory raised. Then, 1965, Malaysia was formed. People around the world would respect us because we achieved independence like gentlemen, free ourselves by having discussion with the British government. No blood spilt.

Today...

Merdeka was no longer heard. We achieved independence, but not our minds. 51 years gone, but still Malay remains Malay, Chinese remains Chinese, Indian remains Indian, native Bumiputera remains minority. Up till today, leaders are still throwing racial issues and calling other races immigrants. Arrogantly, the culprit doesn't want to apologize. "I'm not going to be apoligitic". This is where Malaysia is heading now.

The point is, why in the first place, words like this were uttered to public? The chinese and indians never in their mind would wanna take over the country. All we want is just to be treated fairly as others. All we want is to live happily together with families, and friends from other races as well. Malay priveledges are not to be questioned. Is race so important till we forgot bout the country? Does this special priveledges helped improved the Malays? Why can't they compete fairly with other races? A healthy competition will improve everyone. Strangely, the Malays felt proud when they were successful with the help by 'these priveledges'. Come to think of it, Chinese and Indians have their weaknesses as well. Why can't they see it? The malays should stop being pesimistic, instead they should be optimistic to compete fairly with other races.

Malaysia is a land for all Malaysians, not malay, chinese or indians. Without this unity, Malaysia is heading backwards. Why can't we see the strength in each other's race and make use of it to spur malaysia rather than treating these strength as threats to other race? The modern Malays should now stand up and speak out!...Help to bring this country forward!

As a younger generation of Malaysian, i'm feeling damn sad and pissed off with the leaders of the country...both government and opposition who are being so damn political and risks the lives of the people by raising racial issues. Today, at this point, at this month, we should be laughing together and happy because we achieved independence for 51 years already. But now, we are staring at each other, worrying what threats will come to us. Living in fear or being overpowered by other races. Each race have different ability, why not we combine these ablities and create a stronger country? If the country were to war, who should stand in the front line? No, not malays...not chinese...not indians, and definitely no the bumiputras of Sbh and Swk!. It should be MALAYSIANS! together as one!

Sad...we no longer have the pure Malaysian and Merdeka spirits...where is country heading...towards 2020 or 1920? It's time, young malaysian who share the same spirit, should stand up and stop this racism. Malaysia is not for us, its for our future generations, lets make it a better place for them.