Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Nine gloomy nine.

Today is Nine Nine.  September Nine.  And boy so much things have happened since October 20th.  This was almost going to be an anniversary post of my last piece.

These days have been gloomy.  Not just physically because of the dark haze blanketing the entire nation region but also of the world and of our country.

My heart goes out to those who are running away from their beloved homes and pleading for help in neighbouring countries.  They didn't have to suffer because it was never their choice for such ill-fated situation in Syria.  Some European and South American countries opened their doors to welcome the worse migrant exodus since WWII really gave me some hope.  Whilst the hardening of hearts of Syria's rich neighbours say so much about their priority.  More and more I realised that civilization isn't about technology development nor economic wealth.  A civilized society is one that learns from its past and put steps into place to ensure it's civilians are and will be much better off than where they were yesterday.  Germany is probably the first nation that stood up and declared assistance and I can't think of a more apt country that one that has been ridden with a supremely bad past.  Nations are not deadwood, they're like brands and if they're like brands, they're like people.  They can have a soul and they can learn to respond to and with humanity.  That's civilization.

Coming back closer to home, whatever happened in Shah Alam stadium is a sports disaster that we wished had never happened.  Yes, what exactly happened?  Fans got unruly?  Fans couldn't contain their frustration?  Frustration to who?  Surely not to our Arab opponents for scoring?  Buried and building frustration towards the management of football in our country perhaps?  When will Malaysia learn the civilized way of showing displease?  Or care enough to stand up for the change or difference when the right time posed itself?  When?  Instead of internalizing everything and lashing it out on our sports friends.  Is education the root of this problem?  Is it work ethics?  Family values?  What is it?  I know what it isn't.  It isn't about football.  It's a hell lot of deeper underlying currents that have somehow weaved itself together and brought about such ill harvest.  So I tweeted to Khairy and asked that he does not give up.  I asked that he will continue to use sports to unite the nation.  And I would have loved to ask him to open his doors to people who are able, disregarding race, gender and religion.  Those who are objective and strategic.  Nation building, ministry building, company building, brand building - the fundamentals are the same.  Rubbish in, rubbish out.  Will he reply?  I don't know.  I guess it doesn't matter because frankly, who am I?  Am no Tan Sri nor Datuk.  Just a little spark.

So there you go.  Darkness looms as we desperately scramble for some hope.  I hope the clouds, haze and smog go away soon and return us some deep blue skies.  Sigh.

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