by Ang, thehapi8wanderer (8nicholas888@gmail.com)
What’s my vision for Malaysia with a promising future? A land of diverse cultures, people living together in peace and prospering together for a better future, for ourselves and generations to come.
Thumbs up for those who feel the same over this sense of unity and comradeship for all of us here as we live in this land of aplenty.
I’ve never viewed my fellow citizens from the lens of race. I see them as fellow Malaysians when I approach and talk with them.
Fluent in both Bahasa Malaysia or English, I speak to them in either language that they’re comfortable with. As long as we can engage in a decent conversation.
I treat everyone as my teacher, each with their own stories and experiences to share. Knowledge which I can tap, to improve my understanding of the world’s affairs or for use when I make contact with them in my daily life.
I offer a smile and I’ll get a smile in return. I can always start with that, which is something free of charge, instead of waiting for the smile to return.
There are still many Malaysians I’ve yet to make contact with. But I believe, if my intentions are sincere, more of my fellow countrymen and women will be pleased to spend a few minutes of their precious time with me. Just for an exchange of greetings, or maybe a bit more if the chats get more interesting.
Having passed the mid-century mark, I envision a future where I will have many conversation partners over cups of coffee as I travel across the country, appreciating their company as we find reasons to live a meaningful life, either in active or retired modes.
To do that, my aim is to reach out to citizens of all walks of life, to learn as much as possible, to fill up the pages of my journal before I lay comatose in bed while life ebbs away.
Selamat Hari Merdeka! After 67 years of living together in peace, I pray that Malaysians will continue to co-exist harmoniously. And don’t forget to invite me for a cup of coffee. Or if you don’t, I’ll invite you.
