That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -
And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm -
I've heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest Sea -
Yet - never - in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.
- Emily Dickinson
My very first formal encounter with English Literature took place in a Form Four classroom decades ago. Mrs. Harbans, the tall and stately English Lit icon in our school, strode into the classroom and wrote the poem above on the blackboard in her neat, typically teacher's handwriting. She added a twist to the poem, though, for she had omitted some words and left them to our 16-year-old's active imagination.
As my classmates and I cracked our heads to think of the most accurate words to fill in the blanks that day (mind you, it was way harder then because we did not have phones or the Internet to refer to), little did I know that English Literature would eventually take up a big part of my life, and more importantly, my mindset. I still try to squeeze this poem in whenever there is an opportunity to do so but today, I am going to seek the assistance of Emily Dickinson's masterpiece to make a gentle plea to the youngsters who will be going to the polling station (perhaps even for the first time) this Saturday.
I suspect that many youths today do not quite know whom/which party to vote for. I don't blame them at all. As an adult, I am having a hard time myself, too. It is not only a case of choosing between "both sides of a rotten apple". From what I have seen of the fruit thus far, both sides of the apple have become more rotten than before. The even more disturbing news, however, is this: if we choose wrongly or do not choose at all, it can escalate to a point where things become as rotten as they can ever get.
There were two topics that I extremely abhorred as a child: technology and politics. I am sure I am not alone in saying this. I could never understand any news related to politics. After all, news on robberies, murders, and natural disasters are often more sensational and strangely more 'palatable' (despite its gruesome nature), so I could not comprehend why our Standard 5 teacher forced us to memorise the names of the ministers in the cabinet back then. Why was it important for us to know who was in charge of which ministry? How would it impact a bunch of 11-year-olds? Strangely though, those names are still stuck somewhere at the back of my mind today even though I cannot seem to recognise the names of our current ministers. Hmm ... perhaps that was why.
Lately, though, I have come to realise that it is important to roughly know what is going on in our country. Not because we want to see what kind of 'bantuan' is being doled out and to whom, or what other empty promises are strewn about as baits to unsuspecting citizens, but more so because ... it is OUR country. It is our responsibility, therefore, to be in the know. Do we remain in our family simply because we hope we get some benefits out of our family members? Is that why we were born into that family? Really?
As an adult, I have heard too many discouraging news about the state of our nation. Many friends and relatives have left the country for 'greener pastures' elsewhere. Those who are still here are encouraging and even forcing their next generation to leave Malaysia. "There is no hope left for you over here," they say. "Leave now and build a brighter future elsewhere. Why do you want to stay in a place where you are not appreciated?" In most instances, the tone is one that is already jaded.
Perhaps I am guilty of being too idealistic. Perhaps it is out of sheer ignorance. But what is there to life if there is not even the tiniest sliver of hope? How do we ever move on from here? Is our country so forsaken that there is nothing to be done at all? I don't think so. In fact, I seriously hope not.
I always remember my colleague's advice: The land has done no wrong. Every time I hear some nonsensical piece of news that is spewed forth from the orifice of some irrational politicians, I recall the innocence of the land that I have been living in. Look at the awesome landscape surrounding us: the waterfalls, the mountains and hills, the blue skies, the sunsets, the beautiful beaches, the paddy fields, and even the hustle and bustle of the city centre. They have done nothing wrong to deserve our insult and hatred.
Look at the harmony we enjoy in this country. Harmony of food, that is, if nothing else. We get extremely defensive when anyone condemns our Nasi Lemak, or claims that Bak Kut Teh originates from our neighbouring country, or say that the Roti Canai we have here is not the 'original' roti. I have yet to come across any travel vloggers who can vouch that they have not gained weight ever since visiting Malaysia. Nothing beats Malaysian food. Every time someone returns from overseas, the first thing they look for will be Malaysian food. You name it, we have it. Maybe it is time for us to see things from their perspective instead.
And as much as we complain about the people, I believe most Malaysians are generally kindhearted and somewhat united. We take pride in anyone with any Malaysian ties who has made it big outside the country. I mean, if Bill Gates had as little as 0.000000001% Malaysian blood flowing through his veins or had stayed in Malaysia for a quick 2-day stopover, we would have been hearing nonstop about his 'Malaysian' touch all over the local tabloids. And we get extremely gung-ho when it comes to sports, too. Whether it be the Olympics, or Commonwealth Games, or Thomas Cup, or even World Cup, we rally behind our athletes and scream till our throats are sore ... albeit right in front of the TV.
The bottom line is this, Malaysia is OUR country. Let us never ever forget that.
Please don't get me wrong. I am not telling you whom to vote for. I believe the choice is very personal and private. And hey, I am the one who thinks that both sides have become rotten apples, anyway. What I am pleading to the youths today is to go and cast your vote if you are eligible.
Don't give up on Malaysia. She has not given up on you. If there is anyone who can actually make a difference to our country, it will certainly be the youths. You have much more energy, more drive, and a much longer lifetime to live on this land... to make a difference, and to make it better.
And if you youngsters do not believe that there is still any hope left in the country, what is there left for the rest of us then? Keep the same hope in Emily Dickinson's poem going strong and let it continue to warm all of us. If my 7-decade old mom can wait for 2 hours in line for her turn to vote in 2018, and my dad can waddle there with his 'tongkat', why can't you?
See you at the polling station!
Selamat Mengundi!
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