Change has to come from us — A True Blue Malaysian

MAY 24 — I am a Malaysian through and through. I am 45 years old and from a minority group. I work overseas for an MNC which has a hub in KL. I have been posted in the UK for the last three years with a year more to go.

I love Malaysia because it is my homeland no matter what the likes of Ibrahim Ali and Utusan Malaysia say. I guess I am a nostalgic person, too deeply-rooted. I have travelled a bit for my work in the last five years — Singapore, Indonesia, Italy, Dubai and the UK — but when the plane touches down at KLIA, I feel a sense of relief at being back home.

Believe me, some of my Malay colleagues even told me straight to the face that they would rather stay in the UK permanently if the opportunity arose. Most of them have families and their children go to school here.

I admit the education system and almost everything here is better but things will get better at home, I hope! One thing I have always admired about the Malays is their proverb: “Anak dirumah ditinggal, kera dihutan disusu.” For me, the “anak” is Malaysia; the “kera” is the foreign country. It’s we as citizens who have the “susu” and must nurture our country!

It’s up to us Malaysians to change our society. I have no illusions about it. Believe me, I was once a great admirer of Dr M but today I am absolutely disgusted by what he says.

I feel for those who left for greener pastures. I too am tempted every other week but who else can bring about change other than us Malaysians?

Please look at the Arab spring. Are we any worse than them? When I think of my situation, I always think of the padi farmers, estate workers, fishermen, bus drivers, despatch boys and others who have less than me. How do they stay ... yes, granted they have fewer or no options. Yet the poor suffer the most! And yet they too want the same thing as us, so who will fight for them?

Today, I admire people like Hannah Yeoh, Haris Ibrahim, LGE, Tommy Thomas, Irene Fernandez, Francis Siah and many more Malaysians who have made lots of sacrifices for the country. They could have left but chose to stay to make Malaysia better, not for themselves, but for others.

This is what we should strive for, a better Malaysia and a better future for all our children. I ask all Malaysians who have left to at least support your fellow Malaysians who remain to fight for the rest of us.

* We asked readers to tell us in their own words why they stayed in Malaysia... instead of migrating. This is one of the stories.