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shiekem
31-10-2003, 10:34 PM
The values of Malaysian youths.

Malaysia today, benefiting from the very best of previous and current leaderships in the country has become well noted and received in the international arena in every aspect, from political stability to racial harmony to religious freedom. It has grown from strength to strength from an agricultural economy to an industrialized nation and moving strongly towards the era of information driven and knowledge based new economy. I am very proud to be a citizen of this wonderful country of multi-racial society, multi-faceted lifestyle and multi-colored society living in harmony and respect of each other.

Malaysia is well on its way to become a developed nation and all signs are positively pointing that it will be sooner than later that we will achieve a developed nation status. Like any nation moving towards this status, one very important element to ensure the continuing success of all aspects our unique country in the future is our youths. Our youth is by far the largest most important community that will drive our nation towards our vision.

However, one worry with regard to Malaysian youths is the various important values that are somehow not being able to be instilled properly despite our government putting great effort, time and money to raise the level of understanding of the important values of our youth. It is a gargantuan task but authorities have taken the bull by the horn and our government has placed many important policies to ensure the change for the better.

Sad to say, almost everyday we hear and read about our youths involved in negative activities that contradict our government efforts. We see youths today committing serious offensive activities ranging from the rampage display of pornography, pimping & prostitution, designer drugs, rapes & incest, robberies, frauds, loan sharking, anti-racial instigation, domestic terrorisms, murders, gangsterism, etc. to simple act of selfishness such as respect for the elderly and the disabled, protecting the environment, protect the endangered animals, road rampage and other petty but demoralizing activities. Worst still, there seems to be an increase in these offences consistently. All these, I believe, can be curtailed and reduced with proper influences and patience from all major areas affecting the upbringing of youths.

It is easy to just blame it on the developments such as Internet, fashion, entertainment, globalization, industrialization, social freedom and other aspects of modernization in stepping towards a developed nation status. But deep within ourselves we know that all these social ills can be curtailed if all involved play out their responsibilities in shaping our youths.

We blame many negative influences and cultures from the west and also from some other countries but what about our negative influences such as lepak and bohsia? What about our very own brew of black magic and the beliefs of illogical and sinister practice by unscrupulous bomohs, mediums and sinsehs to seek the easy way out? How many times have we heard or read about our youths mindlessly dabbled in these activities that leads to various social ills? Regardless of whether the negative influences are external or internal, it is not about “blame storming” now and who is the culprit. More importantly it is how we must put in place the proper channels to guide our youths away from these negative influences.

Starting from our own home, as the popular saying goes “charity begins at home”, parents should play an important to guide their children towards the important values in bringing up a child. Quality time and materials should be provided for instigating children with strong positive values during their growing up years. With so much negative influences around our children nowadays, we have to be more alert and play a larger role to steer our children safely and positively towards the future.

The fact that we are always chasing for better and comfortable environment for our family, more often than not both parents nowadays have to work for financial security and our children are constantly being neglected in many ways. It might be easier to say that only one parent should work but in reality, it is not really the best way for many families due to financial demands. So, we must strike a balance to work things out that will benefit all the circumstances. Not an easy task but it is not impossible either. We just have to work smarter and harder with proper time management.

Schools, colleges, universities and other educational organizations should put in more effort to involve its community in healthy activities such as sports, charities, games, etc. More often than not we see most of these organization putting attention in their monetary gains. How many of these organizations have invested into building a proper sports and activity hall in their vicinity? All extra spaces are probably dedicated to building more classrooms to increase the intake for profit purposes. Of course profit is important but contribution to ensure the healthy social lifestyle of their community is equally important especially during the academic years of our youths.

Our government is continuing to put more effort to curtail negative elements that influence our youths. Policies are being drafted and programs are being implemented for the change to the better. One such program is the Rakan Muda program. Somehow personally I feel that more should be done for Rakan Muda but nevertheless I must say this is a great effort from the government to drive our youths towards higher challenges. I would like to see more youths participating in the Rakan Muda program and develop it into a more integrated program that can be spread to the international arena for youths all over the world. I believe with all parties putting a little more effort, we can ensure the quality of our youths and can be assured we have a strong force to lead the nation to great heights in the future.

I would also like to suggest that the government put in policies to encourage both local large corporations and multi-national corporation to contribute in cash and kinds through sponsorships to develop programs with the intention to build our youths towards the excellency in education, sports, arts & cultures, research & development, industrial technology, information technology, medical science and other directly related disciplines.

Last but not least, we, the youths of Malaysia, the major force behind our nation, must stand up against the temptation of negative influences, believe in our values and cultures, be willing to put in more effort, be able to accept challenges and be focus in our vision towards a successful developed nation.

uchangeng
01-11-2003, 12:26 AM
So, lock them up at home after school everyday and impose regimented life style upon them. Make them complete obedient youth and see what happen? You get "good" boys and "good" girls. Very high value ones, uncle!

Cool Hand Luke
02-11-2003, 08:57 AM
My apologies. I have never tried to be rude but the written statement from Shiekem, which, I believe (and hope), is taken from somewhere, is, in my view, rhetorical stereotyped generalisation of the worst kind. I just pick one example - generalising and grouping together terrorism with incest and fraud? It is more bull than visiting a cattle farm.

Quote: "I would also like to suggest that the government put in policies to encourage both local large corporations and multi-national corporation to contribute in cash and kinds through sponsorships to develop programs with the intention to build our youths towards the excellency in education, sports, arts & cultures, research & development, industrial technology, information technology, medical science and other directly related disciplines".

What happened to creativity, individuality, innovation and fun? What happened to boys and girls making out, listening to jazz or rock music? What happened to prom nights and drive-ins? What happened to people being allowed to think and act for themselves and make mistakes and learn? What happened to Life? To subscribe to the suggestion above is to put everybody in his orderly world. I guess there are enough horror stories from science fiction (oops, I am so sorry - I supposed science fiction has to be banned too) to tell us that they just do not work. The only place I know where his orderly world may exist (and sometimes it does go berserk too) is in the labs where we are all mice and hamsters running around in our controlled environent in observation cages. What you have advocated - with all the good intentions from a wish-list - reminds me of the works of Philip Dick, who advocated the exact opposite of what you subscribe to.

Philip Dick (1928-1982) has always been concerned about the individual’s ability to assert his own sense of right and wrong and accept such responsibilities and consequences. In ‘Blade Runner’ – a movie based on Philip K. Dick’s work, ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?’ - All the voices – those of Deckhard, Batty, Rachel and Pris – add up to the bleak perpetual rain of the movie. The role of film noir is challenging in that the stereotypical characteristics are built upon and then overturned so that out of cliché emerges a future that is not just turbulent and pessimistic but also fundamentally old in a physical and emotional way. The feeling of mutuality of need and being needed was evident in Pris’ assertion when she said: “You’re our best and only friend. I don’t think there is another human being in the world that would have helped us.” The rejection and extermination of Pris was echoed with deep regret and despair by the haunting voice of Batty as he was about to die: “I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time….. like tears in the rain. Time to die.”

‘Blade Runner’ (1982) was a Ridley Scott’s movie, starring Harrison Ford as Deckard, the Blade Runner, whose job was to exterminate Replicants with Rutger Hauer as Batty, Sean Young as Rachel and Daryl Hannah as Pris. I believe this was one of the earliest 'futuristic' movie made. The irony is deliberate given the somewhat bizarre story describing the social intercourse between humans, technology and values and practices rooted in history forming a basic plot in the world of drama and fiction. You may be interested to see another movie adapted from another of his short story; 'Minority Report' (2002) starring Tom Cruise and directed by Steven Spielberg.

left side hung
03-11-2003, 02:28 AM
that sounds incredibly archaic, Shiekem.
the people who came up with that are obsolete.

Cool Hand Luke
03-11-2003, 08:44 AM
Tongue in cheek comment :) So what happens when two young lovers decide to explore each other and themselves (of course, I would have to assume that this is allowed)? Join the Rakan Muda programmes? Participate in sports and (quote) "build our youths towards the excellency in education, sports, arts & cultures, research & development, industrial technology, information technology, medical science and other directly related disciplines"? All the sexual and love urges would instantly be gone and the young couple is instantly re-born to think of 'higher' things to (quote) "stand up against the temptation of negative influences, believe in our values and cultures, be willing to put in more effort, be able to accept challenges and be focus in our vision towards a successful developed nation"?

Such thoughts are dangerous. Shakespeare said of Cassius in his play, 'Julius Caesar':

I do not know the man I should avoid
So soon as that spare Cassius. He reads much;
He is a great observer; and he looks
Quite through the deeds of men. He loves no plays,
As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music:
Seldom he smiles, and smiles in such a sort,
As if he mock'd himself, and scorn'd his spirit,
That could be mov'd to smile at any thing.
Such men as he be never at heart's ease,
Whilst they behold a greater than themselves;
And therefore are they very dangerous.