LETTER | The good old days retold

LETTER | This refers to the comment titled “Letter to a Malay ‘brother’".

There must be a template story for this good old day’s yarn, a gang of mixed kids in a poor mixed neighbourhood where everyone got along like a house on fire, and everyone eating off the same table, etc, that those who have immigrated long ago to a Western liberal country use to tell us what they and supposedly we too, missed.

We, who chose to remain here, try to make or change for a better country despite the many disappointments, appalled, horrified, dumbfounded, and angry setbacks and challenges we faced over the years.

They who have migrated for economic, educational, parental or political situation or abandoning their cultural and racial roots for Western culture and language, love to rub on our noses into the good old days which they have us believe everything racial and religious was hunky dory compared to what they believe and perceive is the nation's current divisiveness, intolerance and polarity.

They offer no solution or alternatives even when they supposedly have long lived and participated in a Western liberal democratic society where supposedly equality, fraternity and liberty are the norm for all.

They also bring nothing to the table except to criticise certain actions or mannerisms they do not fully or no longer understand or take the trouble to find out.

Their somewhat myopic views or conclusions on the future are more gloom and doom and are broadly brushed to solicit sensationalism, disgust and disappointment.

Unfortunately, many of us here lap up these stories well and good and then beat ourselves and the nation up that the good old days are gone.

Perhaps it is to erase themselves of their guilt, apathy, laziness, gullibility and their part on why the good old days went away.

They realised the good old days are gone for good because they have become racial and religious chauvinists, got sucked into the blame game of politics, became part of a racial or religious herd, overreached materialistically, sank into a funk of laziness to think, understand and rationalise or become disillusioned as things didn’t go their way.

Change is the only constant thing in life. The good old days changed because those who clamour for the good old days did not relive, nurture, continue or enhance the good old days. They were caught up in bettering, enriching or changing themselves for better or for worse -and some chose to immigrate.

This good old days story is present in all societies, communities and countries and the story template is the same. It is a classic story and can be retold at any time, any place.

Let’s not fall for this good old days yarn, especially from those who have left and do not call themselves citizens of this country anymore.

Perhaps they have the greater guilt and remorse of not being here to struggle for the good causes of their birth nation which have given them much.

So, they shout and bellow aloud from a faraway place, where they have lost their fondest memory.

For those of us who are here, let’s make the present days good so we can reminisce about the good old days in days to come.

Let us not fall for irresponsible politics, racial and religious divide, extremism and stereotyping of people based on race or religion.

Each one of us must do good for our country and its people so that the continuing story of the never-ending good old days can be retold again and again by those who stayed and made a difference.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.