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KINI COMMUNITY | I asked my young team what they felt about the events of the past week. These men and women in their early 20s said they felt confused and uncertain about what the future will now hold. Neither do they know who to blame or trust.

One answer, however, stood out, "I feel scared but hopeful. Last week was a rollercoaster ride, there was a lot of uncertainty, but still, I believe we Malaysians will unite for the greater cause of strengthening our country."

Yesterday, we had a town hall meeting at the Malaysiakini office. Among others, our bosses told us, "We have important jobs to do. Do not let fear take over and cause paralysis. The work we do must go on."

They were referring to the coronavirus epidemic (they could as well be referring to last week’s political turmoil).

Whether we like it or not, this new virus will see a period of suffering, a period where humanity is being tested. How do we help provide support to those in need, how well can we prevent public panic by providing accurate and timely news, and by offering service and a generosity of spirit to those who have taken ill. The worst thing we should do is to blame them for spreading the disease.

This is a perfect opportunity for us to band together and provide the much-needed support we need, regardless of our differences as Malaysians. Maybe it's time to lean on our community to help us see through these challenges and uncertainties. Maybe it's time to have sensible dialogues and build a sense of belonging - for all of us to reach out and touch each other's hearts.

Building a community

One of Malaysiakini’s missions is to build a community where members are able to talk to one another, share views, allow for our minds to come together and understand our differences, agree to disagree, and in areas that we do agree, find ways to move forward.

As part of that effort, Malaysiakini brings you Kini Community.

Kini Community is a membership programme that rewards our loyal subscribers and allows them to more than just read news. All those who sign up as a member now will receive an automatic 200 reward points as a welcome bonus.

The features of Kini Community will be implemented in a few phases. Phase one, which is launched today, provides members with the option of having a personalised profile page, ability to bookmark stories, follow friends, tip our commentators, and give direct feedback to Malaysiakini stories.

This community portal is built for Malaysiakini subscribers to immerse in not just a collective discourse but to generate solutions, seek out expert opinion, for the public to speak to one another to increase understanding, to grow in hope and passion, to have our voices heard so we can eventually make a significant difference to our country.

Kini Community is free for all paying subscribers.

Yes, we should at all costs stay true to the mission of strengthening Malaysia. If we love our country and care about the future we leave behind for future generations, we must.

There is so much left to do, losing hope should not be an option. Let’s band together and do our part in saving our country. Join Kini Community today! Click here.

LYNN D’CRUZ is Malaysiakini’s chief membership officer.