Tarian Sewang – a dance of welcome; our children and a facilitator sportingly joined in the fun

HEAVY rain ushered in the morning of Aug 25, 2012 but it failed to dampen the enthusiasm of the young participants of SABM’s Rural-Urban Exchange Programme. They came early to the Rumah for the day trip to the Orang Asli settlement at Sungei Bil, Slim River in Perak, their first RUEP 2012 venture into a rural area.

Our hope was that the excursion would help awaken our urban children, even the few from disadvantaged homes, to the fact that glaring disparities exist in the standard of living of Anak-anak Bangsa Malaysia in current times. And perhaps they would come away from that experience recognising how much they themselves had and what those in unfortunate circumstances lacked.

Weeks earlier, four RUEP facilitators had visited the settlement to meet Cikgu Nora, an amazing lady with immense capabilities and a strong conviction that education was the key to freeing her people from the cycle of poverty.

Nora adeptly finalized a program for our RUEP children. She also drew up a budget that covered resources required for children’s activities, meals and refreshments, and also the handicrafts her team of helpers would make for our impending visit. Nora was assured that RUEP would bear all expenses incurred, including the rental of canopies needed as shield against rain.

In the days leading up to the trip, parents of RUEP participants, well-wishers, RUEP facilitators and volunteers bought, as well as sourced from contacts they had, foodstuff and other items that had been identified as necessities at the settlement.

“THIS IS MY HOME, I CARE, I WANT TO MAKE IT BETTER”

[In memory of our Brother Haris Ibrahim – the Human Being, the Activist & his Message]

“Malaysia…..forever be an independent and sovereign democratic State founded upon liberty and justice, ever seeking to defend and uphold peace and harmony among its people and to perpetuate peace among nations.”

{ Malaysia proclamation read by the Prime Minister, YM Tunku Abdul Rahman, at the Merdeka Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, 16th September 1963}

Has the Tunku’s Declaration GONE AWRY….???

Come on People,

We are better than this!

Stop the ranting, raving and the zero-sum games.

Don’t get trapped in the politicians’ narratives!

Show them we will not be distracted by their devious ways.

We need rational national conversations,

On the key challenges facing our Nation in the 21^st Century.

And we the People will not be distracted by the political circus!

We can and will transcend our primordial instincts,

Rise above the social constructs,

To focus on the real issues.

- Poverty, Social Inclusion, Health, Education, Climate Change….

This is the time to decide the Nation we want to be…

- Inclusive and Humanistic.

We can rise to show the World,

That Malaysia is the Exemplar,

Not the basket case the politicians want her to be!

This is the third decade of the 21^st Century..

We must first un-learn the baggage of the 20^th,

And charter a whole new chapter for our Nation,

Especially for the sake of our Children,

And theirs.

Let’s make this 61^st Year a truly meaningful one for All.

“THIS IS MY HOME, I CARE, I WANT TO MAKE IT BETTER”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7Ha2K_AKYo&t=4s

Selamat Hari Malaysia ke-60….

23 September 23