The apple does fall far from the tree

I went home over the weekend. It was short trip but i was glad i did. There were many things to oversee, especially since we just got our new house and need to transform it into a home... 

Over lunch, my father gently prodded about my job. He peered over his Star newspapers and read aloud the recent happenings in our political fiasco.

"I hope you're not involved in any opposition parties." clearly the recent ISA arrests are scaring him.

"I am not important enough to get INVOLVED pa," i thread carefully... "But i do have an opinion, and i am not afraid to voice it. It is not wrong to have an opinion isn't it?"

" My father kept silent. Clearly worried and wishing i was an average dumb blond that very moment."

My father is a peace loving man and God-fearing man. He may take words too literally but he's a good man. I'd like to think that i'm much like him. But somehow i fell really far from the tree. 

I don't just love peace as much as the average joe or jane-doe. I crave, fight, advocate and live for peace. Just that i have a different definition of it. Peace is something so precious but yet hard to achieve. Same way i wish at times that i will not leave my program not being able to make a difference in the level of peace that exists here in Malaysia

Since i've joined this profession, i've found it hard to feel happy without being a total hypocrite. THere is just too much of unjust right here, right now that it makes me sick to my stomach. Unjust in the workforce, unjust in equality, unjust in basic human rights and unjust in the system. There is hardly a reason why everyone should plaster a smile on their faces. And if they say "Life is good", they're either totally oblivious, in denial or are total selfish bastards.

I am a ardent reader of Marina Mahathir's blog since years ago. Before all these political turmoils became a part my daily life. Recently, when i read her blog posts, i was convinced that she is nothing like her father, and it sort of comforted me. I sometimes wonder what her father feels when he reads her blogs. Does he feel disappointed that she does not share his visions or is he secretly jealous of her ability to be graciously yet accurately honest about the situation in Malaysia? Well, guess we'll never know...

Power is an odd possession. It makes people lose humanity and all rational. And maybe thats why a knowledgeable lay-man will be able to give a better prognosis compared to a man of power. At least his views are not skewed towards what benefits him or what is politically correct...

My father is a man of virtue. But he sometimes fail to understand that peace cannot be obtained without a struggle. And charging people under ISA will not confound the rest of the rakyats who know it better to believe in the current system. 

If there is one thing i'm proud of Malaysians is that our generation has fallen far from the tree. There is at least a majority who does not see tyranny as peace. That is why Malaysia is what it is today. Not because this group of leaders are any worse than the previous batch, it is because we have finally stepped out of the mold...We are no longer a generation guided by traditions or culture. We are becoming a nation guided by compassion and common sense... Though the number is small now... I believe it will grow, for the greater good...