Growing Old Gracefully

How do you grow old gracefully?  Is there a universal blueprint for growing old gracefully?  Or does it vary from culture to culture?  Do societal norms play a major factor in  a person's third phase journey in life, or is it an individual preference.

The average life expectancy in the developed world is about eighty(80) years old.  Now, that is a long way to go.  The average retirement age is around sixty-two(62) years old.  So, a retiree has some twenty(20) odd years to fill his retirement days. 

Singapore, an island nation that has gone from a third(3rd) world country in the 1960's to a first(1st) world city-state some fifty(50) years later, is grappling with the issues of an ageing population.  By the year 2030, one(1) in five(5) Singaporeans will be aged sixty-five(65) years and above,  according to a survey by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.   In May 2007, an organisation called The Council for Third Age was set up. It's mission - to promote active ageing.  On the national level, the government  have planned and are putting in place policies to help senior citizens.   On the family aspect, should the elderly be dependant on their children?  In the workplace, will employers continue to re-employ, or even consider employing, older workers? 

Growing old gracefully is to be independent, healthy and leading an active life.  Being financially secure is an added bonus - either still remaining employed or having a nice retirement egg-nest.  Living in your own home, too, will give you freedom of space, independence and a sense of self-esteem.  Self-esteem - this is another factor that will help in growing old gracefully.   The golden years should be spent meaningfully.  Having hobbies or be active in community work will definitely help to fill those days.  Be actively involved in family-oriented activities will strengthen bonds, thus, driving home the message that growing old is not a burden.   To grow old is just another phase in one's life.  Sharing life experiences will allow memories to come back and mental alertness is a good tool to remain graceful through the golden years.    (Helping to look after the grandchildren is definitely not one of them.  Maybe occassionally - playing with the grandchildren will boost up the energy level).  

Growing old gracefully with the one you love, your spouse, and sailing the golden pond together is Life's ultimate bliss.


Yet, how many of us, in our golden years, will be able to grow old gracefully and exit this world with dignity?

Racial Harmony Day

This 21st July 2011 is Racial Harmony Day - a day to commemorate the race riot  that occurred in 1964. That race riot  took place on 21 July 1964. That riot  was between ethnic Chinese and Malays.

Racial Harmony Day is also a day when school children all over Singapore - from primary to junior college - take the opportunity to celebrate the rich cultural and heritage diversity of their island nation. It is a day for them to get to know each other, hopefully, better. It is a day to reflect upon  the harmoniuos living amongst the different races and the similiarities that we share.

South East Asia has seen turmoils and upheavels in recent times. The most recent being one that happened so near to home - the Bersih 2.0 demonstration in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. If lessons are to be learnt from history - the spillover from Malaysia of the May 13 incident in 1969 which caused a race riots in Singapore - then, Singaporeans must not get caught up and be swept away in the torrents of upheavals that is gripping our neighbours. Singapore has to be vigilant at all times against whatever threats. There are elements out there that will take every single opportunity to destabilise and tear the fragile fabric of our society. The threats are not from outside alone, but from within, too.

Living in a non-homogenous society takes alot of hard work to keep it harmonious and united. The give and take to understand a culture that is different from one's own, the tolerance to the practices of different religions, the acceptance that we are different yet similar.

In fact, celebrating Racial Harmony Day should not be limited to school children only, every Singaporean - young and old, children or adult - must be involved. That we should reflect upon the fragility of this harmony which can be broken easily with a single knock. That our island nation is not immune.

Apakah Bahasa Itu Benar Jiwa Bangsa?

Bulan ini, Jun, ialah Bulan Bahasa. Beberapa tahun yang lalu, badan-badan Melayu Singapura  telah mentengahkan satu usul untuk melestarikan dan meninggikan martabat Bahasa Melayu - bahasa ibunda orang-orang Melayu. Usulan ini diajukan kerana ramai orang-orang Melayu Singapura pada masakini sudah sungguh terbiasa menggunakan Bahasa Inggeris untuk bualan seharian mereka.  Pemerintah juga telah memberikan sokongan padu.

Bukan setakat supaya orang Melayu bercakap dalam bahasa ibunda, masyarakat Melayu juga dianjurkan supaya berbual dengan menggunakan sebutan baku. Pelbagai aktivi (kegiatan) - forum,  ceramah, bengkel, perdebatan dan sebagainya - telah diadakan.  Dengan menggunakan bahasa ibunda, diharapkan Bahasa Melayu akan tetap mengembang mekar dan tidak akan terkubur. Ia juga diharapkan orang Melayu akan merasa bangga dengan bahasa sendiri supaya dapat menguatkan jatidiri Melayu, lantas maruah bangsa tidak menjadi korban.

Bahasa Melayu adalah bahasa yang sungguh indah - bahasa yang penuh dengan sopan  santun, bahasa yang dialas dengan kekata halus bagi menghormati si pendengar, bahasa yang mengharuskan peradaban. Pepatah Melayu, 'Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa', mencerminkan akhlak orang Melayu yang peramah, beradab, bersopan-santun, menghormati, merendah diri,  dan bermaruah . Tetapi, sedih sekali, yang menggunakan bahasa yang indah ini tidak sebegitu indah perangai. Telinga ini sudah jemu, mual dan bosan mendengar  kekata yang tidak sopan, yang lucah. Langsung tidak ada rasa segan silu, apatah lagi menghormati.

Sungguhpun berbahasa Melayu tetapi tidak mencerminkan peradaban yang sepadan, apakah bahasa Melayu akan tetap mengembang mekar dan tidak  terkubur juga? Berbahasa dalam bahasa ibunda adakah ia akan menguatkan jatidiri Melayu? Adakah Melayu itu bukan Melayu jika berbahasa bukan dengan bahasa ibunda?

Walaupun 'Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa', akhlak yang beradab dan bersopan  itulah yang menentukan martabat bangsa, sekali gus menjamin tidak hilangnya bangsa itu dimuka bumi ini. Ia juga yang akan menyedarkan dan menguatkan jatidiri Melayu kita. Maruah bangsa tetap terjaga dan kekal.

'Tak Melayu hilang di dunia."

2011 - A Watershed In Singapore's History

May 9, 2011 was the day Singaporeans went to the polls. It was the island republic's 11th general election. Singapore first general election was held in April 1968, three years after gaining independence from Malaysia. For the past forty(40) odd years, eversince Singapore's independence in 1965, the People's Action Party has won every general elections.


On May 9, 2011, the People's Action Party, was returned to power albeit on a smaller percentage, about sixty(60) percent. An Opposition party, the Workers' Party created history - it captured a Group Representative Constituency - Aljunied. It also managed to retain the single seat ward - Hougang - which the Workers' Party won almost twenty(20) years ago.  The Party has come a long way since the leadership of the charismatic late JB Jeyaratnam.  Another Opposition party, Singapore People's Party, lost it's Potong Pasir seat - after holding on for thirteen(13) years. It's chief, Mr Chiam See Tong took a gamble - in handing over the reins to his wife. The Party lost the seat on a very narrow margin. The People's Action Party won that seat. The 2011 General Election was a keenly contested election with eighty-two(82) out of a total of eighty-seven(87) seats being contested. Six(6) seats went to the Opposition - the Workers' Party.

Singapore has seen history being created - the General Election 2011 was a watershed. Singaporeans (born and raised in Singapore) have found their voice.  About forty(40) percent of the population - mainly constituents of Aljunied - voted for the Workers' Party. This forty(40) percent vote is something that the People's Action Party should not just brushed aside. Is this forty(40) percent swing in favour of the opposition be taken as a maturity of the voters? Or, just emotions of the moment at play here? The People's Action Party has to go back to the 'drawing board' - what caused this forty(40) percent swing. Should the People's Action Party view the forty(40) percent as a pain in the back that will eventually go away, or, a torn in the flesh that should be seriously looked at? The equation now is such that the ruling party has to hear out the ground - the common man in-the-street. The days of the 'Bogeyman'(should Singaporeans vote for the Opposition, that will be end of Singapore) - a favourite spook amongst the old members of the People's Action Party - has long since past. It looks like Members of Parliament from the Opposition parties will be a part and parcel of the political scene in Singapore.

The political landscape of Singapore has changed. But, is this change permanent, or just a fluke? The 'litmus paper test' - real change - lies in the next General Election, i.e., five(5) years from now, in the year 2016.   

The Enemy Within

Ever since the 9/11 incident, the Christian west's views of Islam changed tremendously.  In fact, the Christian west has never had any positive impression of Islam.  The 9/11 incident made it worse.
Anti-Islam postings and comments on forum pages and social networks on the Internet sprouted like mushrooms after a heavy rain.  Islam is viewed as a religion of terror.  A religion that advocates war, killings of innocent lives, suicide bombers, suppression of human rights, etc.  The Western media -  a bastion of supposedly impartiality - also took a swipe at Islam.  They had a field day in painting a picture of Islam as a religion that belongs to the dark ages.   They took pot-shot at the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).  All these they claimed in the name of freedom of speech and expression.

This anti-Islam fever is not lost on some Singaporeans.  If the postings and comments on forum pages on the Internet are anything to go by, then it is rather worrisome that some Singaporeans have jumped on the band-wagon.  These anti-Islam sentiments make me really wonder how united are Singaporeans.  Not surprisingly, these Singaporeans are also racist.  Unlike the Westerners, these Singaporeans hide behind a false moniker and are faceless.  They are not few in numbers. It makes me wonder whether the person standing next to me on the train is a racist, anti-Islam fellow Singaporean.  Or could it be that person who took the same lift as me; or a parent of my children's classmate; or the person having lunch/dinner at the table next to me at the hawker centre or food court; or someone standing in the queue at the check-out counter at the supermarket; or it could be anyone. It really gives you the shivers.


The enemy within is more dangerous than a threat from the outside.

Siapakah itu Melayu?

Apakah itu Melayu? Adakah Melayu itu - bertutur dalam Bahasa Melayu; menduduki alam Melayu (Malay Archipelago); memakai baju kurung dan berselendang bagi wanitanya, berbaju Melayu dan bersongkok bagi kaum lelakinya; duduk bersila dilantai; menggunakan tangan bila makan; gemar memakan masakkan yang pedas; berkulit sawo matang dan beragama Islam.

Haruskah orang Melayu beragama Islam?

Siapakah itu Melayu? Adakah orang-orang Bawean, Jawa, Bugis, Batak dan prabumi seperti Sakai, Kadazan, Iban dan sebagainya juga orang Melayu? Jose Rizal, wira dan pejuang nasionalisme bangsa Filipina, juga memperjuangkan yang bangsa Filipina adalah rumpun Melayu. Adakah Melayu terhad pada Akipelago Melayu sahaja? Bagaimana dengan orang-orang Moari, Hawaii dan Tahiti yang menduduki kawasan Laut Selatan dan Lautan Teduh? Bahasa mereka diklassifikasikan dalam rumpum Malayo/Polynesia dimana terdapat bahasa Melayu. Mereka juga berkongsi susur jalur sejarah dengan orang Melayu. Orang-orang Moari, Hawaii dan para penduduk Laut Selatan dan Lautan Teduh mempunyai raut wajah yang sama dengan orang Melayu.  Mereka juga berkulit sawo matang.  Bolehkah penduduk-penduduk Lautan Teduh dan Selatan; orang-orang Filipina dan prabumi seperti Iban, Kadazan, Sakai dan sebagainya yang menduduki alam Melayu dianggap Melayu walaupun tidak beragama Islam?

Orang Melayu dikatakan beradab dan beradat, peramah, sopan, merendah diri (humble), bergotong-royong, hormat menghormati, bermaruah dan mempunyai sifat harga diri yang tinggi. Melayu bangsa yang juga bersifat tidak mudah gementar - berani mati untuk bangsa dan nusa - biar berputih tulang, jangan berputih mata; kesetiaan orang Melayu sungguh menakjubkan - biar pecah diperut, jangan pecah dimulut; ketaatan Melayu pada watan tidak bolih dinafikan - dimana bumi dipijak, disitu langit dijunjung. Orang Melayu juga mempunyai sifat yang kurang disenangi - suka mengambil tahu kisah jiran-tetangga; membesarkan perkara yang remeh lantas berdendam; tidak suka melihat orang lain senang maka itu ada perasaan hasat dengki; suka berhutang dan malas. Melayu dikatakan suka mengharap ikhsan, tidak berwawasan, pincang. Melayu juga dikatakan bangsa yang mempunyai daya fikiran lemah.  Inikah dikatakan Melayu?

Orang Melayu dikatakan berasal dari satu bangsa yang mahir dalam pelayaran laut. Mereka berani merentasi lautan luas - dari Lautan Hindi hingga ke Lautan Teduh. Mereka berhijrah dari satu tempat ke satu tempat - untuk berniaga dan bermastautin. Melayulah tunjak bagi kerajaan Melaka dan Johor yang gah dan juga kerajaan purba Srivijaya yang hebat. Melayu adalah satu-satunya bangsa didunia yang inklusif dan mudah menyesuaikan diri dengan keadaan sekitaran.

Melayu - adakah ia hanya satu bahasa; nama sebuah tempat.  Atau sebuah bangsa yang tertebar luas rumpumnya - dari Akipelago Melayu hingga ke Lautan Teduh.

Are we really ONE?

A few months back South East Asia was shaken by the turmoil in Thailand. Angry voices, bloodshed and death. Thailand - one people, one language. Though it is not new, the crisis between the two Koreas has the whole world asking - will war breaks out between the two. The tribal warrings in Afghanistan; the enemity between two school of religious thoughts in Iraq; the on-going tension in the Middle-east; the long drawn stand-off between Pakistan and India; the confrontation in the Philippines between the authorities and Muslim separatists. 

Singapore - home to different races speaking different languages and confessing different religions. Harmonious living, tolerant acceptance and social cohesion. But these are just on the surface. Scratch that surface and a totally different scenario is exposed.

We are different yet similar. As Asians, we share the same cultural values and traditions. But, we definitely are NOT one.