“Balik kampung… oh, oh, oh… balik kampung…”
It is a popular Raya song that Malaysians are familiar with. As the lyrics indicate, it is a tradition for many to return to their kampung, or home town, to celebrate Raya.
This Ramadan is a tough one for many Malaysians.
2014 is a tragic year for aviation industry, more so for Malaysia, due to the double tragedies to MH370 and MH17 within a short span.
Raya is usually filled with love, happiness and harmony. In a festival like this, family members getting together are something that everyone looks forward to.
But, this time, the atmosphere is sombre. It is a different Raya.
While the country was still grieving from what actually happened to MH370 in March, it was again shocked when MH17 was “mistakenly” shot down near Ukraine, killing 298 lives on board.
At a time when world leaders were disputing and pointing fingers about who should be held responsible for it, Najib engaged pro-Russian separatist leader Alexander Borodai in “secret talks” that prompted the separatists to hand over the remains of the victims and the black boxes.
The “deal” between Malaysia and the separatists had earned Najib commendations from both Malaysians and abroad.
For the very first time in our parliamentary history, the House assembled to discuss the MH17 crash.
It was a rare occasion for the 222 members of parliaments from both Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to put aside their differences and stand firmly behind Najib to condemn the MH17 incident.
Looking beyond the incident, while all these sad news have caused immense reactions from Malaysians, it has, at the same time, triggered unity.
This rare occasion of bipartisanship had assured Malaysians that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.
It was also a good call that the Cabinet had decided not to have the open house in the Prime Minister’s residence this year to respect the victims.
This Raya, let us keep the spirit of Ramadan alive throughout the year. Ramadan reminds us of the infinite blessings of life which we take for granted.
What happened to MH370 and MH17 has taught us empathy, and an appreciation of every single person we know.
I would like to wish everyone, no matter where and who you are, Selamat Hari Raya.
May this Raya come with love, prosperity and peace to all of you. Also, not forgetting to spread the joy to the poor. Do something for them, in whatever way you can.
To the employees of Malaysia Airlines, please remember that MH will forever remain as “Malaysia Hospitality” in our hearts.
Let us hope for the best for our beloved country. Let us keep the Ramadan spirit alive. – July 28, 2014.
*This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
Comments
Please refrain from nicknames or comments of a racist, sexist, personal, vulgar or derogatory nature, or you may risk being blocked from commenting in our website. We encourage commenters to use their real names as their username. As comments are moderated, they may not appear immediately or even on the same day you posted them. We also reserve the right to delete off-topic comments