Our Responsibility

I was watching the Malay channel recently and these are my thoughts:

why do the actors/actress color their hair? Aren't they proud with what God has given them? Kalau look natural tak pe, this one nampak sah, trying damn hard. Nak jadi om puteh ke?

the way they dress... wow... sexy sey. I wonder why? What's so nice about showing your flesh... oklah granted, you are in the entertainment industry and you are young but what is the message that you want to potray? Melayu moden or melayu baru or melayu maju? You don't have to show off your flesh to be sexy, modern, maju .... example - Siti Nurhaliza.

I think the Malay channel has to be responsible towards the Malay/Muslim community here in Singapore. Why? That's the one and only TV station that is being viewed by the Malay community. Like it or not, what you air on the channel is seen by the young and old. I have heard comments from our parents/ aunts commenting on the way the actors/ hosts/ actresses dress but has the channel done anything to address this? To the young, they think this is OK because it's on TV and so and so dress that way. That so and so is their idol/ role model. What do you get?

It's very sad to see our Malay youngsters loitering around town dressed skimpily, have tatoos on their bodies and think it's cool. We already have a problem with our image and yet I don't see the most influential medium in our lives doing something about it.

I remembered when i was in school, an Indian VP told me the reason why he did not want any more Malays in that school is because Malay students would bring the school standards down. There were only 15 that year! I was furious but at 13 years old, all I could do was to prove him otherwise. I topped school for 3 straight years, got a scholarship in Sec 2 and am the only one in class that made it to JC. Then in JC, i met a student who told me that her father said why Malays don't do well in school is because they don't eat pork. I told her that her father is shallow and made sure during hockey games I get to tackle her ankles. My sweet revenge.

I guess i am concerned when I see how our Malay kids today behave in public and wonder how their future would be. How can we educate them and attract them to do the right things? I guess more can be done to address such issue and all it takes is a simple change here and there. I've seen them in Malay newspapers, on MUIS website and yet the most influential medium (TV) is under utilized. It makes me angry and yet sad....