Social and Moral Concerns

This semester in USM, I’ve been exposed much to what I can do and the many social concerns around us. I feel like the time could not be any more suitable for these actions to ring true. Society is quickly falling into a moral decline that most of us cannot even fathom.

Just recently in the news was coverage on Yue Yue the toddler who was run over by 2 different vans in one night. She laid there bloodied and severed for 7 minutes. During that span there were at least 18 passer-bys in which NONE of them chose to help and instead ignored the whole situation.

Today, Yue Yue passed away.

Had she made it to the hospital in time, had she not such a severe bleeding, she would have made it. Do not underestimate the power of a single individual to change the world. She could have had a future, she could have changed the world.

She was another victim to the immoralities of this cruel world.

Moving on to issues closer to home, I was deeply moved by a speech that I heard yesterday concerning human rights by this guy who's a Commissioner for SUHAKAM . He voiced out concerns for the indigenous people especially in Sabah and Sarawak, for refugees, immigration matters and on religious issues.

Today, on the 22nd of October, several hundred members from over 10 NGOs are to gather in Shah Alam for the Himpunan Sejuta Umat (HIMPUN) supposedly to protect Malaysian Muslims from apostasy, especially to Christianity. HIMPUN’s other objectives include stressing on the importance of unity among the Muslims, the core importance of Islam in our Constitution as well as the essential role of royalties in protecting the status quo of Malays in Malaysia.

The basis on which HIMPUN operates is vague. They say that the small charitable things done to help society are actually Christians promoting evangelism to the community. In reality, there is little information if Christians are the only non-Muslims evangelising.

Is seeking out the poor and the needy and helping them get by with their daily lives a condemnable act? Is getting involved with social concerns in this country now a crime? In the first place, if people were given proper attention and sufficient welfare to live a sustainable life, there would be no need for charity. But in the reality of this world, no amount of social welfare by any government in any country is ever enough to care for the needs of the hardcore poor.

I believe also that Muslims are of good faith, and that faith that they hold are not so brittle that they may fall prey so easily. They are strong in their belief, and with that, I give them all due respect.

If HIMPUN is just another political ploy, then I must say that I find it utterly humiliating and appalling. Article 2 in The Universal Declaration of Human rights states that: “everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.” We ask for our right to live by the religion we choose freely without fear of being discriminated or intimidated.

Fighting for justice and equality is a ongoing war that started some thousand years ago. From the times of Egyptian slavery to Napoleon’s conquer to World Wars until today – we are still facing and fighting for the same cause in different ways. All it takes is the willingness and the commitment for a genuine change.

Keeping true to what the speaker would want me to do, I will immortalize the speaker’s words in my heart. What I heard was really life-changing and it made me want to be an activist to fight for human rights and equality. As Malaysians, we have a long way to go. But through collective effort, we can make things change for the betterment of people.

And through His glory and grace – and with His blessings – nothing is impossible.

References: http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/