Yvonne Foong

Dear readers, I am now writing a weekly column in the Malay Mail. My mom made her first public appearance last week. Read the article here. Happy Mother’s Day, everyone. And don’t forget to read my column every Thursday!

The inefficacy of National Service in Malaysia is under hot discussion over at usj.com.my. Those from my year were the first batch of students selected for the three-month camp after the SPM examinations.

The term National Service sure sounds cool. It invoke thoughts of national security, nationalism, patriotism, and honour. We don’t want to get occupied by the Japanese again, do we?

Having studied one semester of International Relations, Malaysia’s National Service camps appear nothing to me now but a child’s mind game. We’ve seen the great Athens falling from ego, we saw China replaced by one monarch after another despite it’s size, we have America repeating mistakes in the Peloponnesian War. Malaysia being so small cannot afford the same mistake.

Malaysia does not need National Service camps. It should be forming allies with other nation-states through political and economic ties. But we offend one government after another. There was Singapore. Then China. And now the Mongolians too.

We burn bridges as much as our political landscape become a laughing stalk, The saying goes that Singapore with it’s military strength can destroy Malaysia, and I’ve no doubt of that. We would lose by our own faults.

It is also said the Muslim countries would come to aid us against the little island that’s fishing in our seas. But how sure are we, really? Can Malaysia command political support in the face of war? That time, no amount of NS men is going to safe us.

The government of Malaysia should move with times and get busy increasing human security.

National security is in IR. Not NS camps. Come on!

Someone uploaded better photos on Facebook. Leighton is going to Fayette in Summer while we burn our ass away. He’ll come back again, but only to coordinate the importation of other American lecturers. We will miss you, Mr. L.

A good leader, or any person in fact, would be so impatient, he can’t wait to give more. But when you concern yourself with having less in order to give more, then I am afraid your priority is displaced. Your giving is selfish.

I do not want to discuss politics, I do not want to talk economics. I just want to ask you very simple questions.

How do you serve people?
You sacrifice.

How do you give to people?
You sacrifice.

What do you give people?
By sacrificing the things you need most.

What does minimum wage mean?

1. More pay for workers.
2. Higher requirements for employment in return for better pay, which leads a demand for higher education standard.
3. Promotes competence and competitiveness among employees.
4. Better pay means more people would spend money. When more people spend money, they push prices down, as companies are now fighting for customers.
4. Finally, inflation is solved.

But our Prime Minister is worried that he would not get enough money to offset the cost of implementing minimum wage. Why should he worry? This is a question of economics. The economy regulates itself.

Don’t mix economics with politics.

I was fated to endure a debilitating illness and overcome it. Now I’ve chosen to get tangled with the illness of others. The harshest part being in my shoes, is having seen the original self of a person, then a far leap, almost un-human now. And knowing that person in the past might never come back. Schizophrenia is still mystery to mankind.

I retrieved some photos we snapped together in 2005. The first picture of a Killer Whale returned no emotions. But the second one, a group photo, moved her somehow, for she abruptly gripped the pile with both hands and looked closer.

I know. I want to bring you back too.

I know many are reading my blog in the U.S. and today I have a favor to ask from you.

Dee-Ann Mercer who has NF2 and blind, donated an art piece to Holly. She drew this polar bear during a time when she could still see.

She is no longer able to see today, and every memory left of her sighted past is now treasure.

And Dee-Ann has donated her treasure to save Holly’s hearing.

Holly who also has NF2, was blinded by surgery in her teens. Now, her hearing is going too. When I first got to know her, Holly could hear better. But now, talking on the phone itself is problematic. It’s only been two months!

This is a worrisome race against time.

Check out the artwork, pass the word around, Help pay for Holly’s surgery and acquire the A,B.I, a device that would at least give her some sound perception. Better than no sound at all.

GO TO HOLLY’S BLOG and help her out! Thanks!

Do you remember the folks who studied at Segi College, Kuala Lumpur? They helped me raise funds for surgery in 2006.

It’s Labor Day. Many of them working now are on leave. Instead of spending time in bed, these people drove all the way here to meet up with me at mom’s work place.

There wasn’t a choice for inexpensive restaurants, so when they asked me what I wanted to eat, I picked Pizza randomly.

All eight of us drove to a shopping mall and dined at Pizza Hut. We were entertaining ourselves chit chatting like old friends when food came.

Each was served a bowl of creamy soup, bread stick, and Coca-Cola. Five out of the eight including myself shared a regular and a personal pan pizza. Yvonne had just enough to fill her tummy for ½ hour. Imagine the guys! It was a very generous treat from them that humbled me.

Here where I live, college students can pay RM15 a cup of Starbucks Coffee and still have money left for food.

One girl in the group asked whether I normally go out with college mates and watch movie like this. I said to her, just getting the class together for a party before the lecturer leaves is almost impossible.

This is the difference between Segi College students in Kuala Lumpur and Subang Jaya. Very different culture.

Although these people who were in my company this afternoon are thrifty, some need to repay their study loans, they do not hesitate at the chance of helping people, they even go on hands and knees to save a life.

One day, two years ago, a friend remarked that these people might just support me today and forget me soon after. How wrong was he!

Meeting up with Dickson Hiew, Kenny, Patrick, and the gang each time is a good wake up call. Living in Subang Jaya, one can get distracted by the up and trendy. It’s difficult to appreciate the simpler things in life.

I will never forget them in whatever I do.

Segi College a huge encouragement.

I remember when the friend saw these photos, he asked whether I gave them the t-shirts.

No! They each bought one. Wearing my tees, they went to shops near college and asked shop owners for contributions to my cause. Unbelievable, huh? Someone jokingly said the bosses were becoming afraid of them. Haha!

These guys helped me raise several thousands, purely by selling my t-shirts and other accessories.

Photos taken by Cheryl Leong.