Defending The Country

If a country cannot defend itself, does it indicate a failure of the country? If the country's soldiers are seen in sandals due to the country's limited defence budget, does it mean that it is able to defend itself against external forces? If a country has nuclear weapons, does it mean that it is very capable of defending itself?

Defend against what? Are external forces a bigger threat than those within the country itself? If a country has a lot of natural resources, does it mean that other countries would want to conquer it? If a country has no natural resources, does it mean that nobody will be interested in fighting for its land and people?

Despite the international publicity over the mass media which broadcasts reports of cross border threats, internal crimes are a bigger problem for a country. Theft, rape, robbery, political demonstrations, criminal breach of trust and get-rich-quick scams are some of the common types of crime committed daily. Internal crimes are those that affect the citizens of the country directly. If such crimes are not reduced to an acceptable level where citizens and members of the public feel safe to walk in the streets or their residential areas, does it mean that the authorities aren't doing enough on their part?

What do we, as the country's citizens and members of the public, need to do to make the country safe? Do we just leave it to the police and other uniformed bodies to secure the country against crime? Do we need to take part in making the streets safe? If you see a snatch theft in progress, will you step in to catch the thief and his accomplice? If you hesitate, will it make you less a citizen? If we get hurt in a public arrest, will it stop us from getting involved in future? Ultimately, we have to get involved in crime reduction actively as the country's uniformed forces and governmental agencies lack the manpower to secure the whole country against the crimes committed within.

Don't get involved because he/she is of the same race as you. Get involved because he/she is a fellow Malaysian. Colours and creed are hindrances to a united country. We must be able to see ourselves as Malaysians first and race second. Do not let politicians pollute our minds with their narrow interpretation of racial belonging to the country. We decide together as a proud Malaysian, defending our beloved motherland.

2nd Blog For 1st Day

My first experience with a propeller driven airplane was on 24th July, 2009 (Friday). The plane was Firefly's flight to Kuala Terengganu in the afternoon. It was very noisy on my walk to the airplane, as a nearby plane was getting ready to take-off.

The newly renovated Subang terminal was a sight to behold. It was a refreshing change from the days of the old terminal. I regretted not taking shots of the old terminal during my rare visits there. Those were the days of film camera, when I didn't have the luxury of a digital camera as the technology hadn't existed then.

The plane was slightly more cramped than AirAsia's. The 45 minutes flight was without drama, as I was told that occasionally planes flying at lower altitude experiences air pockets where the airplane will plunge suddenly and cause the stomach to churne. During the short flight, pastry and drinks were served. The flight ended too fast because the plane landed shortly and kudos to the captain for the smooth landing. The view from above Subang was a refreshing change from my usual view from Sepang.

First Blog

There's so many of my friends who have started their own blogs that I'm tempted to try it and see if it's as simple as it looks. So far, so good. The registration process was simple and followed up by inserting this text.