April's Discussion Topic: What Defines Morality?

~ APRIL’S DISCUSSION TOPIC ~

WHAT DEFINES MORALITY?

The million-dollar question that every philosopher has attempted to answer, and now it is your turn. Share your thoughts with us, in 100-200 words, on the nature of morality and why it is an exclusively human phenomenon.

Moral rules are humanity’s attempt at self-preservation. The classic “Thou shalt not kill” is a good example. Our innate (or is it?) sense of good and bad may tell us killing another fellow human being is against our nature, but there is nothing stopping us from committing the act until it has been turned into a moral standard and sanctioned by (religious) authority. The laws dictating our behaviour are a direct reflection of the moral beasts that we are.

Though it would be unwise to dispense with moral rules altogether, it is necessary for us as thinking beings to be aware of the artificiality of moral rules. They are artificial because they are man-made (as opposed to divinity-inspired) and thus subject to change and manipulation. Cultures across the world may share certain moral rules (I can’t think of a culture which deems adultery morally acceptable), but it must be said that for every commonly shared moral rule, there are at least ten others which are culturally specific. Polygamy is not always the reprehensible practice that some cultures portray it to be. Homosexuality/bisexuality is generally accepted (or at least tolerated) in cultures which acknowledge the complexity of human sexuality. Aborting a foetus is not always the fire-and-brimstone sin that less tolerant societies say it is.

Morality becomes a problem when it trickles down from the top to the lowly individual and begins to dictate how that individual should act, think and live. This will deprive the individual of the right to be himself and to decide for himself what is right or wrong. In some Asian cultures, for example, it is considered “morally desirable” for a son or daughter to marry and produce a procession of children for the sake of the family’s bloodline. Anyone who does not comply is deemed “disrespectful” and “unfilial”. This, I feel, is a moral code that encroaches upon the rights of the individual.

Morality also tends to be (mis)used as a tool for judging others. Having moral codes suggests that everyone in that particular community must adhere to the way the game is played. As soon as someone fails to do so, he can easily be apprehended for non-compliance. The individual is duly judged and marginalised, without being given a chance to explain his stance. Morality is only concerned with black and white, not grey. In the eyes of a moralist, everything must either be right or wrong. There is not such a thing as “possibly right”. This is the crux of morality’s problem, as we know that life is nothing but grey areas.

Morality becomes an even greater problem when it is approached from a religious point of view. When God is brought into the question, all nuances go out the window. All religious leaders have to say is: God says it is wrong, so who are you to say it is right? No discourses are possible when the will of God is the final word. Some may argue that morality is God’s creation. There is a flaw in this reasoning, for it should not surprise anyone that even an atheist may think stealing another man’s wife is morally unacceptable.

Edward Ong

Basically, morality means good acts or deeds. However, after asking my close friends, I have realised that there are nuances to it. The differences are in the sense of adopting the values of morality in our routines. This does not show that we don’t really know what morality is all about or we don’t practise it because there are several factors which influence our method in adopting the values.

Firstly, our lives’ routines can never be separated from our culture. Every place has a unique culture which people practise, and the culture influences their minds and thoughts. Zorro, which is a famous film, depicts the culture in western countries which accept the act of stealing or robbery if one wants to assist hapless people. However, in Malaysia, for example, all citizens do not accept this idea and decline it as a norm. In Malaysian culture, properties belong to their owners, and no one should rob anyone for benevolence. Hence, the culture that people practise determines whether the action is moral or immoral.

Human civilisation is a fundamental of thoughts. Over the years, it is proven that civilisation has evolved, and as a result, humans’ attitudes towards certain subjects have also changed. Indirectly, this revolution alters our understanding of moral values. For example, in the past few decades, the concept of homosexuality has been considered uncivilised. People condemned this idea and boycotted people who embraced the thought. Nevertheless, civilisation has spun our thoughts on it, and today people can accept it as a moral act from the aspect of human rights.

In conclusion, morality is very subjective as several factors tend to affect our understanding of it.

Afandi Bin Suhaimi

Morality is an ambiguous term. It might be the good and the evil one. Good and evil are subjective. It is possible that we humans just created them. However, bad or good actions are situational. Rationalism is the definitive moral guide for me. Rationalism is “any view appealing to reason as source of knowledge or justification”.

For example, regular people may argue that abortion is a bad action because it is a murder whereas rationalists may argue that it is a rational action. Teenage pregnancy is a big problem now. A teenager may choose whether she should go on with the pregnancy, be a young mother or have an abortion and move on with the normal life. Sometimes if the teen is diagnosed pregnant, she may panic and think that she cannot deal with the child. Abortion is a good path to take since the teen is still in high school studying. The teen might need to drop out of high school when her pregnancy starts to show. Raising a child is not an easy thing. Child abuse may occur if good parenting skills are neglected. Therefore, abortion would be the best option to take to not to deal with the problem at all.

Fazlin Fuad Mohamad Faiz

If someone asks me to define morality, I am sure I will take a long time to answer this controversial question. Religions are the responsible force that determines the level of morality. They claim that society’s normal, rational morality is some absolute handed down from God. Things have eventually changed. Now there are many atheists as well in this world. This leads to a different understanding of morality as it is now thought that some immoral acts are actually logical, depending on the situation.

In my opinion, I would say that morality depends on our common sense. Yes, it might be true that religions also play a big role in determining morality, but then we cannot simply follow the rules given without any rational explanation. Morality is a specific, personal, individual issue, and impossible in the universal sense, when interpreted by various people and cultures. I will give an example that shows we are the ones that define morality, not others. In love, for example, women are prone to cheating compared to men. Why do women cheat and is it wrong for us to cheat? (considering myself to be one of the women). The reason for us to do so is that we like the thrill of the forbidden escape that we get from mundane relationships, not that we want to betray men. Unfortunately, for some people, they assume this kind of act as immoral. They think, as women, we should behave and be loyal to our partner. What makes it worse is when the woman is in a community that practises gender inequality; they assume that men are far better than women are. If a woman cheats on her partner, definitely people will assume that she is a slut, which is unfair to the woman as people around her do not know the real reason why she has done so.

In conclusion, I can say that it depends on us to define morality. No one can say that what we do is wrong or right. As for me, any moral decision I make is based on my own morals, and I know that my morals may not always necessarily tie in with general morality. Life is great, enjoy it. Do not care about what others think 

Sheril Emy Idayu Abdul Latiff

Morality can be found when a person behaves according to logic rather than his emotion. Morality can be seen clearly when a person is dealing with a difficult situation, whether he will use his head or his heart. In my humble opinion, when a person with high morality deals with a difficult situation, he would be true to himself as well as to other people. Morality prevents you from lying, even to save your own skin. A person with high morality will be trusted and respected.

As actions speak louder than words, action will determine the morality of a person. Let’s take into consideration a person who asks another person to throw out rubbish for him, and a person who actually throws his own rubbish into the dustbin himself. I will personally say that the second person is more “moral” than the first person.

Some examples of immoral behaviour are lying, throwing rubbish on the street, spitting on the pavement near someone’s feet and so on. It is good if you advise other people to throw rubbish into the bin, and to knock on the door before entering. But it is highly immoral if you only advise other people without you, yourself, listening to your own advice.

Zuraida Bt. Din

Morality has existed since the beginning of time but no one can find a conclusive definition for it. The depth and breadth of morality has been defined differently by different people based on their cultural, religious customs and perceptions. Based on Wikipedia’s definition, morality refers to personal or cultural values, codes of conduct or social mores that distinguish between right and wrong in society. Eventually, there are no right or wrong answers in defining morality. This is because when someone defines a subject as moral, other people may not necessarily define it as such. Culture and religion also influence people in interpreting the definition of morality.

For example, the introduction of weaponry at the very basic level has no moral issue if it is meant to be used by the arm forces to protect the country. However, weaponry is misused by certain people as a medium to attack human beings without any reasons. Similarly, the production of drugs is vital to everyone’s daily life as it helps to cure illnesses. Even one Panadol is enough to heal one’s fever in a short time period. Unfortunately, the misuse of drugs has led to several issues, including death, when one uses drugs for different reasons. Though most people know that the misuse of drugs will actually lead to death, they could not do anything as they are already addicted to them.

Another immoral activity is when people misunderstand the meaning of fashion. They see fashion as an essential issue living in the 21st century. As we all know, fashion designers are allowed to use fur to make clothes more fashionable. Regrettably, they tend to go overboard by increasing the use of fur in fashion as it will cause extinction to the animals. If this happens, will our next generations have the opportunity to see all the unique creations and learn to appreciate them? This again begs the question as to what is defined as moral or otherwise.

Fatin Shazea

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~MARCH'S DISCUSSION TOPIC~ LOVE

~ MARCH’S DISCUSSION TOPIC ~

LOVE

What is love? Does true love exist? Is there such a thing as everlasting love? Is love purely biological or spiritual? Is monogamy the only way? Is love entirely selfless or selfish? Love – the age-old conundrum.

First of all, I sincerely would like to thank all PETRONAS scholars for the great initiative of taking Malay A1, which can be described as a dream come true. I love you guys so much! And I love other IB students and teachers too! =) Love? What is love? Love is a big, meaningful word. People have searched for the meaning of love a million times over. But even the great philosophers, with their researched definitions, could not get hold of its true essence. Actually, the meaning of love could only be defined by ourselves.

Since I am not taking English A1 anymore, I am going to spread the importance of love in our life which I wrote about in my World Lit Essay. The important message that can be seen in the work of Hermann Hesse is the nature of father-son relationships. Throughout the work, the writer manifests the various emotional sentiments revolving around father-son relationships.  While the father appears to offer an abundance of love, the respective son seems to be unappreciative. Despite the efforts of the father, the sons continue to show signs of disrespect, indifferent attitudes, and to some extent, rudeness.

In the case of Siddhartha, his character is portrayed as someone who continues to offer his fatherly love, and harbours hope that someday, his son will be able to accept and love him as a father. Siddhartha is genuine and expects nothing in return other than his son’s love even as his son continues to show disrespect and cold behavior towards him. His love is without expectations and unconditional: “Still, he loved him, and he cherished the sorrow and suffering of love more than joy and happiness without the boy”. This is because the son has never met and felt his father’s love. However, Siddhartha chooses to suffer and be in the presence of pleasure of his son rather than enjoy worldly pleasure without his son’s company. Siddhartha even disregards Vasudeva’s advice and persuasion for him to give up. He continues wooing his son’s heart even as Vasudeva says to him: “Your son, dear friend, is causing you worry, and he is causing me worry too”. This shows that he tries to convince Siddhartha to give up as the son’s attitude has caused them much to worry about. Siddhartha still wants to love his son but meets resistance from him. He does not realise that his action is bound to an earthly desire.

In a subsequent passage, Siddhartha is reinforced as a determined person. He is tenacious in his decisions as he strongly believes that he will someday win his son’s heart if he continues to pursue his objective with love and patience. The bonding between the two is very strong as is evident in his willingness to face any circumstances in order to capture his son’s heart: “Look, I am fighting for him, I am wooing his heart, I want to capture it with love and friendly patience”. Eventually, he does not realise that the cycle repeats itself, which is the cycle of the nature of father-son relationship. However, Siddhartha loves his son and assumes that someday, the son will start to love him as a father.

As we can see, the bond between the father and the son is very strong until Siddhartha does not even care about his son’s attitude and still hopes for the son’s love. This behaviour shows how important love is until someone is willing to sacrifice his own feelings in order to be loved.

Fatin Shazea Jamaludin

Holding firmly a dark brown wrapped glass bottle in his left hand, Shawn yells strongly in pain till he can be heard in the next few houses. He has gulped the liquid in the bottle and now he is suffering. He staggers a few inches forward, trying to reach a portrait on a wall in his living room, and his vision is getting blurred and he feels truly dizzy. He tightly clutches his throat with both hands. The bottle glides down and breaks into pieces. Then, he collapses on to a rocking chair, falls down on the floor, crawls, and his fingers are scratching the floor. He is committing suicide.
Why? Is he mad? A short question clouds my thoughts. Why did he do so? Once again, a question storms in my confused mind.
Knock! Knock! Knock! Somebody is at the front door.
‘Open the door! Shawn! Open!’ A loud shrilling female voice is heard, urging Shawn to open the door but, actually, it is unlocked. That is Sherry. For Shawn, she is a special person in his life. Because there is no response, she pushes the door open and dashes into the living room. Startled, her eyes are on Shawn, who is lying on the floor. Quickly, she cuddles him.
‘I-I-I-’m sorry Shawn, it’s really my fault. I-I-I never mean to do so!’ Sherry wails.

Earlier, Shawn went to meet Sherry at her work place, a restaurant which is situated 25 metres from Shawn’s dwelling. He invited Sherry to sit with him because he had something to tell her and it seemed to be quite important for him. So, Sherry sat in the opposite chair. She felt pretty anxious with Shawn’s strange behavior as since their first meeting seven years ago, he had never been this serious.
Shawn removed something from his pocket and showed it to Sherry. He knelt and articulated, ‘Would you marry me?’
‘Are you mad?’, she replied loudly in surprise, frowning.
Her eyes showed her blazing wrath. Everybody in the restaurant was staring at them both, and some of them were clapping their hands. Shawn was surprised by her reaction and she was truly surprised by his action. Shawn thought Sherry loved him but she thought Shawn was out of his mind. Then, she slapped him, just nice on his left cheek, in public. A wave of shame went over him. He was dreadfully disappointed as he wasted seven years waiting for this moment. After that, he quickly left the restaurant.
‘Shawn! Wake up!’ Sherry cries to Shawn whose head is on her lap, but it is too late. He is dead. Tears stream swiftly from her eyes and she feels terribly lost.
I know that Shawn loved her more than himself and I do know that Sherry loves him, but due to her shyness, she harshly rejected his propose. Every day, Shawn would stare at the portrait on the wall about an hour. It was Sherry’s portrait. Shawn loved her very much. If he could not win her heart, he believed his life was valueless because he got cancer and he only could survive a few weeks more. Winning her love was the only thing he dreamt of. Sherry loves him as well. She keeps his picture in her purse and always smiles when she looks at it.

Wha can I do? I am just a little bird in a steel cage. I only can see and but can do nothing. If I am free, I am sure that I can help them and other people as well. And, of course, Shawn would be the happiest man in this world if he knew that Sherry loves him.
Ahmad Afandi

Valentine’s Day is around the corner and February is a month that is linked to love and lust. What is love actually and how do we define love? Love means different things to different people, but probably one thing they all have in common is the unselfish giving of ourselves and showing concern for each other. Some people might say that love is a burning passion and compassion for someone who makes you gasp at their every action. There are also certain people that do not believe in love, maybe because they have been hurt before. As for me, I would say that love is a complicated matter. It can hurt, and it can be great at the same time. My concern right now is: can we still love our partner when we are ninety? Will this feeling last forever though our partner changes a lot, not to mention he or she will become fatter and very different from whom they are right now?

               Love is blind, that is the reason why we can find many young couples kissing each other without thinking about their partner’s background.  They might say that love conquers everything or love is the strongest force on earth; what I can conclude about those young couples is: they are morons. In my opinion, in order to find the love of your life, you must begin by looking for the qualities that you want inside our partner. It might sound selfish, but this is the truth. What I mean by quality refers to the characters of our partner. Most young lovers do not really care about their partner’s personality. They will say love is blind, but think carefully, if your lover is a drug addict, will you still love him? Only stupid people will do that. Regarding my concern above, I strongly believe that we will not have the same feeling towards our partner when we are ninety. Logically, people change, so do our feelings. The only reason why we stick with the same partner is all the responsibilities that we have. If you are already married, surely, you do not want to start over again. What I mean is I do not think people that have a stable career would care to fall in love and have new babies all over again. They might as well stay with the same partner.

               Some people will say that love can bind two souls together forever until the day they die. This is another rubbish statement that does not make sense. How can you be so sure that your partner is created for you? As for me, I would say that everything would be sweet for you if the relationship is still at the early stage.  You do not know your partner’s inner self yet and I am sure everyone will try to hide their inner self especially in front of their loved ones. Things will somehow change when you have already known your partner for a long time; you will start to see their weaknesses.

               Next, I would say that I do not believe in love at first sight. Running through a field, arms wide open, a long embrace, and an even longer kiss. All these things will only happen in fairy tale. Love at first sight is actually lust at first sight. Seeing a stranger for the first time and admiring their beauty and physical attributes does not mean that you are in love. Most are so caught up with the first exciting moments of a new relationship that they go so far as to call it ‘love’. They do not understand their feeling, and the only thing that makes them attracted to each other is only appearances. Love takes time, commitment, nourishment, and trust. Without all those values, love will not be a success. In my opinion, people who say that they fell in love at first sight simply mean that they are in awe of the good looks they see.

               For some people, they would say that I have such a cynical view about love. I am just telling you my opinion, as I do not want people to keep on living in a fairy tale. Trust me, true love does not exist, as we are neither Cinderella nor Snow White. Wake up and get a life, step into reality. Maybe true love does exist, but it is hard to maintain given the distractions.

Sheril Emy Idayu Binti Abdul Latiff

What is love? Love is god. There’s a poem by Rumi, a Sufi poet, that I’d like to share with you:

“Gamble everything for love,

If you’re a true human being.

If not, leave this gathering.

Half-heartedness doesn’t reach into majesty.

You set out to find god, but then you keep

Stopping for long periods at mean-spirited roadhouses.”

Loving others is not so much an obligation but a privilege. Also, loving someone gives that person value; valuing someone increases love. Love is a wonderful feeling. It’s the feeling I get when I’m river trekking, camping, being in the outdoors and swimming.

Does true love exist? Yes.

Is there such thing as everlasting love? Yes.

Is love purely biological or spiritual? It’s intertwined.

Is love entirely selfless or selfish? Neither.

Before I end, I’d like to send my love to Liza, Pamelyn and Jenifer. Thank you.

Surain A.

              

Love, there are people who die because of love. Love, with its power, can make people fly high into the sky. What does love mean? Is it just a relation of man and a woman or does it mean more than that? For me, love means more than just a relation, means more than holding hands together, means more than just about having sex. To find the person that we love is easy, but to keep loving the same person is difficult. So, in a relationship, it is important to understand each other. This is the basic rule of relationships. If we cannot understand our partner, problems will arise later on.

               Love happens everywhere. Love is funny, especially when it happens when you least expect it. Since I got to Sri KDU, I have seen quite a number of incidents where my friends ‘accidentally’ fall in love. This one incident, however, which I personally rate as very sweet, is currently happening to one of my closest friends here.

               He is a student that a student should be. He has his mind concentrated on studies and assignments. He mixes well with everyone around. Initially, to him, it was all joy and contentment everyday having friends by his side. It was indeed a new experience for him to socialize with girls especially. Until one day, he himself could not understand what actually happened to him. He realized that he missed that one particular person during the long school break. For some reason, he was not fond of what he was feeling. He found that the feeling was kind of a torture, causing him to think of her most of the time, distracting him from his own life.

               Jealousy is an everyday feeling for him now. He feels jealous when she talks to other people but not him. He tries everyday to overcome the feeling, but it will eventually end in failure. Everyday he has the hope of getting at least some attention from her. He comes to the conclusion that what is happening to him is unavoidable. For the first time ever, he feels weak, unable to fight the feeling. Love is complicated.

               As for me, I prefer to be a lonely soldier boy. :p

Mohd Izzuddin Bin Nor Azminuddin

An elusive word, love. Love is complicated. Love is natural. There, a series of statements associated with love. Can someone define love? How does it feel when someone falls in love? Is love real? Uh, so many questions!

As love is subjective, it differs from person to person. One may say that love is when one cares for his partner. Emphasis on the word “care”. Next, one could say that when people are in love, they sacrifice for their relationship. At the other end, love satisfies human. Humans are blessed with feelings. One of the feelings is love. Oh, love is now a kind of feeling! There are people who say that love is needed to produce offspring. HAHAHA. Eh, we are not supposed to love only humans. We can love our shirts, our country, our school, our car, etc. Whoa, love is so big it can embrace almost everything.

Even for the definition of love, so many troubles have to be endured. In a world driven by knowledge and logic, everything must fall back on definitions. Definitions are very important as they provide the basis that we can fall on. We cannot build a tower without laying the foundation first. If there is no real definition for love, what is love actually? See, a question like that can already trigger so many problems. Maybe love is just a word with no meaning. Oh yea! Baah, to people who say that they are in love. There are other words that they can use like care, need, lust and responsibility. If we already have specific words like these, do we need the word love? Expunge this word. It just adds more confusion to the already complex world. The combination of the letters L, O, V, and E is invalid. They do not carry real meaning. Maybe the best way to end this is by uttering 3 most famous words: I LOVE YOU. Hmm, no difference right! I told yea :P

Firdaus B Roslan

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FEBRUARY‟S DISCUSSION TOPIC ~ UTOPIA

FEBRUARY‟S DISCUSSION TOPIC ~

U T O P I A

What would it take to make the perfect world?

My utopia would be a city where you could shop till you drop without having to pay a single cent. Due to the fact that it is impossible and yet so not pertinent, let‟s just let my weird realm be.

Thus, I want to take this opportunity to talk about someone else‟s utopia. In MY opinion, Mr. Masukor‟s Utopia would be a place where it is not just serene but also very civilised. A place where all the people play a very vital role in conserving nature and lowering carbon emissions with alacrity.

A utopia should be an earthly place of solace, equipped with the most salient technologies, buildings and an extremely effective sewage system. To generate such a perfect world, there should be a throng of people with abundant knowledge and strong etiquettes. Wise men and women before us always said: “It wasn‟t the place that built the people, but it was the people who built the place.”

As for whether there is a perfect world for everyone, the answer is obviously a big NO. With different tastes and ambitions, it is almost impossible to even imagine ONE Utopia. But if ONE Utopia is everyone‟s desire, then it definitely won‟t be just a dream anymore. As they always say “Together we will excel.”

Zuraida binti Din (June 09)

What is a utopia? What does it mean to you? What would my utopia be like? Well, by the dictionary definition, a utopia is defined as an imaginary state with perfect political and social conditions or constitution. However, it is just an ideally perfect fantasy world. Are utopias possible? Mostly, everyone is trying to achieve their own personal utopia in some way. The utopia in my mind would be a world where all people, pretty or ugly, small or big, all shapes and colours, are treated equally.

For example, people often differentiate between healthy people and those who are living with HIV and AIDS. People react to HIV and AIDS in a strong way just because it is a life-threatening virus. Besides, some people see HIV/AIDS as a form of punishment for the people as a result of their bad moral behaviors, prostitution or drug use. The negative attitudes and maltreatment of the people who are living with HIV/AIDS can result in poor treatment in health care and the success of testing, treatment and care of the virus. The level of AIDS knowledge, age and sexuality can also affect how somebody feels about the disease. My utopia would be a world without stigma and discrimination.

Fazlin Fuad Mohamad Faiz (June 09)

Everyone in this world would like to live in his or her own utopia. There are many different thoughts about utopias. It depends on the person and how they imagine what a utopia would be like. Some of them would picture a utopia as a remote cabin on the beach, Nirvana, paradise, or heaven. Religions like Islam and Christian do admit the existence of a utopia as they believe in Heaven and the Garden of Eden. Scientists, however, believe a utopia will exist one day if they manage to find the cure to all illnesses. One example of a utopia that has been portrayed by scientists is in Star Trek, where there is a presence of human society and advanced technology that is used to enhance the quality of human life.

In my opinion, a utopia is not possible and only exists in fairytale. There is no place in the world that can make us live forever, never get old, and feel happy all the time. Despite that, it is not deniable that there are countries like Malaysia and Singapore where we can live peacefully without any war and starvation. Unfortunately, we have to accept the fact that it is a human norm: we will die, get sick, and face problems in our lives. By trying to create a utopia, it will somehow raise other problems that will affect the human community.

Everyone has different ideas about utopias. It is not possible to satisfy all human demands, thus making utopias impossible to create. Many famous leaders had tried to create their own utopia but in the end, it led to failure. The reason they failed is that they did not accept the fact that everything fades in time.

As for me, I think that we cannot get the perfect utopian community, but somehow we can try our best to live life aimed towards a utopia. We have already started to eliminate illnesses. Other than that, we are already smart enough to eliminate poverty from our country as non- government organizations have made efforts to help the poor. Next, we are always improving our knowledge and day by day, we can see many new intellectuals graduating from university, which in turn will create a massive development. Can it happen? For me, the answer is no, but who knows I might still see it in my lifetime.

Sheril Emy Idayu Binti Abdul Latiff (June 09)

Utopia. A word that makes people high. People crack their heads trying to make that vision come true. Year after year, effort has been put into ensuring that desired life. Millions of dollars have been used to launch programmes that will enable humans to live happily ever after. Yet, they end in disappointment. We are still far from our utopia, the world dreamt by every person.

We do not have to go far to find evidence that our utopia is still virtual. Look at our streets. They are filled with rubbish, plastic bags, and old newspaper. Is this supposed to be our utopia? Car, buses, and motorcycles produce noise that is irritating and can even cause emotional instability. To compound the problems, the fumes released could cause 1001 health problem to humans.

Enough with those tiny facts. Let‟s view things from a macro perspective. In the 21st century, the physique no longer plays an important role. Life is now backed by knowledge and skills. “Let the best player win.” Advanced countries will be in front of the others. With their technology, knowledge and economy, the world is theirs. However, these tools that should bring utopian dreams to everyone are being misused. Look at the difference between developed countries (America, Britain, France) and undeveloped countries (Ethiopia, Ghana, Sudan). It looks like they are on different planets. How could a person in America become obese while another person in Ethiopia is starving to death? We are still the same human species!

A utopia is achievable. However, to get to this stage, everybody must play their part. Utopia is not far, it is here, in our own land. For the rich, please be reasonable. Spread up your wealth so that the world could be a better place. You the poor, do not think you are useless. Work out and make yourselves beneficial to society. Yes, it is vague but the struggle to create a utopia will never end.

Muhammad Firdaus bin Roslan (June ‟09)

Heal the world…make it a better place…for you and for me and the entire human race…

But then how? With all this war, campaigns and political selfishness, how do you create a better world? At some point I feel that this “perfect world” is just some myth or fantasy of the human mind because in reality we still see all these wars, campaigns and political selfishness, despite whatever “justification” they give for their action. And when we look back at all the “attempts” at making this world a better place, we always see someone getting killed, or dying.

So actually, what is the problem? I figure it is the people‟s definition of “the perfect world”. We never really can agree on one definition of “the perfect world” as our definitions are always differing, and often contradicting. Our definition of a perfect world will always be something that suits us best, and we often think that it will also suit other people as best as it suits us. As a result, we tend not to think about the possibility of our perfect world harming other people. And even if we do realise it can harm others, we still stick to it no matter what. So can it really bring about a “perfect world”?

Then what causes this mismatch in the definition of “the perfect world”? I figure it‟s human selfishness. It is in our nature to be selfish in a way, whether we realise it or not.

We always think more about ourselves and less about others. I can‟t blame us for such a nature, because it‟s instinct, really. To survive in this world, the priority is yourself, and then others.

So can we build a perfect world? Yes, by putting aside our selfishness and agreeing on one definition of “the perfect world”. But can we really do that? I say no, because throwing away our selfish nature is like throwing away one of the things that makes us humans. And we can never really throw away the things that make us humans, because we are humans.

So, in my opinion, we cannot build a perfect world…because we are IMPERFECT.

Ariffin B. Mohd. Amir (June 08)

Humans‟ boundless and changing desires have frequently caused them to imagine something that is unattainable – a utopia: an idea or perfect place where everything that comes across their minds can be acquired here. Personally, I don‟t think there will ever exist a place that is a perfect world. There would be no need for advancement, and, definitely, society would become stagnant, not expand and eventually would collapse.

To acquire such a place, human desires have to be conquered, which are always changing. Anything that we have or know today, due to our desires, will change in the future. For example, today A wants to have an N-90 mobile phone (priced at more than RM2000) but after feeling bored with it, he will start imagining and wishing for a more sophisticated one.

Actually, for me, as a believer of God, a utopia will never exist in this world but in the Hereafter – paradise. Here is the only place where everything that flashes in our mind will appear in front of our eyes. So, to be in paradise, make sure you are on track. I mean, following your religion.

Ahmad Afandi B Suhaimi (June 09)

To understand this topic that we discuss this month we must go back to the origins of the word (I apologise for my adamant belief in the importance of etymology). Coined by Sir Thomas More and used in his book Utopia (shortened title), it is derived from Greek words meaning „no place‟, and is the name of the fictional island described in his book where a perfected society, in terms of its religious, social and political customs, exists. Today the word „utopia‟ means an ideally perfect place or state, and is often synonymous with „Eden‟, „heaven‟, „Shangri-la‟, and „paradise‟.

Usually I would say that my utopia is a place without sin or suffering, no worries or strife; a place where humans dwell eternally with God (the question of His existence put aside, who is more perfect than Him?)... But that would place my dream world squarely in the afterlife. Hence, my version of the perfect world, for the purpose of this month‟s discussion, is this:

Imagine yourself on a planet filled with the tranquillity of a clear blue sky and pristine azure seas, the mystery of unexplored continents and uncharted islands, and the wonder of picturesque landscapes and exotic fauna. You have just landed yourself on dry land,surrounded by trees and foliage of a forest neither dense nor sparse. All you can hear is the hushed voices of the plants as they are stirred by the calm wind. Not a creature is stirring ... And then you wonder, is there even a single creature before you arrive in this world?

Makes you wonder, does it not? A world devoid of sentient species, indeed of the entire animal kingdom! In this world the ecosystem has somehow adapted to survive without the existence of insects and beasts of the sky, land and sea. There is no intelligent life on the planet, not a single human with all their greed, pride and hatred; no animals with all their instinctive rivalry and sense of superiority; not even insects, with all their societies and poisons! The largest multi-celled organisms are the biggest trees you can set your eyes on; the only living things that move freely are so small you can hardly contemplate their size. It almost seems as though God has stopped His six–day creation of the world at the end of the fourth day.

Why this kind of world? Look at Earth, the perfect example of a world gone mad. Wars and pestilences, economic turmoil and global warming, poverty and starvation... Even natural disasters today can eventually lead to inconsiderate human activities and overpopulation! I would even be so bold to say that Hell would be better than this but for the duration of the chaos and suffering there. Even if you take Homo sapiens out of the equation it would not be enough. If Darwin is correct, some other poor animal will replace the apes on the evolutionary road, resulting in a similar species that will wreak havoc again! A world filled with trees and plants as far as the eye can see is exactly what Earth is hypothesised to have been before man, before dinosaurs, before newly-evolved amphibians... even before fish and planktons!

Coming back to reality (and what a sad reality we live in), we have to admit that utopia is exactly what its Greek syllables say it is – “no place”, a place that does not exist. However primitive, however futuristic, however perfect-in-every-way the world is in our heads, it exists only there. Our only hope lies in the seed of goodness God has chosen to leave in our hearts of darkness, and in a faith that would help it take root and bloom into flowers of compassion and commitment, of empathy and action, which would bring this world to its knees and, to put it simply, make it a better place for all to live in.

Chin Keat Meng (June 09)

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~SEPTEMBER'S DISCUSSION TOPIC~ ITS THE END OF THE WORLD.

~ DISCUSSION OF THE MONTH ~

It’s the end of the world. what would be the last thing(s) you do?

If the world ended tomorrow, I would first say goodbye to my family, my cats, Sharkey and Gorgeous, and also express my feelings to them as I love them so much. I would miss them the way they are and I would thank my parents for being so lovely and caring in my life. They taught me how to be a better person in life and also they always give me the inspiration on how to face this world which is full of happiness and also obstacles. I would spend our last night together in a restaurant and laugh as much as we could and enjoy the last moment together before this beautiful world ended.

Other than that, I would spend all my money which I got from my father for my distinctions in the SPM examinations. I got RM1300 for that and I would go shopping even though I knew that the world would end tomorrow. It is my hobby to shop so I would spend my last day shopping and hanging out with friends if possible and I am very sure that I could feel the satisfaction of being with them. I would buy clothes which I did not have the opportunity to get before because I was not born affluent. Now, I have the money and I want to spend it all.

Moreover, I would like to seek forgiveness from my friends and also, if possible, from my teachers.  Sometimes we do not realize that we have hurt our friends and teachers. If we offended them and we did not apologize, they would think that we did not care about their feelings. At least, if the world ended tomorrow, I would feel relief if they have forgiven me. I would also settle all my debts and of course as a Muslim, I would pray and give alms and charity to orphanages and old folks as much as I could. Lastly, I would like to get married with the one I love. I want to know how it feels like to be someone's wife because there will be someone who will always care about us.

In a nutshell, if the world ended tomorrow, I would like to do all the things that I want to do which I do not have the opportunity yet. After all, I would like to feel the satisfaction of being a perfect person in this world.

Fatin Shazea Binti Jamaludin (June 09)

When we talk about the end of the world, it gives us the meaning that all living things in this world will die. If the world ended tomorrow, I am sure there are many things that I would like to wish for. Everyone will be the same as me; surely, they also have their own last wish before they leave this world. Since I am only 18 years old, there are many aims and ambitions that I want to achieve before I go to the nirvana stage. Out of so many wishes that I want, there is only one wish that is always my priority. I think I will rest in peace if I have the chance to fulfil this dream.

As for me, if the world ended tomorrow, besides saying goodbye to my beloved parents, I will go and meet the only boy who has stolen my heart and confess to him how much I love him all this while. I first met him when I was in Form 3. My school had organized a rugby tournament among all the schools in Kuala Lumpur and he was representing his school for rugby. I was his school’s guide and I was supposed to show them their hostel and so on. Since that day, we have been friends and day by day, we have become closer to each other. We studied together and lucky for us, we both managed to get flying colors for our SPM examinations.

As we got closer, I began to realize that I actually had a crush on him. The reason why I am attracted to him is because he is such a good listener and he really takes good care of me. I still remember the day when I first enrolled in Sri KDU, I called him and cried over the phone because I was not able to cope with the new environment. He patiently listened to me and he has kept advising me until today. He always manages to calm me even in the most difficult circumstances, and he will always be there for me whenever I need his help. On his part, he treats me as his best friend and nothing more than that. It never crosses his mind to take our relationship to another level and I accept that fact as long as we are still close with each other.

I know if I did not tell him my feelings, I would not be able to live happily but I really do not have the guts to do so because I am afraid he might freak out and leave me behind. For now, all I want to do is to concentrate on my studies since I know I would go nowhere if I kept dreaming about him. However, if the world ended tomorrow, I would not hesitate to go and meet him to tell him that I love him so much and will keep on loving him until the end of time.

Sheril Emy Idayu Binti Abdul Latiff (June 09)

  

 

Till then.

John 8:32 – Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

If it is the end of the world, one of the things I would do is e-mail this article to the chief editor of Opinionated Monthly, which goes like this:

Is there a correlation between the numbers of A’s obtained in schools and colleges to the level of poverty, corruption, dispute among nations and to the quality of air, water and soil? The issues of yesterday, which stem from greed, indifference and ignorance, still persist to this day. Does it mean that nothing can be done about it? Does it mean that it is a waste of time and energy to do something about it?

Is it our duty as teachers and students to find and be part of the solution to the issues humanity is facing today? Or do we conveniently point our fingers to someone else?

A glimpse of paradise on Earth can be caught once we begin to adopt an attitude of ‘if it’s to be, it’s up to me.’ That is my contention. Yours too, at some point, one way or another.

What is the purpose of education then? Can we see beyond an A? Is there a grander scheme of grooming students to answer exam papers?

If education is not about solving issues and problems through means of philosophy, religion, science, politics, technology and arts, then I would let out a big sigh of relief. But if it is, I will not panic, make eye contact with my students, and say; “I’ve failed you,” smiling.

And I shall be free.

-   Love Your Mice   -

If the world ended tomorrow, I most probably would make myself the center of peace of the world. Through the millennia, we have not been able to eschew from causing misunderstandings and other factors that caused the world to be unsafe to live in. World War I and World War II have told us enough about the consequences of war. Although humans are sensible enough to evaluate the effects of war, they are still sending their armies to wars and operating activities that can harm world peace such as producing nuclear weapons.

As the center of peace of the world, I would meet the world leaders regardless of their political ideologies in order that we all could negotiate and understand each other just for the short moments left. I would persuade North Korea to cease manufacturing nuclear weapons. The missiles which are ready to be launched should be undetached. The ongoing war in the Middle East between the Israelites and the Palestinians should be ceased. I would make all the world citizens unite as today was the last day that we would breathe and see each other.

Ahmad Afandi (June 09)

If the world ended tomorrow, the very first thing I would do is to buy the most expensive first-class airplane ticket to Langkawi. I would then meet my family in Langkawi and ask for their forgiveness. I am dead sure that my sisters, one in Sarawak and one in Australia, would come home too. So, we could have our last little reunion.

            Then, my family and I would go to the beach and we could swim there, because I never had the chance to boast to them that I can swim now. Well, kind of. I would force my family to get a manicure just because my dad hates it (been there, done that) and thus we could laugh and cherish the moments we have. Most importantly, I would try to drive my dad’s car even though I have never learned how to, which probably would get me killed. Hmm, maybe not such a good idea...

            Lastly, I would call the person I have a major crush on and confess my feelings to him, and I would say to him, “Even though we die, my love for you will live on forever.” Well, to sum up, I would also have to call, like, a dozen people of the opposite gender, including Eunhyung from ‘Super Junior’, to confess my everlasting crush on them. Hmm, too troublesome. I might just spend more time with my family.

Zuraida binti Din (June 09)

It’s the end of the world. What can I do? Even if I did carry out my deepest desires with doomsday looming, there is no joy or satisfaction to be had in earthly pursuits at the eleventh hour.  I would simply sit and wait for the end of the world, comfortable in my own bed with a nice glass of white, listening to Chet Baker. 

Geraldine Phillips (CAS)

Tomorrow is unpredictable. It is a mystery. Even if we plan what we are going to do for the next day, unfortunately sometimes it does not go according to plan. If we knew we would die in the next 24 hours, it would create a chaotic situation. People would start to think about the last thing they wanted to do. As for me, if the world ended tomorrow, the last thing I would want to do is sleep for the whole day.

            Why? The reason is simple. I do not want to know how the world would end. Would it explode like what we have always been told in the theory of the big bang or would an alien come down to earth and wipe out the entire human population? It does not sound realistic but the possibility is there. So sleep is the best thing to do. We wouldn’t need to wander around doing this thing or that thing because it would be useless. If Einstein were still alive, I think he would agree with me. J 

Mohd Izzuddin Bin Nor Azminuddin (June 09)

If the world ended tomorrow, that is the time when my life, my parents’, and all the others’ would stop, including yours. That is also the time when we would all start to think back what we have done throughout our days of living. Have I been a good person? Or have I been living as a nuisance to others? Did I do enough good deeds to go to heaven?  As I fear the wrath of Hell.

            If the world ended tomorrow, today I would live my life to the fullest. Starting with my beloved parents, I would kneel down and ask for my very last forgiveness, “Mum, Dad, forgive me for all of my wrong-doings, and if I did not fulfill your dreams and expectations.” And I hope I will meet you in Heaven. Then only would I ask for forgiveness from others. Not forgetting, the Almighty, who gave me the chance to experience the supremacy of his creations.

            If the world ended tomorrow, I can’t deny I would be a bit happy, as I could finally free myself from those meter-thick books. Not that I dislike them. I just think that it’s time for my brain to rest, peacefully.

            If the world ended tomorrow, I would fulfill all the promises I made. The promises I made to my parents, and my dearest friends. And lastly, the promise I made to her. And that is, to stay with her till the end of time.

Muhammad Azlan Bin Latif ( June 09)

What Would Be The Last Thing You Do?

Before my eyes close for the very last time,

Allow my heart to speak, and you will hear it say;

That a Muslim, a Hindu, a Christian

I am not

A man, a woman, a child

I am not

Sir, teacher, mister -

Do not call me by those titles.

To put myself above you is pretentious of me

To put myself below you

Is akin to Ali punching his own face

In a fist fight.

To take me as I am and

You as you are would be

Respect given where respect is due

And not because I am

A Muslim, a Hindu, or a Christian

Nor because I am

A man, a woman, or a child

And certainly not because I am

A sir, a teacher, or a mister.

- Drunk on the Fruits of Love -

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