When I was five, I asked my dad why we have to celebrate Independence Day this religiously in this family (mind you, we’d be at the venue at 6 A.M. in which for a five-year-old me, was incredibly ridiculous), he gave the only answer my young self could be able to understand at that particular moment – because we love our country. Growing up, I understood loving the nation are the acts of singing national song, reciting the Rukun Negara and respecting the Jalur Gemilang as it is, the “Stripes of Glory”. I was probably fifteen when I learn that uprightness plays a significant role in maintaining a nation’s peace. I stumbled upon several pictures one day, and this prompted my parents to up each other, telling stories about their fathers.
My Nek was a school teacher, and although he taught many students, one particular one stands out. He was your typical rich-but-problematic-due-to-lack-of-attention pupil in school and as usual, created chaos. An incident brought his parents to the school, and when offered to sweep the problem under the carpet with a hectare of land, my Nek rejected it immediately. “You lived in America for decades, did the Seven Grandfather Teachings teach you nothing by now?” was what he said and that moment was when I found out, changed the child’s view on the world. The child grew up to be one of our closest family friends and one of the high-ranking men in the Malaysian Armed Forces. “Your Nek could have taken the money and looked the other way, but instead, he stood up for what he believed in and made me for who I am today. If he didn’t do what he did, I’d probably be rotting in jail for what I would’ve done”.
“Your Tok Bak was not a rich custom officer” was what my mom’s siblings would say to me, and it would always be made me proud although by then, I could not make sense of what was said. Their family was never well-off, all 8 siblings had to work their way up the ladder if they want to succeed. Because of that, he was always made the butt of a joke of his circle. He could have abused his power, but his integrity held him down to the ground and ventured down that road. Just like the story, he would say to me and all my seventeen cousins – The Emperor’s Seed, he taught everyone around him how honesty would one day be fruitful by practising it. And now, all his children could gladly say that their father is their hero, by doing what he did.
Plant honesty, you will reap trust. Plant goodness, you will receive friends. Plant humility and realize greatness. Plant patience, you will recognize improvements. Plant faith, you will reap miracles. Bear in mind what you are planting now will determine what you are going to harvest tomorrow. The seeds you now grow will make your future life worse or better. It may also affect those around you profoundly.
Besides, you’ll sleep better at night.
