Indonesian Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian recently belittled Malaysia's aid to disaster hit Aceh province, with his comment that the medical supplies delivered from Malaysia were were “not much” compared with Indonesia’s own disaster-response resources. Of course, his remarks hit the raw nerves of Malaysians.
This showed me a few things about us, humankind:
- Saying ‘Thank You’ can be hard. It is so true of the majority of people. Someone sacrificed and helped but we lack the courtesy to even acknowledge that sacrifice and good gesture. In the Chinese culture, parents seldom thanked their children. Everything that is done is taken as the child’s expected filial piety.
- The fact that we Malaysians reacted when the Indonesian Minister played down the significance of our contribution also revealed another aspect of the human heart. All of us, regardless of age or background want to be appreciated. When we are appreciated, we thrive. So, we need to learn how to appreciate people and things around us.
- We must always think before we speak. Words spoken out reveal what is in our hearts. Once spoken out, it is hard to cancel them. Yes, our Malaysian contribution may not be significant to the Indonesian Home Affairs Minister but it is a relief to the flood victims in Acheh. So, Minister Tito Karnavianmust acknowledge that and just say, ‘Thank you, Malaysia.’
As 2025 comes to a close, let us take some time to reflect on ourselves, our nation and nations around us.
Maybe, we too have ‘belittled’ the contributions of our children, spouses, employees or colleagues. Then, it is time to grow and nurture a thankful heart. Let us count our blessings one by one. Let us learn to say ‘Thank You’ to all who have acted kindly to us at home, at our workplaces, colleges or schools. Let us learn to appreciate all that we have – the shelter over our heads, the food on our tables, the peace and harmony in our nation, the leaders who have worked hard to make Malaysia a better place to live in and the sportsmen and sportswomen who have helped Malaysia shine. Let us also be thankful for the many ordinary fellow Malaysians who have served quietly in little ways, bringing cheer to those around them.
Let us all learn to look at the bigger picture of things. As humans, we all have our strengths and weaknesses. We may falter or fall at times, but let us be resilient, get up and return stronger and better. As a nation, we often bemoan the shortcomings or weaknesses. Yet, there are also progresses that we have achieved. Instead of words of anger and condemnation, let us choose to speak blessings into our nation – blessings of wisdom, unity, truth, justice and righteousness.
A Blessed Christmas to all! May God continue to shower His kindness and goodness upon our beloved nation and cause Malaysia to prosper.
December 2025
Mei Wong (mwrejoice@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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