Western Custom / Culture

When I was a boy, I attended the burial of a soldier who got killed in a fire fight with the communist terrorists. After the burial ended, several soldiers stepped forward and let go a volley into the air. Villager were puzzled by what they saw. Such Western military practice should not have been introduced in the first place. I am glad that when I reached adulthood, the practice was discontinued.. However one more military custom still remains to this day. I am talking about the laying of wreath at the National Monument. The ceremony is elaborate and its a waste of time. There is the saluting amidst the refrain of the last post. Who is being saluted? The monument? There are other ways to honor the death which are simple and conform to Islam. A short prayer service can reach the dead but not the sound of the last post.

Another carry over of the Western culture is the birth day celebration. A cake and some lighted candles are displayed. I don't like the idea of blowing the candles. A lot of bacteria may settle down on the cake. And we have to eat the cake later. Birthday is the time for thanksgiving and not merry making. So one must thank God for making it possible to reach the age - whatever age

Another thing I would like to comment is the Olympic Games which Malaysia always takes seriously. The game is definitely foreign. The large amount of money spent on it is not worth it. No Malaysian would ever find the need to run 100 meters under 10 seconds. We have motor bikes.The money spent would buy us 50 gold medals. Thats the easiest and the cheapest way of getting gold. Glory? What glory? We can't eat the stuff.