Rambling on…

Malaysia has gotten a man into space. Or rather, a Malaysian has been to space (as I write this, he’s still in space). A Malaysian has braved the harsh cold of the North Pole and climbed Mount Everest as well. Isn’t it great to be a Malaysian?

What I really want to know is, why does the Malaysian government feel the need to do all these sorts of things? Why is it so important? Why do they feel the need to prove our worth? Afterall, we’re all human, regardless of race or even nationality. We’re all born with the equal ability to achieve greatness. Yet, there’s this glaringly obvious need to feel recognised by the world.

Are these ‘national heroes’ doing it because of the challenge itself? Or to prove to Malaysians that a Malaysian too can do it? If so, then all of these achievements, although great, are made slightly hollow. We don’t have to prove that we can do it. We should KNOW we can do it.

To me though, this space mission is just like our Petronas Twin Towers. If you have enough money, you can buy your way to anything. Pay an architect to design your towers, and pay for foreign expertise to help you build them. Similarly, if you have enough money these days, even Joe Public can go into space.

Why don’t we just put that money to better use. And no, giving our youngsters something to aspire to doesn’t sit well with me either. There are many ways to inspire people, and alot of them less costly too!