It was only for a day that I didn't manage to blog, but it felt like it has been forever. So, after today's OOM test and my presentation, I managed to get some time from my studies and assignments to browse around the Internet and read articles around today.  

And I came across this article that amuses me so much. 

Link: 

Internet will be censored if I am PM again, says Dr Mahathir

To sum up the article, our former Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahatir mentioned that there are reasons why he would censor the Internet:

1. Preventing the opposition party to spread news that would defame Barisan National.

2. Internet is the source of evil as it is the source of negative elements (from violence films, etc.) that would increase Malaysia's crime rate.

It is true that people are being influenced negatively by the internet as there are many uncivilized people in this country. Even though we are called as a developing country, but there are many internet users in Malaysia that are ignorant about the netiquettes. It is rather sad to see Malaysians (not all, but there are quite an amount of them) that claims that they are educated with at least an SPM level, but they are not being able to know what is right and what is wrong to do in the Net. 

Photoshopping photos of politicians and making internet memes, then posting them on social media is already a common scenario in Facebook. Also, thanks to the Internet, the fact that Malaysia is being a corrupted country is no longer something that only the locals know -- It's already global. 

What's worse? 

Everyone knows well about the case of the missing airplane of Malaysia that causes so much of havoc and sadness across the entire world. The incident is saddening enough, and yet there are people that are still making fun with the passengers on MH370 by editing advertisements of Malaysian Airlines and spreading it around and these ignorant people thought that it's real. Some are worse, for blaming the government on the tiniest bit of matter when they have absolutely no idea on the field of air force or military. 

True that the delay of relaying messages from the government will make everyone being anxious about what exactly happened, as humans fear things that causes uncertainty. Their desire to know, their desire to stay in their comfort zone where they are holding onto hopes that their friends and family that are on the plane are still alive and yet, the case is being used as a joke. 

It's not funny at all, and it shows how uncivilized people are that it brings so much of shame. Even my friends that are studying medicine in Egypt are being teased and laughed at by their classmates. Worst part was from the artists or certain people from China that generalizes the entire Malaysia based on an accident. Honestly, do you think that we, Malaysians would want such incident to happen? Do you think that we, Malaysians are being irresponsible because of this and that that happened? Do you think that only people from China are the ones that are affected?

What about the Malaysians on board? What about the Malaysian crew members? And the other passengers' family members and friends? We know the pain of losing somebody important, too. It isn't just you that are being at grief. We feel the same, too.

To Malaysians, even though there are negative messages that are being shoved to you, please stay strong and endure them. Fighting back verbally (or physically) only brings you down to their level. There's really no need for you to curse them in the other way round if they did anything bad to you. Also, netizens, please do not violate the Internet to defame other countries or spread any other fake news anymore. The situation is saddening enough, so please, stop the irresponsible act.

As our former PM said that internet is the source of negative things around us that affect our peers, but...

Dear Tun, if you ever come across with this, I wish that you would be able to hear my message out, even if it's just for once, even if you wouldn't choose to reply, but I wish that you will read it from here, until the end.

It's true that there are many things that affects the teenagers nowadays, I have to admit that, for me myself seeing my juniors behaving in such a terrible manner that I am, too, worrying about the future generation. You may say that the Internet is the source of evil, however, it doesn't mean that it is a must to censor it. You may call it a change for the better, but I dare to say that it's not entirely true.

Dear Tun, it's our education system that needs a change! Through education, we could shape people's mindset on how they should maintain their netiquette, change their mind on how they should react and be a selective reader so that they will filter out the negative things that you mentioned. If you said that watching violent movies and such are the causes of evil, it would also be our educational system's problem as well.

If you ever asked why, please allow me to tell you my experience of studying under the Malaysian education system. 

I was a top student in my school. Not as glorious as other top students in other schools in Kuala Lumpur, but my experience as a student are more or less similar compared to them. 

Sorry to sound rude, but our Pendidikan Moral subject for SPM is practically absurd and it is pointless to have the subject, if I have to be honest. Why, you may ask. Tun, do you know how exactly our teachers teach us to score straight A's in our SPM? We 'learned' by memorizing. 

We memorized reports, memorized textbooks, reference books, doing past year papers repeatedly, getting ourselves multiple stacks of reference books to do similar questions again and again, all because there is a question pattern that will be asked in the real examination. I was one of the students that memorized my books and we spurt out whatever we memorized from the book materials on the exam paper, step right out of the exam hall and we forget everything.

Students are forced to join co-curricular activities in my school. We had no freedom on what we really wanted to do as the attitude among students right now isn't what something a student should have. They are all taking education as something granted, that they would pray for holidays, recesses or breaks instead of being grateful on the new knowledge that we learned in the old times.

Dear Tun, let me ask you a question again, if you would allow me. Do you honestly think that memorizing 36 values for our SPM and write essays based on common sense would represent a person's morality? No. I've seen students that skip classes, being a delinquent, pointing middle fingers here and there in the public that scores an A in Pendidikan Moral. The implication for the subject failed completely.

Also, do you honestly believe that writing paperwork for our Pendidikan Sivik regarding on community services and such would boost our civil values? I dare to say that it doesn't work for the current generation either. The reason is basically the same as what I've mentioned above, as most are actually doing our projects for the sake of it, instead of having the heart to learn and imply the values in life.

This isn't education, Tun. Our students are only being trained as a memorizing machine, that the fact hurts so much when I realized all these when I entered my foundation studies. Education is meant for life, where students should be educated to apply what they have learnt in their life, not for the sake of a piece of certificate. 

If there's a need for our country to change, we have to start from education.

I deeply apologize for my command in English that might not be on par as most of the university students in famous universities in Malaysia, or across the globe. I'm terribly sorry if my words are seen as something absurd, but... Tun, if you are really being able to come across this post, I sincerely thank you for listening to my plea. 

Perhaps it isn't just mine, but I believe that this is the voice of mine, and people around me, as well.

Once again, I apologize, and thank you very much.

Yours sincerely,

Jin.