I got a first-hand look today at our country's young nation-building program, the National Service. And as the cadets or its scientific term which is wirawan/wirawati celebrated the end of their 3-month stint with hugs and laughter, I couldn't help but wonder how long this bond will last. Each will go back to their homes, back to their respective ethnic groups, back to the safety zone which is among their peers. And the Major says it best, "Diorang ni dalam kelas je campur. Habis kelas terus buat hal masing-masing. Yang Melayu, Melayu. Yang Cina, Cina." Why am I not surprised? In a table filled with bapak-bapak orang, he also added, "Budak-budak zaman sekarang lain. Kita yang ibu bapa ni fail. Salah kita jugak." Why do I still feel like a 'budak-budak sekarang'? I smiled. Whatever the reason is, we've got a long way to go.
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