Melodi

I saw probably 2-3 minutes worth of Melodi this afternoon. And in that 2-3 minutes, an unknown Melodi reporter was interviewing a sick artiste (I don't know his name, he was formerly in some rock kapak band unfamiliar to me). I remembered that he was previously featured for his current state - selling nasi lemak by some sidewalk in KL. He seemed to have "repented" and very much humbled by his present disposition.

But today's story is not about him selling nasi lemak but on the fact that he is now stricken by some illness which I suspect has got to do with kidney problems. I watched it halfway, so I may get that wrong. The point is he's sick.

What struck me the most ought to be the fact that he was so receptive of his health condition as an act of God. The reporter was asking, "It must be hard for you to not be able to sell nasi lemak and therefore lacks source of income..." or something like that. His response shocked me. Not so much cardiac arrest-shock but more of a humbled kind of shock. To paraphrase, he said, "You're looking it in the negative. I see it as God's means of washing me off my sins. It's a form of cleansing."

And right after the above feature story, Abang Rambut Ketak interviewed Nurul and was asking her opinions on Ajai's seemingly "wild" antics after their divorce. It was not very surprising that she sort of tried to maintain her neutrality in her responses, avoiding statements that can be construed out of context.

Again, that is not the point I'd like to make. At one point, Nurul was asked on Ajai's unflattering and mischievous pictures being distributed in blogs. Nurul then pointed out that who ever is behind those blogs should be ashamed of themselves and should consider the feelings of Ajai's (or any other celebrities') "keluarga dan sanak saudara".

Ok, now, combining both stories. The main point of this entry is that I find it quite endearing the fact that Malaysian celebrities are still deeply-rooted in their faith, culture and heritage. Islamic teachings dictates that Muslims must readily accept tribulations as hardships are not meant to torture but to test one's endurance and faith. Asian values dictates that societal responsibility must always come before individual interests and that any acts done must be in consideration of the masses.

I wish that all celebrities or public figures, especially the new and up and coming members of the entertainment industry could emulate such respectable conduct. Then again, I wish that EVERYBODY and not just the artistes will follow in their footsteps.



Au revoir!