LETTERS: May Ramadan be peaceful, bar the politicking that is a year-round sport.
Amid the attention on the Israel-Palestine war, Malaysian Muslims have their issues, too.
The 3R issue (royalty, race and religion) may not be as hot as Muslims focus on fasting and reflecting on their personal and professional wellbeing, but it is always under the surface, ever ready to emerge again.
What can Ramadan bring for Malaysian Muslims, non-Muslims and the world at large? Can it be positive or the other way around? I would say the reality will be a combination of both.
Largely, Muslims will focus on doing good things during the fasting month by minimising wrongdoing and maximising exemplary behaviour.
They will reflect on their mistakes and attempt to become a better person to their family, to society and in the eyes of Allah SWT.
In that spirit, Malaysians should approach things differently when it comes to politics.
What we should be doing together is to look at matters with the main objective of benefiting the country.
Can anyone say that the recent bah kut teh issue, the ringgit slide and Taylor Swift not performing here were discussed fairly or in a way that would make Malaysia a better place to live in?
Recently, Malaysia's ranking as the fifth happiest country in the world also caught attention.
Not many, including me, expected that. Social media is full of questions about how happy Malaysians must be for the country to rank that highly.
The way we think can affect others' perception of our country, especially foreigners, tourists and investors.
We should be thankful that Malaysia is not involved in a war like in the Middle East, Ukraine or Sudan, especially during Ramadan.
This is the time to look at the bigger picture. As a nation, we have progressed so much over the years, but we tend to be pessimistic when discussing current and future developments.
This attitude is not bad. It means we are aware of what we want and aspire to get to a better place.
Make this Ramadan a starting point for a better Malaysia.
ADAM MUHAMMAD
Muar, Johor
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times
