Widening the scope of community service to encourage more people to get involved should be a priority of the government’s social agenda.
Many in Malaysia are already community service-minded. Some are involved in groups that provide a wide range of community support services. They undertake these noble services at all times, including in the wake of disasters.
Not all of us are able to emulate renowned social activist Lee Lam Thye. But we can surely do our part. If we cannot do great things in life, we should consider doing little things in a great way.
I myself have been involved in various forms of community service for many years. More ordinary people should be recruited to help foster goodwill within their neighbourhoods and communities.
But some people seem to want to mind their own business and avoid involvement in charitable and community work.
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Such apathy is a problem in society, and we can see it happening around us. If you have that kind of indifferent attitude, then when confronted with issues, it would be best to solve them yourself rather than seek help from others.
Community service should be instilled in everyone at the national, state, and district levels and in our neighbourhoods.
Many unsung heroes are already involved in community service. Unfortunately, not enough is done to encourage wider public participation in such work.
I firmly believe people should do their part to improve their lives in the communities they live in and if possible, even beyond. I believe it is morally wrong if we seek a better quality of life for ourselves while neglecting progress and prosperity for our community.
How advanced a society is can be measured by the compassionate actions of its members. More often than not, it is assessed by the deeds done for its more vulnerable members, many of whom struggle to make a living.
Adults and students involved in community service may face daunting challenges and even abuse despite their noble intentions.
I encountered one such experience, and it was posted in our local chat group. But I took it in my stride. It involved a woman giving food for cats in the back lane late at night. I felt it was a noble act and uploaded a video of it to the chat group – but one person took offence and posted an unkind remark. The person was immediately removed from the chat group.
Do I feel deterred by such incidents from carrying out community service? Definitely not.
I am still passionate about doing my best to improve the community and neighbourhood where I live.
What impresses me are the many ordinary people involved in noble work whether in education, ecological stewardship and conservation, and disaster relief. Many future sports champions are also being coached by volunteers.
In moving scenes, dedicated volunteer groups feed the urban poor at city street corners. Many of these street people lack proper nutrition.
Surprisingly, even migrant workers are helping out in feeding the poor in some parts of Kuala Lumpur. What a noble act by our guest workers!
The youths and adults who turn up at the Free Tree Society workshops want to learn about nature and horticulture so that they can in turn beautify their neighbourhoods, villages and residential areas.
One lone corporate warrior, Chandran Nair, goes around planting young saplings in spots that hold large ugly tree stumps as part of his contribution to nurturing and beautifying the local environment. But he goes almost unnoticed. He has planted quite a few saplings in Lucky Gardens, Bangsar. I have invited him to do the same in Bangsar Park.
The community gardens, like Bangsar’s Little Farm of Hope, and vegetable plots in many residential areas are heartwarming. The authorities should provide more suitable areas for local folks to participate, encouraging them to engage in healthy pursuits and foster good neighbourly ties.
Walking in various neighbourhoods, I find it heartwarming to witness how the various communities are bonding in the joint activities they are involved in.
There are so many ideas and projects all of us could get involved in. We simply need to be fully engaged and foster goodwill and neighbourly ties in our diverse communities.
We can do little but meaningful things within our neighbourhood which could be our little way of addressing global challenges.
If all residential areas, whether rural or urban, organise a tree-planting day, we would have done our part to combat global warming and climate change. Wouldn’t that be a marvellous contribution to the human race?
All these little activities would also help in building a more harmonious society.
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
Thank you for such a heartwarming article. Community is such a necessaity in finding joy and just feel included with so many diverse people in brightening life.