A true blue Malaysian
THE ever adorable true blue Malaysian, Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim left us last week. His knowledge of Malaysian history was encyclopaedic, let alone others ranging from sports especially soccer to the multiplicity of Malaysia’s cultures and nuances. He was an exceptional example of wha...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Sun Media Corporation Sdn Bhd
2019
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| Online Access: | http://irep.iium.edu.my/72644/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/72644/ http://irep.iium.edu.my/72644/1/72644_A%20true%20blue%20Malaysian.pdf |
| Summary: | THE ever adorable true blue Malaysian, Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim left us last week.
His knowledge of Malaysian history was encyclopaedic, let alone others ranging from sports especially soccer to the multiplicity of Malaysia’s cultures and nuances.
He was an exceptional example of what a Bangsa Malaysia ought to be. All these made Khoo the voice of reason that played a crucial role in settling issues of “competing” views in the context of historical development.
He was sensitive to the prevailing context and nuances.
His “mediating” voice as a public intellectual was very much needed in the interplay of power and influence where people seem to be “loud” for no apparent reason. I can almost hear how Khoo sighed each time this happened attributing it to how much education had changed for the worst. Many rushed to say something without deep reflection and caused more problems instead.
A case in point is the Rukun Negara of which Khoo was one of the ardent architects. Where is it now? As we talk about values, the Rukun Negara is not even cited as a vital source as part of our national identity that we all should be embracing after 61 years of Merdeka. |
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