Politics and the regular Malaysian

Recently, I received a call from my very old friend, Rozainor.  He said he was putting together a group of people to get this idea he had on its feet.  He wanted to do something practical and pragmatic to help the people in his community, and so I found myself walking into the Rasa Sayang Nasi Kandar place on Jalan Yap Kwan Seng on Monday evening.  the first thing that surprised me was his hair which has grown a decidedly paler shade of grey than the last time we met.  i nearly did not recognize the guy.   There were five other people at the meeting which transpired over roti canai, mee rebus, teh tarik and a few other dishes that i have forgotten. 

Half way through meeting we found ourselves knee-deep in interesting ideas and suggestions.  By the end of the night, we had laid the foundations for our very own NGO.  I felt a little strange when I left the restaurant that night; this was a situation I had never dreamt being in.  My arguments during my days on the student union echoed in my mind as I drove home.  It was like revisiting an old friend whom you thought was dead. 

I think I can sink my teeth into this idea: it politics and yet it is not.  It is a wing of politics that many Malaysian politicians actively avoid: the part where there is work to be done and real things to achieve.  In most cases, Malaysian politics involves small deeds but hordes of aspiring politicians fighting to bask in its brief lime light.  things look promising but it remains to be seen. it remains to be seen.