I Dream of....

Everyone has their own dream. People who doesn't dream or says that dreaming is bad then they better go and meet any qualified psychiatric for them might be diagnosis with some sort of abnormality. In brief, people who doesn't dream or did not have dreams are 'crazy'. However, people who are dreaming a lot are also in danger of being categorized as having 'mental problem', they are far worst than the people who doesn't dream. Sorry for my boring introduction of dream, but this post is all about dreams. OK, you might think that I'll talk about my dream last night or what are the meaning of certain dream. NO, I am not gonna talk about that.

I dream of my undergraduate student back home (Malaysia) can initiate changes. When i mentioned 'change' it doesn't means that it need to be revolutionary in nature. It doesn't have to be like that. Evolution can do. Slowly but consistent. There is no use to have the 'instant noodle' culture. It bring no good to the society. OK, some might started bored reading all this philosophical sentence. Hang on!

My point in this post is, I dream of some changes in the way the student election on campus in Malaysia being carried out. For the last few days, there is an election campaign going around in the campus here in stirling university. Being a post grad student, this election has nothing to do with me. But, what interest me a lot is the way the election being carried out specially the campaign part. I happen to drop by in a election rally conducted in 'the atrium'-the open space outside the library where student normally hang out while enjoying their fish and chips, coffee or sandwich- after performing friday prayer at the chaplaincy.

It was a semi formal event. Few chairs with full audience, many of them just standing listening to their aspiring candidate debating. There are this two young man standing in front. It just like the presidential debate. This two gentleman will take turn in expressing their views, or their manifesto. From my own calculation (i might be wrong in this), each candidate were given about 5 minutes to say their points. After that, they were given another round questioning each other manifesto, while in the third round, this two gentleman have to answer question from the chairperson which i believe was a question from the audience. OK, so you might argue that it is very simple. we can do it here in Malaysia. Fine. That is only the first part.

What concern me a lot is the ability of this aspiring candidate to debate with facts in hand! I say it again, with FACTS! in hand. The very facts that being mentioned by one of the candidate was based on a survey which was conducted in stirling uni campus. To make things more interesting is that the survey was conducted by an independent body commission by the student.

If this group of undergraduate students can say something or can argue with facts, I did not see any problem with our own students to do the same. But. I means a big BUT with questions mark hanging around this BUT is the situation back home. I don't think the situation in our very own campus will permit this kind of debate. I wouldn't elaborate further on the meaning of 'this situation'. I leave it to you to find it out by yourself.

Again, I have to admit that I can only dream about this. When I say, I can only dream, means it wouldn't be a reality in any near future. Until then, you who agree with me and myself too can only dream. Hoping that we wouldn't be categorized as a dreamer who needed the psychiatric attention!