The time of festivals is always a time of cheer and joy. The key alphabet to note is ‘F’. Food and Festivities of course. These are not only enjoyed but also shared in Malaysia. That is the greatness of Malaysia.

We, in Yayasan Strategik Sosial (YSS) have had the opportunities to attend some of the ‘open house’ functions where any one and everyone are welcomed. These functions cut across all kinds barriers such as race, religion, sects, political ideologies, ethnicity, social and educational status and so on. For me personally it was an eye opener.

Indeed the magic word is ‘open’. Not only the doors of the houses are open but also has the connotation that the hearts and minds of the people themselves are open. There are no hang-ups and no reservation but sheer interaction and integration. Even people who would have individually professed a particular taste or taken exception to certain cultural flavours do not seem to have any such problems in ‘open houses’.

I do not know whether to call this a miracle or restoration or reconciliation. However for want of a better analysis, it is this sublime nature makes us persons with an ability to integrate and find unity in our diversities. Here an ordinary manual worker rubs shoulders with ministers, labourers with leaders, educationist with not so educated and the rich with poor. Wherever we, YSS officers attended these ‘open houses’ we could invariably attest witness to this phenomenon. Following table shows the number of ‘open houses’ attended by our officers.

Dear reader friends, even while I am hurrying over this article, something is running in my head. If I do not spill it out I might end up having a burst head. That is for the sake of maintaining and enhancing a harmonious race relationship shall we have more of these ‘open houses’ and ‘pot lucks’ at different levels? As to my meagre knowledge, this was how the ancient civilisations maintained their harmony and homogeneity even during times of adversities. Any wise pointers???

(Submitted on 16/12/2002)