Yang tua dihormati
Yang muda disayangi
That's a Malay saying which is universally true.
It means: Respect the old. Love the young.
If you are a Malaysian, then you would surely know who Professor Emeritus Khoo Kay Kim is. Especially if you are one who appreciates history. If you don't know him, I dare say you know nothing about Malaysian history. LOL.
I sure have plenty of respect for Prof Khoo not just because of his age. Oh, he turned 80 just last week on the 28th of March! We all have great respect for him because he does not only teach us history, he makes us excited and appreciative of our own history.
When Tan Sri saw my name card he remarked: Your name is unique, tell me about your background. At hearing my reply, he seemed reluctant to believe I was a Malay. LOL. But I have something in common with him, we are both from Penang. He was born in Perak actually but he considered himself from Penang because his parents and forefathers were from Penang. The Khoo clan is a Hokkien based in Penang ever since the seven Khoo brothers migrated from China to Penang in the late 18th century. According to Prof Khoo, the Hokkiens were mostly traders, therefore they would normally have settled in port cities throughout Malaysia.
Let's not be a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree.
Let's continue to learn about history, learn from the past, and let's be cognizant of the history that is in the making - the present.
It was a historical day indeed to meet Tan Sri Khoo for the first time at this age of mine.
Thank God for a pleasant and fruitful morning.
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