The P.U.R.E Way to Living in Harmony by Muhamad Solahudin Ramli

THE POWER OF P.U.R.E

           

The writer believes that a beautiful camaraderie makes life a wonderful journey.

I have been caretaker to hundreds of hostel students for four years. It is a great challenge for me to make everyone understand and obey the long list of hostel rules, so I come up with P.U.R.E (Positivity, Unity, Respect, Endurance). These significant letters simplify the tedious list and are four key factors that will help occupants stay harmoniously as one happy family. After a few months, I began to notice good changes in the students’ behaviours to result in fewer disciplinary cases. The hostel is now a home and the friends are now siblings. The idea works just to make me a proud father of 200 children. For this reason, I believe that Malaysia needs to put the same effort to produce exemplary citizens whose love for the country will grow stronger each day.

            An optimist agrees that the glass is half-full. Living with positivity is living in harmony. A positive mind can turn a bad day into a breezy one. It can make a moody person smile. It can even change a person's life. Thus, we need to stay positive when we are tested with disasters, catastrophes and ordeals. They are inevitable circumstances that may be a blessing in disguise. We just need to stop playing the blame game and start reflecting on ourselves.

The second aspect is unity. Although people are racially, religiously and ethnically diverse, we should stay united as one. We should care about each other’s welfare especially that of the needy. We need to help orphans as they too deserve our attention. Our little contribution will lighten their burden and brighten their day. That is how it should be. When one cries, the other should wipe the tears. When one is lonely, the other should be the companion. When one is down, the other should cheer him up. The continuous support will eventually strengthen our bond as brothers and sisters.

            It’s undeniable that respect is an important ingredient for a harmonious community. One way to show our respect is to mind our manners. Wherever we go and whoever we deal with, we should always behave ourselves and keep our right attitude. Treat everyone nicely and avoid using vulgar words and ironic remarks to convey a message. Know our limits and respect others’ privacy. Crossing the boundaries will just cause quarrels and conflicts. We also should respect the opinions, rights, beliefs and decisions of others. People have different ideas to propose and they see things in different directions too.  

            Finally, we must learn to build mental and emotional endurance. Do not let our tantrum govern us. When there are issues, we need to respond appropriately by sharing our thoughts and giving recommendations for solutions. There’s no need for us to overreact as we will just make the situation worse. When there are changes or new policies to be implemented, we should not question its relevance and prejudge its effectiveness. If we choose to disagree, we need to go through proper channels to suggest new ideas. We have to be sensible and professional to avoid grave repercussions.

            It has been 57 years since Malaya achieved freedom. Despite all the trials, tribulations and afflictions that leave us clueless, we should continue being grateful for what we have today. Let us maintain our beautiful camaraderie while we pray for Malaysia to keep growing gloriously.