Freedom is something I value as much as my life. For what is life without freedom? What is freedom without life? Life and freedom are symbiotic; you can never have one without another.

Life without freedom will be likened to a missing ';' in a program code. It may seem insignificant and most people will overlook it but trust me, your program will never work! Without freedom, you will never live a life but merely going through it.

But what is freedom without life? There is NO freedom without life. Ever heard of the non-living needing to be free? Pardon me, but I have not.

Some may argue that there is no life without love. But where is love if you don't even have the freedom to love? Where is love when marriages are not by choice but pre-arranged? Where is love when race, age, nationality, social status and social perceptions (towards homosexuality for instance) matter more than love itself?

This weekend I read two thought-provoking articles about freedom from different perspectives (hence this rather emotional post *blush*).


Our Own Apartheid

An Open Letter to Mustapa

"You may not be aware, however, of the Statutory Bodies Discipline and Surcharge Act which affects academics who are the employees of statutory bodies.

According to this law, we can't say anything for or against government policy without getting ministerial permission first.

Now, this may be all right for a mathematician quietly thinking up new formulae with which to calculate the possibility of Malaysia ever qualifying for the World Cup.

But for social scientists, it is akin to having the Malaysian football team play football without using their feet (which is perhaps something that they do anyway, looking at previous results)."
(I can read this over and over again and laugh...hahaha)

I am thankful for all the freedom I have. Certainly there are more unfortunate people out there who have not tasted (perhaps never will) freedom. But I yearn for more. I yearn for the day when everyone has the freedom to express themselves. A day when people don't get punished for speaking out the truth (talk about irony...) and most of all, I yearn for the day when everyone can live as equal.

But I know that this day will never come. At least not in my lifetime, at least not in this world I am living in.