August is here and soon, we will see athletes from all over the region gather in Kuala Lumpur for the 29th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. August is also the month we celebrate the formation of Asean, in addition to the Independence Days of Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. What these events have in common is how they bring a diverse set of people together for a single purpose – the former through competitive sports, and the latter to commemorate nationhood.
Malaysia is a perfect example of how diversity can be turned into strength. Sixty years of independence proves how the act of embracing diversity has contributed so much to the nation's peace and progress. One of my closest friends is truly a poster boy for Malaysia's beautiful multiculturalism: the son of an Indian father and a Chinese mother, he married a Malay and is now a Muslim. He enjoys celebrating all the major festivals in Malaysia, each with its own mouth-watering foods, which, unfortunately, have not been so good for his waistline.
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