We should be different

optional The Rohingya are one of the most persecuted minority groups in the world. —Agencies

I WAS possibly brought up the wrong way. When I was little, children were often seen but not heard. We had to call anyone older than us Aunty or Uncle or Kakak or Abang. We always had to mind our manners, lest it reflect on our upbringing and our parents. In fact, respect for parents was so great that to even say their names was difficult, because it implied that we were equal to them, an impossibility.

My parents taught us that we always had to be polite to everyone we met, regardless of who they were. We could not show off, brag about anything we had, or put anyone down. Humility was a virtue that was constantly impressed on us.