Star2, WedneSday 27 auguSt 2014

By JEROME KUGAN
star2@thestar.com.my

OOKING at the brighter side

of life is not always easy and
writer Niki Cheong knows it.
Dismayed by increasingly negative and divisive sentiments that
have clogged the media all year,
Cheong decided to launch Lima
Puluh Tujuh an online initiative to
combat the doom-and-gloom rhetoric that has become all too common.
But instead of hitting directly at
the source, Cheong is betting on the
words of ordinary Malaysians to do
the trick. At the heart of the project
is the website limapuluhtujuh.
com where he is currently soliciting and publishing short, anecdotal
stories of joy, compassion and positivity in Malaysia.
On Aug 31, Lima Puluh Tujuh
will kick off its on-ground element at Fashion Avenue in Pavilion
Kuala Lumpur. The installation will
remain there until Malaysia Day
(Sept 16). In between those two
dates, Lima Puluh Tujuh would
be making stops in areas such as
Cheras, Kampung Baru, Sentul and
Bangsar to encourage further participation.
A former editor of The Stars
youth platform R.AGE, Cheong, 34,
currently helms a cross-platform
media consultancy called NICHE
creative.
His column Bangsar Boy Returns is
featured in StarMetro.
He hopes that by sharing and
reading such stories, Malaysians
will realise that harsh lines of division didnt build our country; its
the everyday human contact, mutual respect and a shared sense of
commonality that holds us together.
We asked Cheong, who is one
of the faces featured in The Stars
Voice of the Moderates campaign,
to share other details about his
project.
What inspired you to start Lima
Puluh Tujuh?
Lima Puluh Tujuh is basically an
extension of the 50x50 My Malaysia
project, which I organised last
year in conjunction with the 50th
Malaysia Day. I have spent the
past year and a half working on
various projects aimed at bringing
Malaysians together, so Lima Puluh
Tujuh which celebrates 57 years
of independence since 1957 continues in that vein.
Could you describe what Lima
Puluh Tujuh is all about?
Were asking people to share
their stories about Malaysia over
the past 57 years. Weve collected
some stories and put them up to
help give people an idea of what
kinds of stories were looking for.
Each story ends with a question as
a guide for anyone who wants to
contribute.
Are there any stories on the site
that personally struck you as
poignant?
Two stories resonate most for me.
One is called I dont think theres a
Malaysian festival that I dont like
because it describes the Malaysia
I grew up in. Even before there
were intercultural marriages in my
immediate family, I grew up with
such a diverse group of people that
every celebration was my celebration.
Id go to neighbours houses during Raya, for example, and play
the host, as though I was the tuan
rumah (master of the house). But it
was all in good fun.
The other one is called Got listen
to your cikgu or not? because it
brings back so many memories. It

PEOPLE 17

Look at the bright side

an online initiative aims to combat
doom-and-gloom rhetoric that has become all
too common.

were very much united. I look at

my family and friends and I truly
believe that. But, of course, its not
just me. Everyone else needs to feel
the same for this to continue.

also reminds me of my
parents childhood stories.
They grew up in a time
when there were no buses
so the neighbourhood
kids would walk to school
together.

What would you say to

Malaysians who perpetuate the
doom-and-gloom rhetoric?
Have faith. If we succumb to
negative sentiments, then it will
be doom ahead. But theres always
hope. We just need to look for
the little things to hang on to and
amplify them. If we truly believe
that things were better before, then
its proof that good things are possible.

Why do you think such

stories make inspiring
reading?
I think childhood stories
are great because they are
sentimental. They take
us out of our busy lives
to look back and reflect.
Thats what Im hoping
people will get out of Lima
Puluh Tujuh, a chance to consider
their current lives in the context
of the past. We always hear people say, things have changed or
Malaysia was better back then and
the like. But, is it really? Have we
changed that much?
Whats your take on that? In our
pursuit of a better life, have we

changed for the better?

Its hard to say and I can only
speak for myself as I reflect on my
history and the history of the country that I grew up with. Im terribly
disturbed by the increasing negative rhetoric thats tearing apart the
social fabric that holds us together.
Im trying not to get caught up in
these sentiments and constantly
remind myself that, in general,

If we truly believe that things were

better before, then its proof that
good things are possible, says writer
niki Cheong.