"massively losing talent to the rest of the world...."

"because there is alot of potential in the country, and it is a bright future...."

"i wish to go back to the times when we were kids... when race didn't matter..."

fortnightly doodles: KOMAS Freedom Film Festival

Hello everyone!! How's it going?

It has been a really exciting two weeks for the dream team!

We attended the KOMAS film festival in London and hosted the London working group in the recent 2009 Northeast Malaysia Forum! Not only we had plenty of fun, we met some really inspiring individuals at both events and recorded malaysian dreams on video for the very 1st time!

The KOMAS freedom film festival 2009 presented a series of thought provoking documentaries with focus on social justice and human rights in Malaysia. For those who missed the event, not worry, the documentaries are now available for streaming on their website!

Do check them out and share them around :)

One of the documentaries featured a letter written by Darrell, a 10 year old boy from the UK, to Dr. Mahathir, calling the logging practices in Malaysia 'disgraceful'. True to his form, our dear Tun writes back with the full might of his scorn (and hilarious sarcasm). A copy of this letter and Tun's reply (page 1, page 2 & page 3!) are also available on this website.

What do you think? Can you see Darrell's point? Can you see Tun's? How would you go about producing change?

Till the next fortnight,

Watch this space for our dream videos! (we're posting them up soon!)

The Dream Team

I have a dream to see Malaysians who love their country to be the VOICE. Stand up and voice out, representing the silent majority. Speak up against injustice, whisper unity to the hearts of everyone. No singing to the tune or corruption and lies and things which makes our country dies.

I have a dream. That WE be the voice.

Jason Lee CJ, 20, Law student, UTasmania

My dream for Malaysia is that they would be more open to foreigners like me and grant me a PR here.

fornightly doodles: about the dream team...!

We are four Malaysians with different stories and reasons of what brought us to London. What we do share in common is that we all decided to turn up for a barbeque on a hot summers day in August 2008. We noticed that everytime a group of Malaysians would meet up, the conversation would invariably turn to Malaysia.

Complaining lah, missing lah, hoping lah

We had left Malaysia but somehow Malaysia never really left us.

We started meeting up to share what dreams we had for Malaysia and to see what we could do to be part of the solution. The Malaysian Dream website is one initiative that has come out of our group. The idea is for people to send in a picture that represents their dream for malaysia. I believe within all of us there is a hope for our country, a hope for good. Sometimes it comes out when we watch a moving Petronas ad, a flicker of hope that resonates with us. This 'Malaysia' can seem so distant at times. So why bother dreaming? Why don't we just except what we have?

We believe that a collection of dreams, each unique and individual, will inspire others to start dreaming for Malaysia again and that a generation that dreams for good will be one that goes on to build a great Malaysia.

Too help you get to know us better, we have asked all 4 members of our group 3 simple questions.

Hsern-Wei

What is your strangest dream?
I dont remember my dreams in detail but my favourite sort of dream is falling backwards into an empty space. Yes, I have been told this is strange!

What is your dream for Malaysia?
My dream for malaysia is to be involved and to see a change in the work culture of Malaysia, firstly by changing the mindsets of employees towards their work and secondly working to change the work environment so it brings out the best in people

What do you miss most about Malaysia?
Hanging out with my friends. The moments I miss the most are when we would hang out at a padang near my house late into the night (the poor neighbours). We would lie back on the tables and look up at the stars and have the craziest and most open conversations.

Joey

What is your strangest dream?
That dogs were chasing me!

What is your dream for Malaysia?
That people in Malaysia would treat everyone fairly, when applying for university (there won't be a quota system), queing up in the hospital . That everyone would have a fair chance…..

What do you miss most about Malaysia?
Nasi lemak for breakfast that my mom has bought for me.

Peggy

What is your strangest dream?
I once dreamt that I was working on my laptop and somehow in my dream I was conscious that it was only a dream but I couldn’t snap out of it or stop working. I remember being very annoyed with myself because I knew all my hardwork would go to waste because I couldn’t press save in a dream.

What is your dream for Malaysia?
My dream for Malaysia is for all Malaysians to believe in all things better and good. That we will not just accept injustice and anything substandard that we will be a nation of people who will always care and strive for all that is better fair and good.

What do you miss most about Malaysia?
The one thing that I miss most about Malaysia is my family, I miss the warmth, familiarity and unconditional love my family freely showers on me. I miss the moments we share as a family.

Edmund

What is your strangest dream?
I can't remember my weirdest dream ... Which in iteself is quite weird

What is your dream for Malaysia?
My dream for malaysia is for malaysians to call themselves malaysiansand shout and proclaim and let the world know that yes We Are Malaysians.
We may not make the best cars or the best clothing but together as one we will get there.

My dream is for every malaysian to believe in their heart and say that'we are not chinese - malaysians, and we are not indian - malaysians andwe are not malay - malaysians - Gosh darnit hear us world WE AREMALAYSIANS!

That's my dream - for malaysians to be united and treated as malaysians.

What do you miss most about Malaysia?
I miss being able to get a hot meal almost anytime almost anywhere!

I wish Malaysia would be more well-known globally, as since I am a Malaysian studying overseas, a common question sparked amongst foreigners is, "Sorry, but where exactly is Malaysia again?"

I hope that one day Malaysia will become an MEDC, rather than just an NIC or an LEDC, and hopefully children all around the world will be educated in their geography lessons about Malaysia in the future.

I do believe we will all be able to help Malaysia do this one day, especially after the recession is over. Whether this will take years, decades, etc, I know that our country will grow stronger and stronger in time. After all, "Malaysia Boleh!", right?

By: Jessica Chan, aged 14, UK student.