BY: AKMAL AZIZ

Malaysians must learn to cherish the peace and harmony that they enjoy by maintaining cordial relations with their neighbors, not only those that live next door to them, but every person they come into contact with in everyday life.

Why is a neighbor important? A neighbor is important because there might be a time when there is a need to rely on them for help or assistance which is needed and cannot be given by the people that live with us.

This is why it makes sense to be friendly with everyone and to be on good terms with people in our neighborhood, our local community and with school or college mates or colleagues at the workplace.

There are, however, neighbors who are difficult and not cooperative or friendly towards us. When this happens it is important for us to take the initiative to hold an olive branch towards them so there can be a thaw in the relationship.

Basically, as human beings, there is a need for each other. While on one hand our lives are lived independently yet, on another hand, there is a need to be interdependent on others that make up our world.

No man is an island. As a people, there is a need to engage in open relationships that are healthy and harmonious and to come out of the closet and face up to all those issues and matters of life that are individually important to us and our neighbors.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE

** The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher