My family revealed

"Siphoning money" indicates that i'm not working for what i earn. That's not true. What i do for work adds to this nation, perhaps not in an altruistic way but i'm doing my bit. Sure, rose, you're not suggesting that we become a Communist nation where people are not fairly paid for a hard day's work?

On the other thing you said that really peeved me off, about my parents.

My parents have been faithful servants of the government and the country for more years than i've been alive. Many times dad had a chance to go into private practice and make a ton of money. But he didn't - he decided to stay on in a government hospital, earning only a government salary for more than two decades. He's taught countless medical students who have gone on to save countless lives (chances are one of your relatives have been treated by a doctor my dad trained). Many of his students have gone on to make millions of dollars a year while dad still worked for a pittance in relative terms in the government.

Why did he do this? Because he loves the country, the profession and he believed he had something to give back to the greater good. There is ABSOLUTELY no other conceivable reason why he would have done it.

After years of dedicated service, he's entitled to retire from government service and move on to do something for himself for a change. That's exactly what he's done by honorably retiring from government service and taking his family to Australia. Even that, i'll bet he's thinking about my two sisters - no one shall argue that they, who are just about to enter university, will definitely get a better education over there. Part of the deal he agreed with the Australian government and the University of Sydney who offered him the job was that my sisters would get the same education privileges as anyone else.

As for my mom, she's the same. Decades of service educating young teachers, some of whom may have taught YOU or your loved ones over the years. In fact, my mom was the one who drafted the KBSR syllabus for Kemahiran Hidup in secondary school. We all studied that. That was her baby.

Similarly, she had many, many offers to work in the private sector. She has a post-graduate degree with first class honours in textile technology and management from the University of Illinois. Do you know how rare that is for a Malaysian? Malaysian companies dealing in textiles were throwing themselves at her feet, begging her to work for them, offering mega-bucks. She turned them all down.

Why? Because she loved her country, and she valued what she was giving to it. By teaching teachers, she knew that she had a tremendous impact on all of us and our children, and basically anyone who goes to government school. And also, she knew that by going into private practice she would have less time for her family. She didn't want that - she didn't want to leave the upbringing and care of her children and husband to a maid.

But she's retired too, and retired with honour, i promise you that. Now she has a chance to do something for herself for a change. After years of government service, i don't think anyone can begrudge her that privilege.

So, rose, pls - you think you know me from my blog and therefore that gives you a right to say whatever you want about me. No problems. Go ahead. My commenting engine is there for that very purpose; i leave it on for better or for worse.

But when you talk about my loved ones, and my family, you know absolutely nothing. As Mark Twain said, if you don't know what to say, don't say anything at all.