10 things I will do to Malaysia if I were a celebrity Celebrities-they are the people with fame and fortune.

They're like us-only better. They're richer, shinier and more beautiful versions of ourselves. They walk on red carpet while we sit on a carpet at home watching them on Entertainment News.These days, with reality shows and YouTube, to become a celebrity is possible when fame is achieved. So imagine now you're a celebrity and on an exclusive talk show hosted by oh, I don't know, Oprah maybe and she has asked you this question, "What are the 1o things you would do to Malaysia now that you're a celebrity?" What would you do, then? Well, here's what I've got to say; being a celebrity with high prominent profile, I want to promote to the people to live a healthy lifestyle. Being healthy is important and it's not just about having excellent body-fitting shapes but the many things we can do when we have good health. In Islam, our Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) has said, "Take benefit of five before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before your preoccupation and your life before your death". Health is not only true wealth but a blessing from Allah. As youths, we tend to take for granted our health. We are always reminded and advised to do many good deeds and explore the world before we are overcome with illness or disability. A healthy citizen is a big asset to the nation. When we are healthy we can do lots of things. We can also think clearly. Take a look at some of the third world countries in the world like in Africa and Bangladesh. They are described as the world's poorest countries with low human resources due to lack of health and nutrition. Look at the children which suffer from malnutrition and scurvy. These countries are least developed because they lack healthy people to be the backbone of their nation. In other cases, with the rising of fast food outlet

and evolving technology, children in developed countries are becoming sluggish and obese these days. Nearly 20% of children between ages 6 and 11 are obese. This is a serious matter to be looked upon. As celebrity is a great influence in our daily lives, I want to instill a mindset that healthy lifestyle is essential-that health is wealth. Health does not just limit to eating a balanced diet and exercise every day for 30 minutes but also in our social lives like staying away from drugs and campaigning against HIV/AIDS. In India, Honourable Mahatma Abdul Kamal once told, "When mother is happy, family is happy and when family is happy, our nation will be happy". This shows that promoting happy family is important to develop a country. These days, juvenile crimes, riots and child abuse are on the rise in developing countries. When we trace back the background of these criminals, we will notice that they are all from broken family, suffering poverty and deprived of tender loving and care from their loved ones. In order to curb the problem, we must start from its root which in this case means addressing the family issues. Good parenting and family communications are one of the key factors to a happy family. That's why in Hong Kong, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service has organized the Happy Family Kitchen Project in Yuen Long district where it aims to promote happy family dining and cooking as well to promote family 3Hs (Health, Happiness and Harmony). This idea is very good to implement in Malaysia and by incorporating with celebrity chefs in the country, people from various walks of life can relate the importance of good family ties to become a well-developed country. Not only that, in the United States of America, the month of April marks the National Child Abuse Prevention Month, a time dedicated to child abuse education, awareness and prevention activities. Many celebrities in America like Bruno Mars and Angelina Jolie support the

cause and so I believe that I want to educate and raise awareness to the people of child abuse prevention in Malaysia by organizing this sort of event. With strong network and ties with other prominent people, I just might be able to realise the dream. Apart from that, I want to assist the low-income families in providing good education to their children and upgrading their society. For instance, a poor developed community will be equipped with the latest modern infrastructure like fast internet coverage and many more. When a family is equipped with good necessities, they will be able to live happily and generate the country's economy better. Mahatma Gandhi once said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated". Animal abuse is prevalent in all areas of the society. Be it in rural as well as urban areas, there are always reports of animal cruelty cases. Yet, there are hundreds, maybe thousands of cases related to animal abuse that go unreported. When I see other countries on how they cared for these small furry friends, it makes me realise how Malaysia needs to develop in many aspects-one of them is on prevention of animal cruelty. Don't blame these creatures for roaming the place and stealing your leftover from your rubbish bin when they are as deserving as we are to live in this world peacefully. Stray animals like cats and dogs suffer gravely especially in the city. With hardly any shelter and undefinite source of food, they eventually die on the streets or killed in road accidents due to insensitive and reckless drivers. Hundreds of animals die each month by thoughtless act of man. A person who hits, tortures, abuses an animal in any sort of way or even neglecting them is in no way entitled to be called a human. Just because we human are the top of the foodchain, doesn't mean we must make those beneath us feel inferior. There are many ways to prevent animal cruelty in Malaysia. As celebrity, I

will pass the message on how important it is to go against animal abuse. I will work closely with a group that works for the cause of such animals. There are many organizations which work towards giving a better life to stray animals in particular. I will also urge the society to keep a watch in their community and report any animal cruelty. Besides that, I want to fund those organizations that fight for animal rights so they can educate the people in a holistic manner and encourage people to have pets at home. Despites cultural and religious differences, all countries have historic figures and role models who represent their national values. These people define their country's culture and show the world their nation's best qualities. These figures may be politicians, athletes, authors and even artists. As much as in 2011, Malaysia was ranked number nine as one of the top most visited country in the world after Germany, based by The Star, dated 7th February 2012. It was a good achievement but in order to put Malaysia at a higher level, my involvement as a celebrity may help the process to make Malaysia known worldwide. Datuk Jimmy Choo, the famous shoemaker where his shoes are worn by most of the Hollywood celebrities on the red carpet has become a tourism ambassador to the United Kingdom. Not only a shoemaker but a world renowned celebrity icon, Datuk Jimmy Choo who hails from Penang is a perfect candidate in helping our country to move up to be an attractive destination for the high-end tourism market. As for me, I will promote Malaysian fashion to a whole new level so that instead of the so-called 'little black dress', people will go for 'baju kurung'-a sweet and decent clothing, girls of all ages can wear. Not only that, through music, I would like to promote my country, Malaysia by mentioning the wonders of the country in the songs I write and sing. That way, people will be mesmerized by the melody and the beauty of Malaysia through my music. They will definitely want to come to

Malaysia to know more about the country where I come from because obviously Malaysia has a lot to offer to the world. Not only that, being a celebrity is one of the best choices to get marketing and spreading the word about your destination's branch to much wider audiences than the typical tourism campaigns. The point is that when a celebrity lends their voice, a larger audience tends to listen. Next on the line is promoting environmental awareness especially to the youths. They have to know that Malaysia must play its part to conserve the natural wonders it have from facing extinction. Many international and young aspiring celebrities are joining forces supporting the same cause. We can see and hear many famous and typical names like Hilary Duff, Avril Lavigne and Alicia Keys who support and fund many 'green organizations'. Being a celebrity can be very powerful because despites not being any political leader, our views and opinions on serious matter are heard as well and usually supported by the people and fans. Celebrity also connects the youth and when a celebrity or a teenager's idol speaks out, this celebrity always gets good reactions from the public. In other words, celebrities are mostly influential. So like it or not, if you want to educate the youth on environmental awareness and going green, as celebrity, we must showcase good examples to the people on what it's really about to save Mother Earth and the peril our world is in due to our own wrongdoings. First of all, I will opt to go against real fur coat because we are harming those furry animals and causing extinction by this action. It is also cruel and somehow barbaric. It's like having your hair being cut and shaved to be made into a wig-yikes! So think twice if you want to be fashionable. However, there are loads of ways to be eco-friendly and at the same time how do you say in French, 'chic'? Go for vintage clothing or products made by organic materials. Many award-winning brands are

branching out into eco-fashion like the sportswear Adidas with its sport shoes made out of raw materials. Yet, these kind of items are of high quality and bargain. Encourage people to take actions and step up to save Earth as it's our only beloved home. I want to create a foundation that fights for environmental preservation and getting people to actively engage and involve with the cause of the organization. They will see that in order to save the world, we must save our country first before it's too late. Malaysia is very spectacular and magnificent with its high mountains and lushes greeneries that worth to die for. So, as celebrity I want to show to the people on what they're missing out and must do to relive the glory of Malaysia. It's not just about living in a fast-pacing world but also living in a serine and natural environment that helps to cleanse the soul. Youth development is a vital aspect of a nation's progress. About one in every five people is youth between the ages of 15 and 24 years. To have a comprehensive and successful youth development programme will create a generation that can guarantee a future of vibrancy and prosperity for a nation. However, the state of youth development is still below par. Youth nowadays needs to be equipped with skills and abilities that will enable them to participate positively in the development of society and the nation on a whole. For me, youths are the young people that need guidance and someone who can show them the clear pathway to lead. As youth development is defined as the ongoing growth process in which all youth are engaged in attempting to meet their basic personal and social needs to be safe, feel cared for, be valued, be useful, and be spiritually grounded, and to build skills and competencies that allow them to function and contribute in their daily lives. So you see, people must understand that young people need to be happy, healthy and successful. The University of Minnesota has outlined eight key elements to

quality youth development from providing physical and emotional safety, giving youth a sense of belonging, ownership and fostering their self-worth, allowing them to discover their self-potential (identity, interests, strength) and many more to take notes. As we all know, youths are an asset to a nation. They have high potential to benefit the country and high risk to make a nation falls. In this aspect, I want to help today's Malaysian youth to tap into their self-potential and use it to benefit the country. Many youths today rot on the streets because they believe there is no place for them that people can accept their talented ability and skills. Therefore, I want to provide these youths with medium for them to optimized their skills and ability at a whole new level. For example, I want to build a circuit that youths can afford to go and be trained on their driving and racing skills by good instructors. When these youths have developed their skills, they can qualify for tournaments thus carrying the Malaysian's name nationwide. So instead of seeing reckless drivers and illegal racing on the road, these people will be at the circuit practising and improving their skills with safety measures and no disturbance. As celebrity, I also want to encourage youths to get involve in business. I want young people to make the most of their existing skills, gain experience, build confidence and create a better future for themselves. This way business and education can work together to create a cycle of economic prosperity. Nowadays, Malaysia must be more competitive with tax and business regulation. We must curb the problem of youth unemployment and nurture an enterprising society. Providing vital business skills not only ensures a stronger work force but enterprising skills and attitudes lead to the creation of new business opportunities which create jobs and reduce unemployment. I want to collaborate with business partners to promote a culture of entrepreneuralism-where talents

can be unleashed and allowed to grow without the fear of failure. It is very important to give everyone, regardless of background or ability, the opportunity to learn the skills that will set them up with the knowledge and confidence to succeed. Not only that, I want to nurture the young people the element of entrepreneural thinking in every person so that we have a generation of well-informed, business savvy people. Encouraging the emergence of new industries and the evolution of existing ones will be vital to trigger economic development and is something we can all play a part in. People are often put off from starting their own business due to the perception that setting up a business can be complicated and expensive but we should not under-estimate that nervousness exists because people are simply not prepared from an early enough age with the business skills that they need.I want to provide Malaysian a network of business volunteers that work with schools to equip young people with the knowledge they need and empower them with the confidence to put enterprise into use long before leaving school. By doing this, we are working to encourage and empower the next generation of enterprising young people and by recognising the importance of making business creation as easy as possible. That is why innovation and entrepreneuralism are critical to creating future economic growth and therefore driving the country's economy forward. I also want to urge the youths to involve actively in volunteer work. There is an international celebration which is called 'Global Youth Service Day' (GYSD) which is celebrated annually on the third weekend of April. It aims to celebrate children and youth who are making a difference in their communities; breaking down barriers, tackling issues, strengthening communities and improving lives of others. During this time, youth from around the world organize and gather to focus and celebrate volunteer service and service

learning projects. About 100 countries participate and mark this event to engage youth in volunteer service. GYSD is said to be the largest annual international day that shows honors and recognizes youth volunteers.Unfortunately, it is rather rare to hear our youths and children these days participating in such a significant cause. For all we care is to ace the monthly tests and annually big exams. This mentality has to change. I want this celebration to be celebrated in Malaysia as well. Schools and community should held programmes to honour the event as well. Youths should know that they don't need to start playing their role when they're already left school, they can begin now while in school by joining various nonprofit organizations in their community that don't need any age limit. It's fun and displays a powerful message to recognize youth volunteers around the world focusing on some of our many critical global challenges like helping people gain access to clean water, eradicating hunger and improving literacy rates throughout the world. Christopher Yao is a 15-year-old boy in New York who actively involves in humanitarian nonprofit activities. He has organized local fundraisers, helped found educational programmes around the world, been written about in numerous books and was awarded for his deeds from two presidents of the United States of America. His actions and volunteer works must be set as an example. Christopher is also the founder and executive director of 'Kids Change the World' organization which aims to encourage, motivate inspire and enable young people around the world to take action in their communities through humanitarian work. I believe in encouraging the youths here to participate this kind of global organization. We may learn to widen our perspective and thoughts as well in exchanging ideas. With this, we can open a wider network among the local youths here and from outside as well. Schools can also allow the students to let their clubs join this

organization. In United Kingdom, its leading companies have encouraged people to read and write. This is one of the missions I plan to instill on Malaysians. People always say that books are expensive and they rather spend the money to buy basic necessities like clothing and food than going to the extra length to buy books. It is quite true that books are expensive which cost more than the food we buy. This has become a problem because most of these expensive books are English and also pack with knowledge and informations. Our people will have trouble grasping today's input if they do not read. To avoid from seeing the people getting left behind, I will like to suggest that libraries should be updated with books of the 21st century and not those old and dusty books on top of the shelves. This is why libraries are not desirable to go to because the informations provided in the libraries are irrelevant and can't be applied in today's society. Not only that, I want to encourage people to write good stories and articles that are mind-blowing and not just stereotype. These days, Malay storybooks are still lacking characters and creativity. The writers are unable to go out of the box and think at a bigger scale. I want to produce competent writers who are able to write well in their own mother tongue and also English so that Malaysian book can expand outside the country and not just focusing on getting profits in Malaysia. People should learn to write and reflect the society's condition into their writing well and not just depicting negative settings in the story. The old abandon family setting has becoming 'cliche' when people want to see a fast-pacing and thrilling adventure in today's society. I want to see people today have high imagination and creative thinking so that our writing is able to compete with other developed countries. In a world where everything is only a-click away and informations at the tip of your

finger, the need to know Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) is important because most days, people rely on this innovation to gain resources and informations. Why do I say this? This is because with ICT, it can promote distance education at all levels, internet access helps productivity, innovation and entrepeneurship to flourish as well as useful for job search by youths and basically essential for the knowledge era. We can't avoid that the next century would be a knowledge century and the world is developing towards becoming more and more knowledge-intensive, and Information and Technology (IT) will be the technology for development of four aspects of man's activities which are industry, manufacturing services, farming, agriculture and fisheries and health services. That is why it's very crucial for the people to grasp the knowledge or the language of ICT in order to compete with other well-developed countries. When a person is equipped with the knowledge of ICT, he or she is able to help the country to improve and develop. For instance, I want to form a cross-deparmental team to work with business in developing opportunities for ICT-enabled mobility, including the creation of a country network of a high quality video conference facilities. I also want to encourage youths to be IT savvy because the growing future shows the need to master such skills in order to survive the modernized era. I want to provide the community with 'Digital Education' where the society is taught basic skills in computing and internet. Along the way, I will collaborate with other celebrities and organizations to promote the learning of ICT. Many celebrities have become ambassador and spokesperson to many software companies like Microsoft and even phones like Motorola or electronic items like Sony. Those are one of the ways to encourage interest in ICT among the public. So you see, there's just so much you can do being a celebrity. Mind you, being

celebrity is not just a bed of roses. Along the way, we'll face controversial statements or make mistakes that go on the news. We can do many things to Malaysia- good or bad. We don't necessarily have to be a celebrity to save the world. Whatever small things we do to the country will affect the development of the country.Every so often we come across people who make such an impression on us, that it's almost difficult not to be in awe of them. These people don't need to be celebrities. They could be our parents, teachers or even our friends. However, to attain fame and fortune is the ambition of many people. But only a few can lay claim to being truly famous. A world famous person is one who is renowned for his or her work not only in his own country but also all around the world. A person can become famous because of his wealth, his charitable pursuits or for being one of the best in his or her chosen field of work. Great painters, musicians, singers, chefs, actors, scientists, world leaders and industrialists, all figure in the list of the most famous people in the world. All these famous people have attained fame due to their talent and hard work in their respective field. We are all entitled to do something for Malaysia. Be it students or famous singers, do what you do best to make Malaysia's the best country.