by Razif / @razifohnas
“Buang yang keruh, ambil yang jernih.”
Roughly translated in English as ‘filter muddiness, take heed clarity’, the idea of learning from others is very much imbedded in the DNA of every Malaysian. Though we forget that the dominant western media influence have created a real vacuum in the department of ‘retaining cultural customs / traditions’, youths around the world are slowly picking up the pieces again as the richness of experience of living from different cultural perspective is far more interesting than imitating reality television which usually breathes an irrelevant cultural context.
I don’t live with the 90210 address code, though I enjoyed the drama when I was very young. The fact that many reality television characters are very rude with their elders, I could’t even get away with any profanity further than the word ‘B’, what else raising my voice to elders.
The values I grew up with is truly golden, as it allows me to communicate effectively (through body language, minus the language barrier) across various culture, regardless where ever I go. Thank goodness.
I was watching to Monocle recent conversation on Museums as Soft Power and its functions within governmental bodies in promoting their local culture to others. I was blown by one of the speakers opinion about ‘Soft Power’ as a term and how he approaches the idea of a successful country. Simon Anholt, an independent policy advisor, spoke of the idea of how is success measured for a country to have respectable reputation.
“You have to make yourself useful around the place, then people will appreciate you more”. Very much against the term of soft power, he suggested that cultural institutions can be effectively created together by the people. He continued by saying, it doesn’t cost much, though takes longer time but people appreciate / like it more.
We have yet really to take advantage of a more progressive form of aesthetic of our very own cultures. Imagining the experiential richness of the idea itself is very exciting. Traces of historical wisdom, coupled with todays technological advances, its only time that we be able to experience the great human civilization that it has been since.
______________________________________________________________________________________

Trained as a designer and a futurist at heart, Muhamad Razif Nasruddin obsessively dabbles in design theories and history since his first year in university. With an academic background of science stream in secondary school, he believes that ‘art & design’ was the one that captured the capacity of human imagination and created the modern society that it is today. He also secretly wants to own a Ducati Streetfighter machine.









Angela Low is currently a student enrolled in Fudan University, studying mandarin as an attempt to know her cultural roots. Interested in earning a livelihood through business centralizing on design, she daily thinks about start-ups, collaboration possibilities and team dynamics… balancing them out with reading stirring stories and quotes. Young and offbeat, she seeks travelling opportunities, and dreams to work with passionate people and outstanding teams. A goal to psycho (read:motivate) herself to work on strengthening her repertoire of skill.






