Amalina

a smart girl knows her choices. she chooses to be on the other side of the path so, let her be. it is not the right path for most people but so many youngsters are taking that path. the unfortunate thing is she is/was known because she scored 17A1's for her SPM. after that, she disappeared and resurfaced again because there were rumours (or probably true story) of her failing her studies in the UK because she couldn't make necessary adjustments. her credibility as a top student was questioned and the credibility of our education system is/was also questioned. now, she resurfaces again because of some saucy photos of herself were found on the net a few days ago.

these things, should not surprise us anymore. people change, right? maybe because she is/was viewed as one of Malaysia's greatest minds for scoring a whooping 17A1's at that moment in time. little girls (and boys) looked up to her as an idol (maybe) and strove to be like her. she even gave talks, had book endorsement deals, became spokesperson for this and that, and suddenly now she's a full grown woman who chooses to wear something more dramatic and sensational. she chose/chooses to be seen as what she is. 

so what?

remember, it's her choice. albeit it's wrong, but she's made a choice. nothing can change that fact except herself. like Suffiyah(?) and that Ariff dude, they've made choices, they've placed their bets. hate them all you like, they're not going to turn back and undo their choices partly because they think they've made the right one and they're happy (most probably, for Suffiyah's case she was desperate for money). 

our education system isn't the most creative. in fact, it's one of the most rigid systems in the world. it literally focuses on one's examination results and little emphasis is placed on the person's behaviour and character development. in school, drilling is being emphasized as being the ultimate tool for success. time is of the essence. teachers and students race against time before the national exams are held. focusing on studies, neglecting students' behavior development and things like that. nothing about life is being taught in schools. students are locked up in a room for 8-10 hours a day for 5 days getting drilled to memorize facts that they will eventually forget.

how about life's lessons?

yes, moral and religious education are being taught in schools but how effective can those subjects be if students don't practice what they are being preached. this leads to another thing: the home environment. 

many parents assume their children are 'good' and 'morally wise' just because they score well in their exams and because they are smart. however, their social lives are deprived of social awakenings and experiences and most importantly, freedom. too much freedom can have an adverse effect but when given the right amount of freedom, children will learn to value and appreciate the lives they live. 

the thing here is, there are other boys and girls, talented boys and girls, who are smart and gifted but they too are astray. it's not that they are stupid, or culture shocked (as many would point out), they just choose to live that way. we make choices everyday and our choices may or may not be accepted by the masses, but we make choices, for our own life's sake. a lot of smart people that i know drink, have sex, take drugs etc. it was unfortunate though for Amalina because the media that once helped her rise to fame is also the one that brought her down(?).

this leads to a bigger question, who's fault? should we play the blame game? should we close one eye and pretend that we don't know and we don't care? our society's thinking is limited by religion and culture. by limitations i mean, we have virtues, beliefs and our own lifestyle that we hold dearly to and that's why what has happened to Suffiyah, Ariff and Amalina sparked outrage amongst people. yes, you can be angry, disappointed and sad, but with limitations please. religions do not teach people to look down on others or condemn them. we can sit idly or wish them the best and pray for them; better yet, pray for yourselves that you won't end up like them. 

the most important thing to learn from this kind of phenomena is to learn from it. pointing out people's flaws as if we are saints will not solve anything. helping them we can, but if they do not want to help themselves, then what can we do? learn from these things. learn. 

you may not agree with the points i've just brought up here, but these are just my opinions, my side of the brain. humans aren't perfect. we make mistakes so we'll learn from them. this is her and their and our way of learning, but observing other people's mistakes and not forgetting our own. learn, educate yourself.

p.s: life's lessons occur every where and every time.