Editorial More of that 'can-do' belief

AFTER failing to win gold at the Olympics Games, Malaysian shuttler Lee Chong Wei apologised to his countrymen and said, "I worked very hard but what is done is done."

For Malaysians, a silver is as good as a gold as Lee had not been playing at his optimum level, having hurt his ankle during the Thomas Cup in May and before that, a shoulder injury affected his bid for the All England title. Who knows what would have happened had he been 100 per cent healthy? The main thing is his spirit of not giving up, of believing that he could have a shot at the Olympic gold despite the odds.

For Bruneians, Maziah Mahusin's participation in the Games was a historic moment, despite not bringing home a medal. Despite a bout of flu and not practising for three days, she managed to beat her own Bruneian record, clocking in 59.28 seconds in the 400m heats.

It does not matter if the odds are against you. The main thing is to do your best. This "can-do" attitude should be vigorously cultivated here in Brunei Darussalam. Bruneians are generally thought of as fortunate to be living in such a prosperous country; and to a certain extent viewed as pampered and coddled by a generous government. However, there are many Bruneians who are not waiting to be told that they need to be motivated, because they are already motivated.

A perfect example would be a story we published on Monday about three hikers who plan to climb Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895m) in Tanzania to raise funds for Childreach International. Having already raised £3,000 ($5,800), the trio - Huwaida Ishaaq, Michelle Charlene Basir and Angie Jong - is already halfway towards its goal.

This three are doing something for themselves and for society. Their self-motivation should give all of us some food for thought. That "can-do" attitude can get us an Olympic medal or a magnificent view from the top of a mountain.