I have lived abroad longer than I have lived in Malaysia but my fondness for the land of my birth remains undiminished. So, with utmost sincerity, I pen this note.

Most parents will recognise what I am about to relate. As parents we work hard to succeed in our endeavour to provide food, shelter and education for our children. We succeed. Our children are well-fed, have a roof over their heads and subsequently pursue a good career built on the education that we have worked hard to provide. They in turn repeat the cycle for their children.

But, we still continue to work hard, we continue to worry about our children and about our children's children, and so it goes. We want to feel useful. We refuse to accept that we have succeeded enough and fail to see that our successors can take the burden off our shoulders. We want to be indispensable.

A long-time customer of mine saw me working very hard and gently told me. "Mr Chong, the graveyards of this world are full of indispensable people." I immediately determined to reorganise my affairs so that I work less and enjoy the fruits of my success and then in time, the success of my successors.

I wonder, is there a message here for Dr Mahathir Mohamad?