WE have lost a great man with the passing of our much-loved silver screen legend Datuk Jins Shamsuddin.
How the youth in the 1950s and 1990s in Singapore and Malaya (then) adored him. His good looks made girls swoon.
His acting career began in the 1950s, mentored by the late Tan Sri P. Ramlee. He then blossomed into a director with award-winning movies like Bukit Kepong in 1981.
I read about Jins when he gave an interview after his acting career. He spoke at length about his zest for life while giving a tour of his orchard.
He was very happy to recall his heyday and youth.
The late Jins had a great life, after being in the national film industry for 50 years.
He spent his autumn years surrounded by lavish plants in his large garden, which was cared for by his loving wife and three children.
The lesson to learn from Jins is that we should serve our nation, find our wealth and pay attention to our family.
He showed that fame and wealth alone are not enough and that in life, we need a supportive family, friends and relatives.
All the care and love that he showered on his children were returned to him in the form of a compassionate family during the time he was ailing.
We need to invest time and effort in our family and friends. A simple friendly gesture like a phone call or invitation to drop by for a cup of tea is all that is needed to bond with people.
The return of these simple acts in life is something that money cannot buy.
People are our real treasures in life. Therefore, being kind to friends and family must not be overlooked.
Despite our obsession with wealth, our parents must be cared for, as nothing is more noble than looking after our elders.
By caring for Jins, his family has shown us that we should be role models to our young.
We are inculcating in them the value of being a caring individual and to discover the joy in it.
There is no greater joy in life than the joy of giving.
We recall how Jins glowed when describing his sons as much as he did when describing his movies.
He had also reached out to actors and actresses who were not as fortunate as him, and extended help to fellow friends in need.
These were not merely gestures borne out of kindness, but a demonstration of his responsibility to fellow humans.
Jins, yours was a life we should emulate.
LAURA C. DASS, Academy of Language Studies, UiTM, Shah Alam, Selangor