of propagating lies disguised as realizing dreams...

Somebody on facebook asked this question: Why did the Malaysian government spend millions of taxpayers' money to send a gay male model to space as a "space tourists"? Though I don't really care for Dr Sheikh's sexual preference, I completely agree with the question. From the start of the whole program I have been a sceptical observer. It just screamed utter nonsense from the get-go. Space study is something unique, exclusive, a specialization that requires a lot of dedication and intelligence and passion for the field. As is true for any other field of study for that matter. And leave it up to the Malaysian government to commercialize a field of specialization without taking into account the entire issue, but just to touch it on the surface and scream on the top of their lungs that we're great for doing this. How can you have a competition to select someone to go into space for research purposes? If the competition was restricted to members of the space study community then that would be ok. But the way the competition was structured, I could have applied. Whether I make it or not is besides the point, but fact still remains that I could have applied if I wanted to. What they're doing is exactly what the question asked - space tourist. They're sending a medical doctor into space to conduct some research for a few days and then come back and be applauded as a hero. Heck he's not even back yet and already he's being heralded as a hero. I'm sorry but I don't see him as a hero. I see him as a Malaysian scapegoat being used by the government to gain publicity for all the wrong reasons. Why on earth did we spend that money to send an unrelated individual to space when the momey could have been used to fund a better space research facility in Malaysia, so that one day, maybe twenty or thirty years down the road, we can have a truly malaysian astronaut blasting off into space in a malaysian program, not hitching a ride with another country. Why is it so difficult to look at things in the long run? That is the problem with the malaysian government, for the most part, they only care about the now. They want publicity, recognition, fame, but they don't realize that they're going about it the wrong way. The good doctor comes back after spending a few days in space. What next? Is he going to turn into a dedicated astronaut and follow that path of career? Or is he going to go back to his life as a medical doctor and be forgotten after a year? I believe it will be the latter. How would this benefit the space study program in Malaysia? Millions was spent trying to find the malaysian astronaut just to send him on a vacation into space, when the money could have been utilized for other meaningful purposes. I was at the mamak stall when the local tv stations were broadcasting Dr. Sheikh's blast-off event and most of the patrons there were cheering for the good doctor. What's worse than an ignorant government is the fact that the people are turning to be ignoramus' as well. I don't see anything to cheer, nothing to applaud for. By agreeing to such a program, that simply means agreeing to publicity stunts and meaningless efforts to put malaysia on the map. No offense meant to the good doctor, but he does not deserve this fame and recognition. All he is is a puppet on a string.