Kuala Lampur, April 10 -- In 1989, Malaysia hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Kuala Lumpur was adorned with the flags of the Commonwealth countries that excited the child in me.

Then we hosted the XVI Commonwealth Games in 1998, when Ella sang her best for "Standing in the Eyes of the World".

My dad is a retired rugby player who represented the country and Negeri Sembilan. Naturally, we frequented the stadium in Kelana Jaya to support our national team and watch Jonah Lomu, the legendary All Blacks superstar. In the game against New Zealand, we were beaten 53-0, but what I remember most from that day was the screams of Malaysians when we managed to tackle the strong Lomu and stop his try. Our scoreboard remain...