Incredibly, his post was picked upon by netizens who laughed at him for including this passage lets together light tomorrow with today, least of all from former radio disc jockey Patrick Teoh who commented with sarcasm: "Sorry ah. My Engrand not so strong. What does the Deputy Minister of Higher Education mean ah?"
The only criticism anyone should levy is that the lets is missing an apostrophe. If lets is changed to let's, the contracted form of let us, the sentence would make sense but whether it would still appease the keyboard warriors would remain to be seen.
But why laugh at "light tomorrow with today" in the first place? Is it so incomprehensible? In my opinion, Ahmad Masrizal did no wrong in paraphrasing the 19th Century English poet, Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861). This "light tomorrow with today" quote is attributed to her - it is quite well-known in literary circles - although to the best of my knowledge, it did not appear in any of her poems.
Browning is most known for this poem, though:
So give this poor fella a chance, lah. Those making fun at him are simply making fools of themselves, thinking they are too clever by far. They are not.How Do I Love Thee?
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
Sonnet XLIII
from Sonnets from the Portuguese, 1845 (published 1850)
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