A Plea to All Malaysians

Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka.

Yes, it's that time of the year again. A time for breathtaking displays of fireworks, for colorful parades, for concerts, whether on a live stage or on TV, and for a day away from work and study.

Face it. For most of us, this is what August 31st means. For my family, it also means Arwen's birthday. Beyond that, how many of us really do care that 54 years ago today, we first stood together, as an independent nation?

What is independence anyway? Is it a piece of paper, signed by people with powers to move mountains, to destroy entire nations? Is it that one momentous action, that raising of the right hand high in the air, telling the whole world that we are here, and we are here to stay? Is it an impassioned speech that had created a people out of fractured and orphaned multi-ethnicity?

Or is it a state of mind?

 

Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka.

Yes, it's that time of the year again. What have we learned so far? How much have we progressed? Why are we still that invisible plane between Thailand and Singapore? Why are we a stagnant nation, so caught up in the past that we are afraid to place a foot forward, into the future?

I have never liked politics. Never cared for it, really. I may get into trouble for this. Big trouble. Just as there is a major misconception that Malay is Islam and Islam is Malay, there is also a misconception that Barisan Nasional is Malaysia, and Malaysia is Barisan Nasional. We have to stop thinking like this. Malay is a race, a common grouping of individuals based on genetic and physical traits, as well as locality, traditions and diet.

These are the definitions that I got from Google Dictionary:

¹Race
noun
races, plural

Each of the major divisions of humankind, having distinct physical characteristics
• - people of all races, colors, and creeds
A group of people sharing the same culture, history, language, etc.; an ethnic group
• - we Scots were a bloodthirsty race then
The fact or condition of belonging to such a division or group; the qualities or characteristics associated with this
• - people of mixed race
A group or set of people or things with a common feature or features
• - some male firefighters still regarded women as a race apart
A population within a species that is distinct in some way, esp. a subspecies
• - people have killed so many tigers that two races are probably extinct
(in nontechnical use) Each of the major divisions of living creatures
• - a member of the human race
• - the race of birds
A group of people descended from a common ancestor
• - a prince of the race of Solomon
Ancestry
• - two coursers of ethereal race

²Religion
noun /riˈlijən/ 
religions, plural

The belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, esp. a personal God or gods
• - ideas about the relationship between science and religion
Details of belief as taught or discussed
• - when the school first opened they taught only religion, Italian, and mathematics
A particular system of faith and worship
• - the world's great religions
A pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance
• - consumerism is the new religion

 

Note that on both accounts, there plural names to the nouns. Plural, as in many, not just one. I'll talk about this later. Anyway, as you can clearly see, the definitions are clearly different. But wait. ³The Malaysian Constitution, Article 160 defines a Malay as a Malaysian citizen born to a Malaysian citizen who professes to be a Muslim, habitually speaks the Malay language, adheres to Malay customs, and is domiciled in Malaysia or Singapore.

⁴As a result, Malay citizens who convert out of Islam are no longer considered Malay under the law. Likewise, a non-Malay Malaysian who converts to Islam can claim to be a Malay, provided they meet the other conditions.

Now, can you blame the media when they use Malay and Islam interchangeably, when by actual definition they are not supposed to?

But I'm not talking about race and religion here. Search as I might, I cannot find a similar definition within the constitution that equates Barisan Nasional with Malaysia. Why, then, when people talk bad about Barisan Nasional, whether through speech, articles, comics, blogs or even social medias, said people are looked upon as traitors of the country?

In a certain course that shall remain nameless (more from legality issues), we are reminded in rapid succession that we should be thankful to our Barisan Nasional forefathers for bringing us independence, for bringing us peace. Yes, we are thankful, but how long must we hold on to this sentiment alone? How long must we get bogged down with past gratitude? Another 50 years? 100? How long must we wait for another visionary like Tun Dr Mahathir?

By the way, in the same said course, we get snickered upon whenever we get the titles of politicians wrong. Seriously. Do we get our citizenship revoked if we call such politicians by name? Do we fail exams if we get the titles wrong? I didn't get angry when the facilitators called me 'Encik' instead of 'Doctor'. Maybe I should have, since they defended the titles of these politicians so passionately.

Again, in the same course, everyone's so passionate about racial unity, about the deal struck between the BN and the representatives of pre-Merdeka Chinese and Indian peoples, about 1Malaysia, but when I stood up for non-Malay folks in a much earlier course under the same name, I was branded a traitor of Malays. Yes, I can still call up witnesses to testify this. Why the hypocrisy?

On another note. It's funny how the bonuses in the public sector come once every 4 years, right before the general elections. Well, yes, we've received RM500 'assistance' annually in between, but actual bonuses? It's also funny how the stretch of road near my house get potholes, patchworks, and potholes again, but a full coat of Tarmac is only applied, again, every 4 years.

Worse, near the general election, newspapers and televisions promote the goodwill and the community contributions from BN, and highlight the blunders and infighting between the opposing parties. Of course, 'independent' media shows the exact opposite.

People say voting is our right. But withholding oneself from voting is also exercising one's right. To choose between a bully and an immature child? Might as well ride the tide and see what happens. Show me an individual, a political party, a body that sincerely shows progress and maturity, and I'll be among the first to line up to vote.

Problem is, when we don't register to vote, when we don't vote, we also get labeled as a traitor of the country.

See the pattern here?

Childish. Utter immaturity. These are our elders, the ones holding this country together.

It's a waste of time to talk about political parties. One one hand, we have bullies. On the other hand, we have a coalition of immature old men who can't hold it together after a historical takeover of several states. Instead of showing the whole Malaysia how well they can perform, they prefer to squabble among themselves. They break apart before our very eyes, and we don't even need the media to highlight their stupidity.

 

Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka.

We are a stagnant nation. It's easy for us to talk about political parties when we are not directly involved. But what about us, the common people? Instead of figuring out ways to help our own country, we are more interested in things like a Malay ⁵artist wearing bikinis OUT OF THIS COUNTRY. Even if she did wear bikinis here, WHO GIVES A DAMN?!

I can understand the political reason behind Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy trial, but do we have to flaunt it in prime-time news and newspapers? Must we highlight how ⁶healthy the plaintiff's anus is? Must we show the ⁷pornographic snippet in prime-time news? Why can't we see that such things are supposed to be handled as discreetly and as delicately as possible? Even though we may be that invisible plane between Thailand and Singapore, THE WORLD IS STILL WATCHING. Why can't we see that we are being ridiculed?

Come on, folks. There are still Malaysians who cannot pay an electricity bill for three months, that amounts to RM24. There are children here who cannot go to school because they have to take care of their family, of the younger ones. There are whole families riding a motorbike as if it were a car. There are children riding motorbikes with the blessing of their parents, adding to the statistics of fatal road-traffic accidents.

When we don't get a bonus, we grumble. But what about our own contribution? Do we give our all at work? Do we serve the public with sincerity, with a smile even though we're tired? Can we honestly say we've earned our keep?

 

Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka

We have this ugly attitude running rampant. We tell people, "If you don't like our service, feel free to seek it elsewhere." Or, "If you're not happy with how the country is run, feel free to seek citizenship elsewhere." Why, when disgruntled people voice out, can't we reflect on what is said, and try to improve ourselves?

I've been a victim of this. I'm a doctor practicing in a public sector, but when I was not happy with how I was medically treated IN THE HOSPITAL WHERE I WORK, I was told that if I wasn't happy with the management, I was free to seek opinion at a private clinic. This is our attitude. This is Malaysia.

We can be friendly and demure, but we are a selfish people. How often have you given way to drivers from the opposite direction, who needs to enter a lane in front of you? Do you even see the driver? Do you pick up a piece of clean-looking trash that lies in your path, and stuff it in a dustbin? When was the last time you stopped to give directions to lost tourists? When was the last time you actually guided the lost tourists to their destinations? When was the last time you give up your seat for a woman, a child, an elderly, the blind? When have we given a kind thought toward strangers, instead of to ourselves and our lot?

 

Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka

We flaunt 1Malaysia. We force a show of unity among the races and creed, while at the same time show the world how insensitive we are. From the usage of Allah in a ⁸Bible translation and the debacle that ensued, to the ⁹throwing of a cow's head in protest to the resiting of a Hindu temple, we are showing the world how goddamn ignorant and petty we are.

Have you spent some time at a kindergarten? You should, if you haven't. After a tentative awkward period, these children will become instant friends. They don't see skin color or gender or religion. They see children. Children who can be friends. Plain and simple. No faking, no force-feeding unity.

But you know what, in my generation, and in generations after mine, we don't really care about race and religion, other than special sensitivities that we seem to be innately aware of. In my generation, this is especially true among city folks, those who grew up in schools with a mixture of all these major races. In younger generations, people my age are instilling this wonderful value.

People who keep on talking about racial unity? They're the ones who are acutely aware of race. They're the ones who are racists themselves.

 

Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka.

When people mention how stagnant we are, we immediately defend ourselves by saying, "Hey, we could do worse. Look at (fill in the blank with a 3rd-world country name)."

Why not compare ourselves with fast-developing countries? Why must we bask in our complacence? Why must we leave all the thinking, all the work to the governing force? And why must voices of progress be stifled?

When our founding fathers fought for our independence, they wanted us to be a strong nation that can stand on its own, on the backs of its people. Not peoples as in plural, not peoples as in fractured bands based on ethnicity and creed, but a singular noun, a nation, a country.

 

Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka.

We are a nation clinging hopelessly to the past. The ruling political party keeps reminding us of how their predecessors had brought this country together, instead of gaining our respect and loyalty by carrying us forward.

We prefer Raya songs from 20 years ago or earlier.

In our hearts, we leave no room for new songs.

In our minds, we leave no room for new thoughts.

 

Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka.

This is a plea, my friends. From the powers that be, to common folk like you and me. The past will always be there for us to learn from. It won't disappear even if we let go.

It's scary, stepping into the unknown. It's scary, facing forward and not know where we'll end up.

But I have faith in you. I have faith in us.

I have faith in Malaysia.

May this 54th anniversary of our independence bring about change. May it bring about progress. May we step into the future as one people, as one nation.

 

Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka.

Assalamualaikum.

Peace be with you.

Always.

 

- * - * - * -

Sources:

¹ Google search: Race

² Google search: Religion

^{3, 4} Wikipedia: Malaysian Malay

⁵ Berita Harian Online & Berita Harian Online

⁶ The Star Online

⁷ Harakah Daily

⁸ Asia News

⁹ Utusan Malaysia

Comments

[John Ling]

Malaysians are a defensive lot, definitely. But that's part of who they are, and some would say, part of their charm. If they weren't that way, well, then they wouldn't be Malaysians.

[Fadzlishah Johanabas]

You have...hmm...changed.

[John Ling]

I have you to thank for that.