On this auspicious day we tend to ask ourselves what "Merdeka" meant to us. Historically the word although meant the independence of our nation but it has the connotation of what our forefathers and leaders had done i.e. "Pengorbanan untuk Negara" or sacrifice for the nation. Read any history books or autobiographies with regards to our nation's independence it will unfold stories of sacrifice of time, money, and oneself for that one ultimate goal of obtaining the independence. The whole nation united and worked towards that goal and waited with anxiety on the outcome of our beloved Tun Abdul Rahman's entourage to the UK to give us back the power to decide our nation's own destiny - Merdeka.
As Uncle Ben told Spiderman - with power comes responsibility. All our 6 Prime Ministers knew this and if you could just chart what they have done for the nation its as if they had sat down together in a mamak stall and decide who should do what i.e. the theme for each ruling term. The 1st PM brought us Independence and Perpaduan, the 2nd PM started on eradicating poverty by rural development and NEP, the 3rd PM emphasised on education and military, with all the foundation of a nation put in place the 4th PM took upon the development and industrialization of the nation, the 5th PM saw the importance of inner strength and human capital development to go hand in hand with the industrialisation of the nation, and the current PM emphasised on glokalisation - globalization with local values, strength and harmony.
As such to me, even today, Merdeka is not only about the independence of our nation, the right to choose and the right to decide but that independence, that right must be done and carried out responsibly. Because the ultimate, as was then and is now is - the sacrifice for the nation. The well-being of the nation, the nation building, the harmony that is required between races to achieve that, must be sustained. The Malaysian Constitution has rightly shown the way - the drafter of the Constitution must have been given the Divine guidance as the Constitution serves as a beacon to each and every one of us Malaysian the ultimate sacrifice.
Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka
Agreed! Regretfully, what has been occuring over the last few years,i.e. ever since the last general election is the erosion of racial integrity which had been built over the last four to five decades...this being the outcome of over politicking by those concerned, at the expense of the rakyat and the country. Machiavellian teachings again came into practise...that the ends justify the means, even though it may be evil !!!
ReplyDeleteDear afauzino
ReplyDeleteI hope the silent majority would be able to recognise the genuine amongst the many charlatans, little napoleans or the machiavellians, as you put it. What is important is for us to have our own conviction and appreciate the thin and delicate racial integrity that is required which is the very fabric of Malaysian success story.