Malaysia : Independence Day

It is 31 August and a very memorable day for me and the rest of Malaysian alike.  It is the day back in 1957 where the hail "Merdeka" .... "Merdeka" .... "Merdeka" fulfiling the atmosphere of Merdeka Stadium in Kuala Lumpur by Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Prime Minister.


Eventhough the independence was gain without any bloodshed with the British Empire, the nation have to endure several events that each events are significant milestone towards achieving the independence.  


It started with the Japanese Occupation during WWII from 1942-45, the hardship was told from generation to generation.  I remembered my late grandfather, told me his experience as British Army during Japanese occupation.   He told how the people find very hard to find food to eat and killing and bombing never stop during the occupation.


Another significant event that brings Malaysian together between Malay, Chinese and Indian together was the state of Emergency which happens from 1948 and ended on 1989. This is the longer duration where eventhough Malaysia gain its independence in 1957, the peace interruption by the Communist of Malaya Party (CMP) was told again and again from generation to generation.  My father was in the Armed Forces during 1960s through 1987 and told the story how the three races get together facing the imminent forces of evil.  Lots of soul buried in the Malaysian soil defending from the attack of Communist Ideology.  


We get through the emergency totally in 1989 where the CMP surrendered totally to Malaysian Government and starting that point, there's to turning back for Malaysia to build the nation to what it is now.  Still there some conflict here and there but as a nation we take it one at a time and move forward to achieve common goal.


As 53 years passed by, I'm proud to say that I'm Malaysian and proud to be the son and grandson for those who fight for its nation.  


I am concern though with the new generation that seems to forget how hard to erect the "Jalur Gemilang" (Malaysian Flag), develop the constitution and build the nation.  Some of them a playing fool with the sovereign symbol of the nation just because a small conflict they experience with the authority.  They seems to think nation should be perfect without any conflict and a conflict is unacceptable.  They forget about being born and being called Malaysian sometime we need to participate in the problem solving of the conflict around us.  


To my new generation, nation is not build overnight. It take sweat and blood to erect it.  Just because we endure the prosperity due to the sacrifice of our founding fathers it doesn't mean we need to trade our flag, constitution and national symbol toward satisfying our pre-mature needs.


Our job is to maintain this prosperity, harmony and security so that our next generation can enjoy this independence and can pass on to the next generation.  Don't let our mind be messed with unnecessary ideology that will ruin the nation.  Don't let racism break the development of the nation.  And finally don't let other nation that envy with our prosperity to cloud our mind with their ideology and so call "democratic" practice.  We build our nation with our own mold.  Let not this mold be compromise with what we learned from outside.  What we learn from outside is to make the mold better and not to change to mold to something else.