Every year on Merdeka Day I’m reminded of Mahatma Gandhi’s famous response to a reporter who asked him on a visit to Britain in 1931 what he thought about Western civilisation: “I think it would be a good idea.”

I think genuine Merdeka or true political independence for Malaysia would be a very good idea too. Unfortunately for present-day Malaysians, when the British departed in 1957 they left the unfortunate populace in the custody of their proxies in the so-called ‘Alliance’.