As a proud moderate Malaysian I celebrated our 57th Merdeka with gratitude and loyalty to my country Malaysia.
I recalled prayerfully how I joined our beloved Tunku Abdul Rahman as a Universiti Malaya student at the Merdeka Stadium to shout proudly, “Merdeka, Merdeka!”
Yesterday, I felt good to hear our Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak addressing all of us as “beloved Malaysians” in his live message to the nation.
However, I have to confess that did not feel the same euphoria on this Merdeka Day as I usually do!
Why is this so ? I checked with many friends and they share similar sentiments.
I thought the two MAS tragedies had weighed us down. But no. It was the deep feeling of inner frustration and disappointment that Malaysia could have achieved much more in all fields.
Indeed we could have felt euphoric or just happier, if we did not tolerate so much racial and religious extremism, hate and supremism!
Although as our PM stated we we have come a long way since Merdeka, we all ask why we have not achieved much more for our people?
For instance why is there so much lack of success in achieving the government’s noble goal of
‘Inclusiveness’?
We should not make the blunder of comparing ourselves to the failed economies but to the
obviously highly progressive former developing countries
The lowest 40 percent of our population are ironically struggling to make ends meet in a resource-blessed economy!
There is so such wastage in inefficiency and corruption that denies more benefits to the poor Rakyaat. Yet some leaders often talk glibly of everyone being happy and “feeling good”!
Water shortages in a rain-blessed country
How can our people enjoy declining education standards, high crime rates, rising prices and relatively low incomes? We even have to endure water shortages in a rain-blessed country!
There is therefore this growing perception of weakening government institutions that must be rapidly addressed to raise public confidence in promoting good governance!
The Merdeka celebrations at Dataran Merdeka were impressive. But sadly they could have been much more inclusive?
There was hardly any attempt to show us all and the world at large that we are, after all, a proud and relatively successful and peaceful multiracial and multi-religious developing nation.
So please tell us how are we to build national unity, if we become more parochial and exclusive in our social, economic, racial and religious policies and practices?
On our 57th Merdeka anniversary, we have to, as our PM has said, “Determine the next course for our beloved Malaysia”!
We all must resolve to strengthen our fading Merdeka Spirit! And our government must decide to strongly lead the way forward from now, please!
Long live Malaysia!
Merdeka, Hidup Malaysia.
RAMON NAVARATNAM is chairperson of Asli/Centre of Public Policy Studies.