I agree with Fahri Azzat's views on the poor reasoning behind the new directive to play the national anthem in movie theatres before the beginning of every movie.
I would like to add that such policy might backfire in the most humiliating manner for the government if it is implemented.
It is not difficult to visualise such a scene - the national anthem is being played but only a few actually stand up while the rest continue to sit back, their legs high on the back of the chair in front, munching away their popcorn while giggling and laughing at the funny conversations they are having with their friends.
Then, some hardcore 'patriots' (read Umno Youth members who want to hit the front page of Utusan Malaysia) would do one or all of the following:
a) demand that the government mandates the hiring of 'anthem policemen' at every movie theatre to 'remind' the public to stand up when the national anthem is being played ; or
b) come up with the ingenious idea to pass a 'Respect the National Anthem (Movie-goers) Act 2005' to make disrespectful behaviour while the national anthem is being played in cinema halls an offence punishable with imprisonment or even caning.
I must say that laws which force people to respect anybody or anything or laws that are designed to control our subjective thinking and feeling are the most dumb.
Perhaps it is a sad reflection of how pathetic and immature the state of Malaysian and Umno politics is. That our politicians (both those who aspire to high positions as well as those who are desperate to cling on to their fragile hold on power) would have to resort to 'gung ho- sounding- but-essentially-dumb’ policies in order to get themselves noticed by the masses.
Our politicians and government officers should wise up and stop churning out policies which expose how naive and childish they actually are.
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