COMMENT | Malaysia speaks: I became independent in 1957, and I was then called Malaya. I must say the colonialists didn’t leave the country in a mess when they finally lifted their boots off my soil.

I was young and vibrant and energetic, and I was delighted to join the ranks of the “great community of nations”.

It filled me with pride to hear my leader Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj proclaim my independence on that historic day of Aug 31. I remember how the ground of Merdeka Stadium trembled as the huge, excited crowd of many races and faiths shouted lustily “Merdeka!” seven times.

There was so much promise as I began the long journey to start anew as a nation free, sovereign, and independent.

All along the way, I witnessed many eventful developments that changed the course of my history. Slowly and steadily, I built up my strength by exploiting my natural resources of rubber and tin.

I depended heavily on these two main commodities at that time, and I must say I grew rich.

But this was not enough...