Recent events in my beloved country have shown that it does not pay to be part of the silent majority.

In all fairness, I really do not consider myself part of the silent majority as I have voiced my opinion quite a few times in both the mainstream media as well as the alternative press.

I am also quite passionate and vocal in the sense that I try and ‘educate' my friends and acquaintances as to their need to exercise their vote, their need to take an interest in the state of our country and their need to realise that it is no point complaining if you do not make any effort to do anything about it at all.

However, compared to the 6,000 or 50,000 (depending on whose report you choose to follow) members of the rakyat who decided that they wanted to make a stand for something that they believe in, I realise that in many ways, I am still part of the silent majority.

I chose not to attend the Bersih rally on July 9th, not because I didn't believe in it but simply because I found a million and one excuses not to attend.

A bad back, children in the house, roads will be blocked and the list goes on. I am sure all those that DID attend, could have found a myriad of excuses too but they chose to attend and for that I have to salute them.

Nonetheless, I am taking a stand in the best way I know how. Putting pen to paper to share some thoughts with the rest of the Rakyat.

And in doing this, I want to refer to our National Anthem - Negaraku . How many of us have bothered to really understand the words and what they really mean?

Negaraku.

My Country. Indeed, this is My Country. I know no other country. I was born in Kuala Lumpur, the nation's capital. My father was born in Malaysia as was my paternal grandmother. If my calculations serve me correctly, that would mean that I am a 3 ^rd generation Malaysian.

That would make me more Malaysian than a lot of other people living in this country.

I studied in a government school up to Form Five and although I did my tertiary education overseas, I returned to My Country. I hold a Malaysian passport, a Malaysian drivers licence and a Malaysian identity card.

When I am overseas, I am identified as Malaysian and I am proud to announce to all and sundry that I am Malaysian.

However, it is only in My Country that the powers that be decide that I should be classified according to my ethnic origin. I am allowed to be called an immigrant by certain people and no action is taken against them. I am supposed to be thankful for being ‘given' citizenship when as stated earlier, my roots go back a long, long way in My Country. Something must be wrong somewhere.

To quote Carl Schurz : "My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right."

Tanah tumpahnya darahku

The land where my blood is spilled. Perhaps that is too literal a translation. Perhaps it should be translated into context as my country that I live and die for.

Yes, I live in this beloved land. I love my country and I would fight for my country. That is what a whole bunch of Malaysians did back in 1957.

It wasn't about Malays or Chinese or Indians fighting against the Colonial Masters. It was about Malaysians (or Malayans then) coming together to fight against the common enemy - the British - to get independence for this great nation.

Protests were held back then too in the fight for independence. Just take a look at our history books. There were protests against the Malayan Union.

So for our leaders to say that protests are not part of Malaysian culure is not just a lie, it is an attempt to rewrite history. That begets a few more questions.

Why are the powers that be so afraid of a rakyat that has the best interest of My Country at heart?

What is so wrong with a peaceful rally?

Why did the police have to come out in full force against the rakyat? Why are there conflicting reports about what really happened at the rally? At Tung Shin Hospital?

Was tear gas and water cannons fired into the hospital grounds or not? Doctors at the hospital say yes. Eyewitness reports say yes. The police and high ranking government officials say no.

Someone is lying.

Rakyat hidup, bersatu dan maju.

The people living united and progressive.

Isn't this the real case?

Although the powers that be try and paint it differently? Do you think of your friends as Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, Iban, Murut, dan lain-lain or do you think of each other as Malaysians?

Are you Malaysian first or do you hold on to your ethnic identity?

Don't you think that after 50 plus years of independence we should break away from racial based political parties and instead have political parties based on an ideology?

Why are the powers that be so fixated on playing the race card so often? So many questions and yet so few answers,

There have been many calls to get rid of the ‘race' field in official forms. The fact that it is still required puts paid to Najib's so called 1Malaysia credo. If we are 1Malaysia, then why differentiate by race?

I personally have taken a stand against that. I make it a point not to fill out the race column in application forms or survey forms. When I fill out my children's school particulars for instance, I put a large ‘Tidak Berkenaan' on the fields for race, religion and income.

Reading a few articles on the Bersih rally, I find that many fellow Malaysians are beginning to look beyond the colour of each others skin, to forget their ethnic background and to see each other for what we really are. Malaysian.

When are the powers that be going to realise this too? When are they going to stop trying to divide us based on the colour of our skin?

Rahmat Bahagia, Tuhan kurniakan

May God bestow His Mercy and Blessings.

Indeed He has. My Country is rich in natural resources. My Country has developed into an industrialised nation. However there is so much wastage and corruption. So much so that many of the rakyat feel that this nation is being plundered.

The cost of living is going up. Salaries are not increasing correspondingly. Yet there is money being spent foolishly while government subsidies that are meant to help the rakyat are being removed.

There are claims of exorbitant sums of money being spent during elections and buy-elections (spelling intended). There are claims that all costs of mega projects keep ballooning just so that enough pockets are lined.

True or not true, the fact of the matter is that the rakyat is feeling the pinch. The rakyat feels that this is the case and simple denials from the powers that be don't seem to cut it anymore. So much for People First, Performance Now.

Speaking of people first, isn't it astounding that Najib claims that minimal force was used on the Bersih protestors?

If our learned prime minister considers tear gas and water cannons as minimal force does he also consider police rushing to kick kneeling protestors as the use of minimal force?

Just watch the Al Jazeera coverage and numerous You Tube videos of the demonstration and you will see that the force used was definitely not minimal. The police that should have the best interest of the rakyat at heart seem to have actually turned against them.

Even more strange when you consider that it is taxpayers' money that funds the police force. A clear case of biting the hand that feeds you.

Raja Kita, Selamat Bertakhta

May our King reign safely.

Yes, our National Anthem ends with paying homage to our King - the Agong, the Head of State as prescribed under Article 32(1) of the Federal Constitution. I won't say much more except to say Daulat Tuanku ! May His Majesty continue to reign over us safely.

So that is our National Anthem. Most Malaysians stand and sing it with pride. No matter what your political allegiance; no matter what you think of the right of freedom of assembly and no matter whether you support the July 9 ^th Rally or not, as a citizen of Malaysia, you would stand up and sing when you hear the National Anthem being played.

The next time you hear it, just remember this. According to some reports, some members of the rakyat were gassed and sprayed with chemical laced water while they were gathered together singing the National Anthem.

Now that can't be right. It just can't.