Pak Lah is living in a dream. He seriously needs to wake up and take a good look at the country he has been tasked with running before creating more drama. The night before the rally, I witnessed vehicles carrying Indian passengers being stopped and checked for no apparent reason other than their race. If this is not discrimination, I don't know what is.

I felt such shame at being Malaysian. I was with an Indian friend and we were spared the checks, probably because he was with me, a non-Indian. I am Chinese but I know enough Indian Malaysians who are living in poverty to know that the Hindraf rally, for all its pros and cons, has voiced something that is long overdue. The marginalised communities in Malaysia desperately need help. The status quo cannot continue without dire consequences for the whole nation.

I watched news report of water cannon and tear gas attacks with embarrassment. This is my country. We are celebrating 50 years of what? What stabbed me the most was the report itself, which talked about "the minority Indians in Malaysia". I never thought of my Indian friends as minorities. I always thought of them as fellow Malaysians.

But then again, I am a minority myself. I wonder what the "majority" think of us as. In this day and age, where we are all born and bred as Malaysians, it is painful to be reminded of our minority status. We are not minority when it comes to paying taxes, contributing to the economy or national progress. But when all is done, we are still tagged as such.

The rot is further evident in the reactions of other Malaysians, minority or not. Many seem to view this as an Indian problem, not a Malaysian one. Similarly, the previous rally was viewed as “not their problem” while the Bar Council march was seen as a “lawyer thing”. That is just sad. Look further, my friends.

For me, the shame of seeing police checks on my fellow citizens also raised a sense of pride that we are taking a stand towards the bullying we receive. That is the true spirit we should celebrate 50 years on. It is worth far more than an angkasawan .