COMMENT Malaysians celebrate Merdeka. It is a worthy thing to do but do most people  know why? Many may give the right answers but  not the right reasons.

The tragic MH370 and MH17 have tempered the mood for celebration. On the social front, it is the gradual demise of the Merdeka nation and democracy that despair many.

The devolution of freedom in the country with unprecedented numbers of citizens and politicians charged for sedition brings a gloom worse than the annoying and health‑destroying  seasonal haze and diminishes our sentiments of Merdeka.