Di atas robohan Kota Melaka,

kita dirikan jiwa merdeka.

Bersatu-padulah segenap baka,

membela hak keadilan pusaka.

opinion

Those were the words of Dr Burhanuddin Helmi. The words reflect a great deal on what Merdeka should really be. But not many Malaysians today, especially the younger generation, know about Dr Burhanuddin.

Like many progressive nationalists of the middle of the last century, his name only gets minimal attention in our schools' history text-books, unlike the exploits of the Alliance leaders, which get prominent attention. As they say, it is the winners who write history.