Today, Malaysia, the nation we collectively embrace as the representative of our dreams and visions will marks its 50th anniversary of independence. In previous years, we read news of the government reprimanding various parties for their lack of patriotism and failure to fly the national flag.

Every year during the Merdeka month, nearly all the mainstream media publications bore the entire nation with repetitive, sweeping arguments of the ignorant youth of today on how they fail to appreciate the spirit of Merdeka and the struggle of the past leaders plus how they are not thankful to the independence that we now enjoy.

Without fail, we also witness the enforcement officials' contribution to the festivities with a number of road blocks, raids and arrest of citizens and non-citizens for various reasons. And, most importantly, no Merdeka celebration is complete without a national controversy. There are no shortages of that this year.

At the right time, the mainstream media broke and exposed the story Namewee and his masterpiece 'Negarakuku'. The video that made waves in YouTube.com many months ago suddenly made surprise August headlines here and kick-started another controversy for this year's Merdeka celebration.

Today, despite Namewee's MCA-sponsored public apology, we experience the wrath of the entire Umno machinery in war-like manner, all out to teach this politically isolated guy the lesson of his life while at the same time serve as a big lesson and warning to every dissent-minded Malaysians. Controversies seem to be an important ingredient in rallying the people for Merdeka celebration it would seem.

Aren't Merdeka celebrations about celebrating our freedom and independence and to savour our national identity and unity as a nation under our flag? A day to be out with our family celebrating the occasion with our friends? Why must we enter this special day with much anger, anxiety and animosity amongst us? What is the objective of all this 'political rallying' that the state initiates before Merdeka? The only question that will serve justice to this bigger question is to ask whether we are being rallied behind the flag and the nation or behind the government and its leaders?

It looks like the spirit of a grand Merdeka has been being cooked up by the state to try an seize an opportunity to reassert its losing relevance and power. What better time for the state to consolidate support and win the hearts of people amidst the abundance of its unpopular decisions recently.

We still remember the many controversies involving the government starting with the privatisation of core industries, the oil and toll price increase, the US Malaysia Free Trade Agreement, the Iskandar Development Region project, the minimum wage rejection and not forgetting the series of national screw-ups ranging from the national car to the national air carrier.

Let's not forget too the government's call to eradicate corruption and cronyism coupled with the rot in the policing system that is today's favorite topic at 'kopi tiams' and 'mamak shops'.

Act of propaganda

So with all these issues forming a dark cloud over the current administration, the Merdeka celebrations will hopefully provide a good moment to launch all the fireworks and finally clear the air. This is the time we Malaysians will be injected with the feeling that the nation does not actually belong to the PM and his son in law but to us all. This is the time to forget all issues and be prepared for the ultimate fantasy trip.

Let's reflect on what Merdeka stands for in the context of Malaysia. But what can be said of a public holiday traditionally celebrated with fireworks in a country where fireworks are banned or regulated? What can be said of a public holiday popularly celebrated with outdoor activities in a country where being outdoor runs the risk of a wrongdoing from a list of prohibited activities.

What more, on this day of celebration, when we still have our wide-ranging restrictive laws like the ISA, the Emergency Ordinance, the Sedition Act, the OSA and other emergency legislation that continue to hover above us.

What is it to be 'merdeka' when people continue to be arbitrarily arrested and detained and stripped of all our rights by an ever-growing uniformed state authority ranging from Rela to the religious authorities. An act of liberation, the 'Merdeka' of 50 years ago, is today made into an act of propaganda and to assert fear for the public to seek salvation at the doors of Putrajaya.

For the past 50 years, the state has hijacked the concept of patriotism for its own agenda. We have heard ideas from our leaders that patriotism ranges from quitting smoking for one day to displaying the biggest national flag at your residence. The government demands patriotism and loyalty but what exactly is patriotism? What generates patriotism? More importantly, who is a patriot and who is not?

In the past, state has vigorously propagated that patriotism entails uncritical loyalty to the government and that to question the state is an act unpatriotic act. But patriotism is not just pledging allegiance to our nation, or voting, or displaying the flag or being a member of the armed forces. It is an act of devotion to what the country stands for.

The concept of patriotism is based on a state that suggests a state of oneness, of equality. Traditionally, nations were built on the basis that they are composed of peoples that share a common origin, culture, tradition and sometimes language, which could form the basis of national identity. In today's context, however, national identity and patriotism cannot be built on the crude pillars of language, religion and culture alone.

This raises the question of expectations of citizens and of ideals. The state can only earn patriotism and it can only do so by meeting some or all the expectations of its citizens. Is it impossible for a nation to demand or expect patriotism if it is unable or incapable of meeting the expectations of it citizens in terms of fundamental freedoms and social justice.

Imperiled by exploitation

On our Independence Day we must celebrate not only for what we have at this moment, but what our forefathers risked for the establishment of this country. It is a time for us to remember that our independence was gained through the voice of the people and their bravery in asserting their dissension to the colonial rulers and their policies.

We must remember that what our forefather fought for was not merely the symbolism of the colonial rule but the very idea of living without rights and freedom under a political power. Independence is not something other than freedom from someone else's political rule.

We, as Malaysians, must not allow the state to treat us as 'items' but as people who have the ability to form opinions to determine a nation based on principles. Do not confuse accomplishments found in the Malaysian Books of Records which are achieved by limited freedom. Let's celebrate our defiance of the principle of political rule over our lives with our assertion, our insistence of our own absolute independence.

Promise that until this is respected, we will not be satisfied with anything else. Vow that we will not be fooled when we are told that we are already free, that we live in a free country, that we are free because we can vote. This Merdeka, let's pledge that it is our patriotic duty as a citizen of this country to voice our dissent against an unjust government. Let's share the sense that the rights and privileges of our citizenship have been imperiled by exploitation, racism and sexism.

Malaysia, after all, was born out of an act of defiance toward Britain. Dissent was the fuel that drove our founding fathers to pool together their wisdom and provide us with a nation, with a foundation that we needed to pursue life, liberty and happiness. Our constitution itself guaranteed the right to express our views of patriotism in whatever form we chose.

Dissent is vital to democracy and an essential building block of a free society. Whether you are voting, signing a petition, writing letters to the editor, blogging, rapping or drawing you are exercising free speech. You are expressing dissent, which as Thomas Jefferson once said is 'the highest form of patriotism'.

K SHAN is a human rights activist attached to various organisations working with refugees.