The road ahead...

Are we proud of ourselves as a nation?

Steve Aug 28, 09 4:28pm

In just days, Malaysians will celebrate National Day. While there are those who will be excited, there are also those who will be ambivalent; and many may simply be cynical and indifferent. Have we lost sight of the reason to celebrate? I wonder if real progress has slipped through our fingers? National interests have been overtaken by selfish ambitions, resulting in everyone watching out for own their interests. Have we become inordinately legalistic in our reaction to materialism? Have we lost our compassion so much so a Muslim woman is set to be punished with lashes of the cane? Has a generation lost an opportunity to meld the diverse peoples together as one so that every citizen feels fairly and adequately treated to embrace Aug 31 with greater ownership and gusto? There is much that politics has to answer. East and West Malaysia are separated by the sea. But when I visited Kuching for the first time during the Rainforest World Music Festival in 2007, I was impressed with its cohesive society. Is there something we can learn from those we merged with but have yet to fully appreciate? A nation is not made by its history alone. The past reminds us of achievements and also failures. It provides a road map for the future and avoid the pitfalls along the way. It must change for the better. Change must be felt and be real and evident to bring the people closer together. Without vision a nation flounders. To celebrate the past without a vision for the future is nothing more than sentimentalism. The vision must not myopic or selfish, but considerate, inclusive of the concerns and welfare of all those who helped build the nation. Exploiting the special day for political gain is sacrilegious. It is a celebration of a historic moment in the past, and a time to inspire hope for better times in the future. There is a time for healing, not hurting, and a national day is the time for national healing. Every citizen should feel a sense of ownership and do something positive to heal the rifts in their society and make their nation a better place. They can't rely on the politicians. Indonesia celebrates its National Day by forgiving the misdeeds of some of its prisoners, often shortening their prison sentences. Would it not be nice if Malaysia can do better and release all prisoners of conscience, particularly those who are unnecessarily and unfairly held under the ISA who are no real threat to the nation? The real enemy of the nation, of the people, of our times, must be seen as corruption, that pervasive evil that destroys all it touches, that destroys truth, justice, morality, spirituality, freedom and democracy, and ultimately the society we live in. It is time for all citizens to act so that evil does not triumph. And every national day ought to be a reminder of this ongoing struggle until the goal is achieved. Then Merdeka will take on a fresh meaning. And the people shall look ahead to a new dawn, where freedom is real. Without a strong commitment to tackle the root problem as a national theme, the National Day becomes nothing more than another hyped and meaningless ritual. Article source: http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/111634