The 52nd anniversary on the independence of the Federation of Malaya falls on the 31st August, when the Federation gains its independence from British rule in 1957. And some has expressed that the true formation of Malaysia is on 16th September 1963 when the states of Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore (Singapore later broke away in 1965) than joined up to formed the nation of Malaysia. However, the 31st of August has been proclaimed as the “Medeka” (independence) day of Malaysia.
Let’s look at our Merdeka today and whither do we go from here:
• Unity. After 52 years, we are still talking about unity. We have become more divisive and segregated today much more than ever. We never had such problem as I can remember during my time when I was in school in the late 60s and 70s; we were all like families amongst the different races, religion was not much of a topic either as we pratice and professes whatsoever we pleased as individuals and respect and tolerance is never a question. So we must today ask ourselves why have we come to such after all these years, and what or who have cause this segregation and division?
• Religion has today become such an issue, and an individual’s normal conduct and behavior has to be regulated by laws made out of religion which is interpreted and translated by a small group and making it the ultimate law that is being dictated and imposed over the majority. How and when did this happen? And is this what we the people want?
• Economy. The wealth of our country as indicated economically has been running deficits year after year and the country today has a national debt at almost half the size of its GDP and I have conveniently almost always draw parable to the Singapore economic success story where its national reserves (savings) is estimated to be at about double the size of the Malaysian GDP or maybe more. Singapore, the little state that broke away and had for many years been dependent on us for its needs is today an advanced nation and billed as one of the most “cleanest” governments. If comparisons are to be drawn against it would be that Singapore is today in the Premier league and Malaysia probably being relegated and languishing in division 3 and if not careful we might further be relegated to the lowest division 4.
• Education. We are still muddling around with the education system of our children, the future of the nation, and it’s a quagmire caused by bungling retards that is the quality of politicians that Malaysians have elected into office. Our education system that we once had, used to be of world standard and a passing out from a Malaysian school allows you direct entry into any top universities of the world. But today our quality gone down the drain and is just garbage! “This is no good as the more I write the more my blood boils and need to take short breaks to calm myself down.. DAMN!” Who has brought us down to such predicament? The children of our country are the most important and it will take a long time to recover from this mess that we are in. A High quality education is the foundation towards nation building!
• Laws. Our laws have not been updated and we have one of the most oppressive laws in the developed world. We have so many outdated and draconian laws that you can almost lock-up all the people of this country. The ISA or Internal Security Act is just one of them and it has been wantonly and repeatedly used on just about anyone of its citizens.
• Institution. For a long time the institutions that makes for a democracy has lost its independence and autonomy and today just exist to serve its political masters. There must be radical reconstruction to the democratic principles of the independent and autonomous pillars of governance otherwise we are doomed and will become a derelict country.
• Crime. The rise in crime that has today created such endemic fear for the safety of our women and children in our streets. Crime is today rampant and brutal when once upon a time, our young and old could just play and walk freely in the neighborhood. Today we lived in fear of the safety of our family.
• Corruption. There are no indications on the will to fight corruption and is made worst by the corrupt leaders openly flaunting their wealth. The corrupt leaders no longer feel any shame or guilt and treat it as their birth right to rob the already economically stricken country. And the anti corruption agency continues to harass the opposition investigating them for petty matters of miniscule proportion as compared to the overtly display of millions and billions of ringgit of the people’s money of the real corrupt. They blatantly built multi millions palatial homes to show their power and questionable wealth, and they own private jets and indulge in luxuries while the many poor suffers from hunger and sickness.
• Brutality. There have been an appalling 1805 deaths in custody since the year 2003. Deaths of suspects and witnesses have shown the frightening scale of brutality and unscrupulous investigating and interrogating techniques as employed by the authorities and the recent death of a young man of Teoh Beng Hock in custody of newly formed Anti Corruption Agency of MACC has exposed many flaws of the authorities. And through the use of the police they invaded into the Perak state assembly by the use of force in bringing down the opposition government and installing their own without due consideration of the law and constitution of the country.
• Human Rights. The Malaysian government has one of the poorest records in terms of human right and in a recent peaceful protest against the ISA the governments used excessive force and sprayed chemicals through water canons and shot tear gas with aerial drops of tear bombs by helicopeters on the peaceful protesters of young children, women and the elderly.
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So what are we going to Merdeka from? I do not know when we are going to have a real Merdeka but for now it is time to reflect and think where we the people must ultimately takes the blame for the state that we are in as we had allowed the rot to happen and we did nothing to stop it from further deterioration. This country we all call home belongs to all of us and its about time we stand up to be counted, to show our dissatisfaction and to tell them that this is not acceptable and intolerable. This is our Malaysia!
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