Yes, we have better roads; grander buildings; a sprawling, impressive Putrajaya that houses the civil service machinery of a small nation; we have weathered many political storms; we have stomached many economic woes. But we are by no measure as hopeful as we were sixty years ago.
On Sunday, Aug 20, 2017, some 100 over ex-servicemen and women from the Malaysian Armed Forces, Navy, Air Force and Police gathered at the iconic Royal Selangor Club in the very heart of Kuala Lumpur for their first annual general meeting to mark the birth of their ‘Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan' (National Patriot's Association).
One of its key objectives, which should send a clarion call across the entire nation as we gather to mark sixty long years of trial and errors, omissions and sins of commission come the 60th Anniversary of our Merdeka (Independence) is the association's determination to “help build a fairer and happier Malaysia for all Malaysians”.
Indeed after six decades of self-rule under one sole political party, we are no more the happy people that we were in 1957 whence we gathered together as one nation of ‘Malayans' endorsing our solidarity of hope for a new nation – independent, fair and free finally.
The decades of living together, working together, eating together, and even wearing each other's traditional costumes and visiting each other's homes and exchanging home cooked meals and sharing goodwill on festivities are today politicised with a dose of religious bigotry and racial differences.
We have come so far worse as to even have drinking cups in schools segregated by religion. We have difficulties in appreciating cultural practices like having figurines as part of landscaping. We have aversions to dressing and costumes.
Hurting the soul-beat
And today the leadership of this nation is constantly crying out “untuk bangsa dan agama” (for race and religion). The division of a nation of multiracial and multi-religious people along race and religious boundaries just to stay in power is killing the soul-beat of Malaysians.
The ex-servicemen and women who put their lives at risk to serve the king, rakyat (citizens) and country for the love of an entire nation's happiness should know best. If they too are concerned about the need to fight for the happiness of all citizens and a happier Malaysia, it only means that we have failed.
And we have failed to ensure that our ex-servicemen and women are well taken care of. We have failed to ensure that politics does not interfere with the very duties of defending a nation and its people and rulers from threats – internal and external.
We have failed to return to the supreme commander, the Yang DiPertuan Agung, that sole right and honor and power to independently exercise over the armed forces, the police, the navy and air force of Malaysia even though these forces are named after the very monarchy, - "di Raja Malaysia".
If ex-servicemen and women have to cross the divides between the four defenses and law keeping entities - the armed forces, police, navy and air force, to set up an association to fight for their merits, rights, and justice and including to make the country a happier place for all Malaysians, it tells us one thing: we have failed in so many ways despite having the wealth and resources for six long decades to do better.
We shout about race rights. We scream about race threats; we drum up fears over religious infringements and deprivation. But we ignored the very people who were there to ensure our people are free from corruption, safe from the denial of democratic rights, and guaranteed of a watchful presence to ensure a happier nation of citizens.
We have so much wealth and resources tapped for centuries and still flowing. We have much more untapped resources. We are blessed with bell weather. No natural calamities that plague and threaten so many nations far and near. The global business community has time and again counted on us for their sweet killings.
But our political mantras and politicians have prevented us from being any happier.
A salute to the ex-servicemen and women for not failing in their duties to the king, citizens, and country even in their retirement.
And civil society too must align with such noble efforts to return to Malaysia and all Malaysians a nation and a future that serves only rulers, citizens, and nation. Not political advances for personal and family benefits at the expense of the rulers, citizens, and nation.
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