Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka

Recently I walked to KLCC to meet someone for lunch. I had to pass a busy junction with 3 traffic lights to cross the road before eventually making it to the footpath leading to KLCC, the tallest twin towers in the world today and the pride of all Malaysian. KLCC is also the office of Petronas, the national oil company and one of the most successful national oil company in the world.

All this augurs well for Malaysia, a nation that is celebrating its 51st independence in August. However it was very clear from my short walk to KLCC that afternoon that some Malaysian are still far from being independent and certainly do not have mentality of a nation who has been independent for 51 years. Car drivers and motor bikers have scant regards for the pedestrian. In fact it is dangerous to walk around in KL if you are not used to it. Car and motorbikes sped like daredevil trying to catch the orange traffic light and most of the time sped pass even when the traffic light has turned red. This is endangering the public and for the uninitiated may results in fatal consequences. These happened at all the 3 traffic lights and I can assure you that it’s common sights anywhere else in KL.

If you are a regular to KL you will also notice that cars are parked at the road side not meant for parking and slowing down traffics, cars stopping on yellow boxes that are supposed to be cleared to allow other cars to pass, drivers throwing cigarette butts and rubbish onto the road, vehicles not giving way to pedestrians, using modified exhaust that is clearly a noise pollutant, riding motor bike on foot pathway that is endangering the public and so on.....

I also noted that in my short walk there was not a single car or vehicle has any Malaysian flag mounted on it. There was nothing bizarre about that as Malaysian has generally taken “Merdeka” for granted. Even now (Saturday night, 3 hours from “Merdeka”) there is hardly any Malaysian flags to be seen.

One thing for sure though, many will be making it to the KLCC, Lake Titiwangsa, Padang Merdeka to see the fireworks and the entertainment. Many more will be at home watching from the TV tubes the same events. That is "Medeka" to most Malaysian and it has been the same as long as I can remember, except that the venues have changed over the years. It used to be Merdeka stadium, Padang Kelab Selangor, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman etc at the time. “Merdeka” only happens at 12 mid-night of 30th August and to the wee hours of the morning followed by grand parades in KL and other state capitals in Malaysia and that’s it until another 30th August comes again. The government has not done much to make any positive change to celebrating “Merdeka”.

I am not a staunch supporter of waving flags to celebrate “Merdeka”. To me “Merdeka” is more than just symbolic of waving flags. “Merdeka” is about behavioural and mindset change more than anything else. Imagine someone driving a car full of mini flags sticking from their his car and yet speeding pass traffic lights and throwing cigarette butts out of car window. Imagine having thousands of people in a parade and all litters the streets with bottles, plastic bags, tissue papers etc etc.

As children of an independent nation for the last 51 years we need to be liberated to embrace the true spirit of “Merdeka”. While waiting for the next “Merdeka”, let’s see if we can do some of the followings:

1. Keeping time. Let’s not keep people waiting for us and lets rid off the adage ‘janji melayu”. Time is the essence of counting down “Merdeka” and for measuring how long have we have been “Merdeka”, therefore respecting time is respecting “Merdeka”

2. More caring. In every aspects of it to be more caring to children, animals, fellow citizens, other people, environment, properties etc. When we care about our society we care about 'Merdeka"

3. More considerate to others. Use judgement to give way while driving, when entering lifts, while walking etc. I learned that before “Merdeka” people are more considerate as it was then difficult time and people needs each other’s support to live. We need to preserve this attitude to liven up ‘Merdeka”.

4. Read more. People that have been independent tend to read more and increase their knowledge. From reading you will also learn more about the world and the universe and will make us appreciate our country more. People before “Merdeka” can’t read as they seldom went to school. People after “Merdeka” are more fortunate and yet we don’t read as much.

5. Stop wasting time as time is precious. “Masa itu emas”, we learned this when we are still children. The country needs us to work and contribute to its growth. Do something useful all the time.”Merdeka” people should not have free time to loiter as there is so much to do.

6. Know our neighbours. Be it at home or in the office. We live in a community and dependent of others around us. Don’t live on your own when we have the whole country to ourselves. To preserve our “Merdeka” we need to be united and have strength. Draw these strength from the community that we live in. “Merdeka” is about unity and preserving “Merdeka” is being united.

7. Fill up the mosques during prayers. Too many mosques are lifeless and without spirits. Draw unity form mosques around us. We are fortunate to have many beutiful mosques after "Merdeka". Use them and don't let them become tourist attraction.

8. Be trustworthy. Do not cheat others. Do not take what’s not belonging to you. Do not engage in bribe. We are not yet “Merdeka” if we still engaged in bribery. Our mind and soul is still trapped in insecurity and yet the nation has since then being independent for 51 years. Shame on us for the people before “Merdeka” struggled and died for independent and we can’t set ourselves free from bribery.

9. Learn about “Merdeka” and part this knowledge of ours to our children. To preserve “Merdeka” we need to pass the “Merdeka” to the future generations.

10. Always think that we will lose “Merdeka” tomorrow. In this way we will work hard to preserve “Merdeka”. When we understand “Merdeka” we will not want to lose it. Believe me.

The 10 items listed are by no means an exclusive list. These are my perspective of being “Merdeka” and some of the qualities that “Merdeka” nations can enjoy. There are others that we can do to fill our times while waiting for the next cry of “Merdeka” in August 2009, and hoping that when we shout the word, we partially understood what it means. The true meaning of “Merdeka” is immense and we will continue to learn it in our life time. The cry of “Merdeka” in 1957 and in 2009 are different although the spirit is the same.

Our children views “Merdeka” very differently from our parents and grand -parents. Probably our grand -parent will understand more of the “Merdeka” spirit having being involved in the Japanese occupation and the British government leading to the actual independent of 31st August, 1957. For us our resources remain in the many books that were written about the country and its independence. I used to talk to my late farther about “Merdeka” and he related to me many stories about “Merdeka”. He told me that it’s difficult to understand and appreciate “Merdeka” if we do not experience the hardship and the anguish of the pre-“Merdeka” and the joy and harmony of the post “Merdeka” in 1957, it’s like not being to Mekah and appreciate the Kaabah, eventhough we prayed everyday towards Mekah.

In those few words I understood the meaning.

“Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!” – Jebat_Siber