Merdeka Essay Series: Prelude

Desi's Place was proud to host a six-part Merdeka Day Essay Series in 2005 with the theme, The Malaysian Dilemma. Young&Articulate Guest Bloggers Sabrina, now final year Dentistry student in New Zealand, Kyels, first year student in International Business & Finance in Kuala Lumpur, and Mitochondria, an IT specuialist based in Kuala Lumpur, helped Desi review the state of affairs NegaraKu was in then 12 months ago, and the main challenges and problems confronting the 48-year-old nation. Some solutions and hopes were expressed and put forward.

With seven days to go before Malaysia turns 49, another bold attempt is made by fellow Bloggers to continue this National Day Project -- hopefully it becomes an annual tradtion as long as this Blog thrives, which I had vocalised allowed Desi will continue even if only there were just one reader! -- and we thought it worthwhile endeavour to pen our individual thoughts on "My Merdeka Wish for NegaraKu".

The Series will flag off tomorrow with AllOfHelen's highly personal and nostalgic recall of her younger days (she's as young as ever, if not more so in outlook and spirit!) when Merdeka Day comes around.

Anak Merdeka will follow on Sunday looking at more serious contemporary happenings that call for concern and reflection, and hopefully, remedial responses and actions from the relevant authoprities. But all citizens have a stake in what's happening in NegaraKu, so it's every individual's contribution, no matter how big or small, will play its part in achieving some reform and improvement to any weaknesses in the Malaysian system.

In hand is a 49-verse Poem by another Bardist as'pirant Maverick SM (maybe, resulting from some influence of this hoRst Desiderata who likes to 'irrify'-- a combo meaning irritate and terrify! -- the writer with some doses of DDC, and knotty Poetry) to lift up our bluesy spirits come Monday.

Hopefully, the third member making up the "Trio" with the precedent duo mentioned, Howsy, based in London, is sensitive enough to realise his introvertedness is no passport for missing the National Day action. Patriotism calls ... even if London bridge is fallin' down... Malaysians need to build more bridges at home.

I urge my ER to bear with Desi while he recaps a little on what was writ in conjunction with the inaugural Essay Series examining The Malaysian Dilemma. Part 6 (Final) featured on August 31, 2005 summarised the main areas covered by the four writers.


The Rukunegara Principles Reviewed

The five principles adopted by NegaraKu for nation-building are generally comprehensive and form a good compass for steering this country towards developed nation status in 15 (now 14) years hence, in 2020. These five principles are the pillars constituting the RUKUNEGARA, which are as follows:

• Belief in God (Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan)
• Loyalty to King and Country (Kesetiaan kepada Raja dan Negara)
• Supremacy of the Constitution (Keluhuran Perlembagaan)
• Rule of Law (Kedaulatan Undang-undang)
• Mutual Respect and Morality (Kesopanan dan Kesusilaan)

Desi: The main dilemma is that the implementaion of many national programmes deviates substantially from the spirit as envisaged in the Rukunegara, giving rise to lots of unhappiness and distress. The current Administration's advocation of a cleaner, more accountable and transparent government sees a big gap between the expressed intentions and the actual implementation.


The Four Estates Not Performing to Expectations

The First Estate or The Executive is seen by the majority of Malaysians as being omnipotent in Malaysia.

The Second Estate or The Legislature (comprising the Parliament and State Assemblies) is generally dominated by the ruling parties (Barisan Nasional in all states except Kelantan where PAS forms the ruling State government), with a relatively weak, and fragmented, Opposition.

The Third Estate or The Judiciary remains emasculated (aftermath of the 1988 infamous sacking of the Lord President and two senior Judges), and still perceived to be indirectly controlled by the head of government of the day.

The Fourth Esate or The Media (Press) remains docile and subservient to the Establishment, and restricted by the Printing Presses and Publications Act(PPPA1984), and their ownership generally tied to Government component parties/Corporates with partisan political patronage ensure they toe the Establishment line in the main.

Desi: There are signs today of the Judiciary standing up now, and fighting to restore its glorious past pre-1988, and the current situation is in great flux. There is quiet optimism and much depends on the Prime Minister's commitment on what he has advocated for an independent and fair system of delivery of justice as ensured by the Federal Constitution.


The Essay Series also covered some anecdotes of A RELUCTANT MALAYSIAN, the usual (Surprise, surprise! "cynical") responses to government leaders' appeals in encouraging the citizens to fly the “Jalur Gemilang”, individual encounters of "racial" discrimination and confrontation, and unhappiness among the youths, especially tertiary students, over discrimination in the areas of university entrance and scholatrships awards, over being treated with respect even less than that accorded to illegal immigrants to Malaysia...

Many quarters have given different reactions, as expected as there would always be different opinons as to What does Merdeka symbolise and mean to individual Malaysians. We are still compartmentalised into Malay, Chinese, Indian and other less dominant ethnic groups such as Kadazan, Iban from Sarawak/Sabah, and the Orang Asli, truly the original natives of the land. And the discrimantive polices like the New Economic Policy, continued under different nomenclature like The New Development Policy continue to give rise to quetions on the relevance of extending the special position and privileges of certain groups along ethnic lines, some 35 years after the initial implementation.

I hope -- better sooner than later -- that one day Malaysians will be able to fly the “Jalur Gemilang” with spontaneity -- minus the loud exhortations of the Information and other Ministers! -- with all their pride and natural feelings of nationalism. Current feedback shows a large section of Malaysians remains sceptical. We have definitely long way to go before we can claim to being a United Nation (Negara Bersatu).

But while Politicians and local politics carry on their usual grandstanding and shallow polemics, the march of Globalisation might do for NegaraKu that which the nation's leaders have so far failed, and will not commit to deliver anytime soon, and hence they lose the leaderhip and initiative by default.

Will the world pass Malaysia by?
While we quarrel over numbers and quotas. Over privileges and bounties.
While our neighbours cut through all the crap to march forward, by leaps and bounds?

Suddenly, one day, will many Malaysians wake up, and find themselves modernised Rip Van Winkles? Because we, especially the nation's leaders elected to guide the way, fail to adapt and act selflessly, in the national interest, in tandem with ever and fast changing times and environments...