Happy Belated Merdeka...

Malaysia has reached it's 50th year of independance. A huge milestone for an asian nation. It should be one of the grand mummy's of the SEA nations. But... personally i believe she is still looking for her identity. Conflicting statements from politicians regarding Malaysia's religious status, controversies regarding the federal constitution, blogs that highlights corruption at high levels... where does this leave us? Where does this leave young Malaysians like us, brought up and bred in Malaysia and can hardly speak a word of chinese (I know it's only me... :P)?... Lived in a kampung, with malay neighbors left and right, playing and fighting together.

Merdeka Vintage Cars Convoy at HSBC Melaka

What should our response be? Is it to live in Malaysia with a sense of hope that things would turn around? or living with a sense of cynicism and suspicion?. Talking with many young Malaysians, many of us are divided into 2 camps, some has become critical of goverment policies and cynical to every move the leaders make, and the other camp just couldn't be bothered and display a lacksidal attitude towards anything that happens in the country. Preferring to indulge in apathy and just concentrating on building careers and making money. Very few young people actually are optimistic and remain positive of the changes in the country. Maybe all these are reflected in the higher migratory rate recorded recently...

It's easy to pick on policies, circumstances, situations, bad experiences. Personally and through stories related by friends, relatives and other religious bodies we can see instances of negative/discriminatory actions but I'm always reminded, if there is no battle how can we have victory? If there is no iron to sharpen us, how can we grow and mature? iron sharpens iron, sparks fly!. Or could it be that we're unsure of our identity? of God's plans and purposes for us in this nation? Questions that we can only answer ourselves.

Merdeka Vintage Cars Convoy at HSBC Melaka

Maybe I can be labeled as naive. But i do hope that I would not turn into a cynical and critical Malaysian. Maybe there would be a time that I would migrate out, but maybe not. Whatever it is I'm still a Malaysian.

Enough rambling...

.S H A L O M.

Addendum: Remembered somewhere back in August '98, 1 Malay, 1 Indian and 2 Chinese (one of them me... :P) were on their kapchai's singing the Sudirman's "Tanggal 31..." Merdeka song on top of our lungs, while roaming the streets of Melaka... talk abt Mat Rempit's these days.... those were the days... :D