PART II: Merdeka on my mind
By KEITH LEONG
No country in the world is totally sure of its identity or confident of its destiny. Celebrations around the world, like Australia Day, Waitangi Day in New Zealand and Independence Day in the United States, are contested and sometimes controversial.
Nations are imagined communities, and what constitutes a “nation� is determined by various states and provinces.
What is Malaysia? What makes us a country? No one can say that he or she has the absolute definition. But is that really such a bad thing?
It irritates me that Malaysians have a love affair with an absolute definition – one answer, one truth.
We want everyone to think like us and act like us. Woe to anyone who should disagree with us!
Malaysians are always afraid of something.
We fear change and leaving our comfort zones. We fear seeing others as equals.
I am not writing this to insult Malaysians. The simple fact is that we are unable to accept different opinions. If we want to move forward as a nation, we need to break free from this fear.
Hence I would like to propose a new discourse.
Do not disdain differences, but accept and celebrate them. We should recognise all forms of diversity and stop making people change against their will. We need to understand that conformity is not unity. There is no single vision, master plan for Malaysia’s future. Our success as a nation depends on various opinions and ideas.
This is why I will never criticise the people who do not celebrate Merdeka.
–
KEITH LEONG is a contributing writer for theCICAK.
Keith was born in Melaka, grew up in Damansara Jaya and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New South Wales, Sydney. He enjoys baroque music, grand epic movies and long walks. He still lives and works in Damansara Jaya.
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