Merdeka

1. Today Semenanjung Tanah Melayu or Malaya celebrated her 52nd Merdeka Anniversary as our first Prime Minister shouted merdka on 31st August 1957. On that day I was just over 8 years but I remembered it very clearly as I took a NETS bus with my cousins to go to Padang Bank (or now called Padang Merdeka) in Kota Bharu to shout that sacred word, Merdeka. At that time I had no slightest idea how my beloved country received her Independence from the British.

2. To-day I received a note asking me to celebrate our Merdeka by flagging the Malaysian flag and remembering what the freedom fighters had sacrificed. I was told if not for what those fighters did and sacrified I won't be where I am to-day.

3. I was in real dilemma because I felt I had lost the mood to celebrate for the following reasons:
a) As a country celebrating her 52nd Merdeka Anniversary there should be a small number of her population living below the poverty line. In states like Sabah, Sarawak, Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and possibly in others too, there is real poverty. What went wrong?

b) There is too much interference by the politicians in managing and running universities and schools. Students and teachers don't feel free to express themselves for fear of being reported by the unknown to the higher-ups. If you are not aligned to a certain political party you are abused!

c) There is inadequate freedom of expression in both the printed media and TV. These are controlled by the politicians of the day and they have been used blatantly for their own agendas. Seldom the power that be discussed environmental issues in their political meetings, even though the climate is changing and the natural resources are depleting.

d) When people demonstrate the police should line themselves to facilitate their march but not to interfere by shooting tear gas. I experienced that when I was a student at UM in 1970s and the police are still doing it today after 52 years of Independence

e) Economic, education etc equity of the Bumiputera in Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia are far from being achieved. the savings of each individual Bumiputera are so insignificant compared to other ethnics, especially the Malaysian Chinese. What went wrong?

f) The special priviledges of the Bumiputera as written in the Constitutions are slowly been eroded. Lands of the poor are sold and lost in Pulau Pinang; the scholarships for the good students are questioned.

g) With the rich resources as we have there shall be no divide between the haves and the have-nots. A poor family with 6 children are living in a house with 2-rooms and the a rich family with 1 daughter is living in a big 3-storied house with 4 rooms

h) As an Independent Nation we should be proud and patriotic with our Bahasa Malaysia not a foreign language. It is ironic that I wrote my blog in English but I am a believer and supporter of teaching mathematics and science in Bahasa Melayu. I have said before Malaysian should master a third language, Mandarin, Tamil, arab or any other

As a legend in Kelantan called Tok Awang many times shouted at the top of his voice, "Merdeka, Merdeka Tahi Apa Nasi Berlauk Pun Tak Leh makan" literally translated, "Independence, What a kind of shit Independence, I can't get a Nasi Berlauk, a special rice for breakfast, normally prepared as white rice + fried fish cooked in coconut milk + hot chili paste + two pieces of cucumber

MERDEKA!