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The Star Online: Nation

As Tunku saw it: Maintaining the Merdeka spirit for a multi-racial Malaysia
'Remain united to defend sovereignty'
True Merdeka has yet to come, says Sivarasa

As Tunku saw it: Maintaining the Merdeka spirit for a multi-racial Malaysia

Posted:

PETALING JAYA: The iconic image of our first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman shouting "Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!" is more than a photograph or a soundbite.

It is living history. The birth of a nation that is still growing. A nation that is both a minor miracle and a lost opportunity. A nation that survived bloody guerilla wars (the Emergency), hostile neighbours (the Confrontation) and terrifying racial riots (May 13) in its infancy to become a thriving yet dysfunctional entity.

As we celebrate 56 years of the collective blood, sweat and tears of our ancestors and our peers, it seems that a simple love of this land and of each other is what is needed. And surely no one person exemplified that more than our first Prime Minister.

"No matter what we are, we are all Malaysians," our founding father once said. And it was his steely determination and commitment to an inclusive Malaysia that has helped steer our course ever since that momentous moment on August 31, 1957.

"Tunku never backed down in the face of extremism and communalism, something sorely missing today," said Universiti Malaysia's Assoc Prof Azmi Sharom to The Star Online.

"Much has been said about Tunku's jovial and open nature which endeared him to Malaysians of all ethnicity.

"But to me, his strong and principled stand as to what Malaysia represented made all the difference.

Universiti Malaysia's Assoc Prof Azmi Sharom

Tunku was adamant that this country was a secular democracy and his key reason for this was because we are a multi-ethnic, multi-religious country," he said.

Sharyn Shufiyan, the great grandchild of Tunku Abdul Rahman, passionately believes that Malaysians should embrace the fact that they are Malaysians regardless of ethnicity and religion.

"Even among the Malays, a new ideological trend is emerging. There are some who recognize the redundancy of Malay rights and privileges because elevating the poor should be across all ethnicities regardless," she said.

She said ethnic prejudices exists also among non-Malays.

"Malays are sometimes looked down upon by the Chinese. Unless we start mixing with each other and getting to know one another, we will not be truly united as Malaysians," she explained.

Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin is another who draws inspiration from Tunku's vision.

"Apart from the obvious accolade of being the father of Independence, Tunku laid down the foundations for a nation guided by justice, liberty and harmony, so that we could live beyond tolerance and celebrate each other's diversity," he said.

Prof Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said the spirit of multi-ethnic Malaysia has been deeply embedded into the Malaysian psyche from the very beginning.

"One of the most significant platforms he established, almost immediately after Merdeka, as a vehicle for fostering harmony in multicultural Malaysia was the National Art Gallery in 1958.

"He really believed arts and social integration are inseparable," he said.

Pulai MP Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed first heard about Tunku from his father the late Tan Sri Mohamed Rahmat who served as Tunku's political secretary in 1965.

"Tunku was a very honest man and did things for the country. He never thought about enriching himself," said Nur Jazlan.

Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed

He also doesn't think that any leader could unite Malaysia in the way Tunku did, especially when it came to bringing people together just before the Malaya's independence.

"He never played the race or religious card to unite the rakyat," he said adding that Tunku's biggest contribution was the formation of Malaysia.

DAP national chairman Karpal Singh said Tunku was a leader who treated everyone fairly, regardless of their racial, religious or economic background.

"For me, it is still Tunku Abdul Rahman who was above all. He was one man who was determined to be a leader for all Malaysians,regardless of race," he said.

Pengerang MP Datuk Seri Azalina Othman said despite being a leader of a Malay majority party Umno, the Tunku endorsedmultiracial Malaysia and agreed to a coalition government as a means of fostering unity.

"He was the leader of Umno and an example to all Umno politicians. He was not an extremist. If we Umno leaders are racist, we will lose out," she said.

Jempol MP Tan Sri Isa Samad echoes that view.

"It was Tunku who mooted the idea for power sharing which led to a coalition government in our country," he said.

Parti Sosialis Malaysia chairman Dr Nasir Hashim said Tunku was able to foster a united multi-racial Malaya even though the British colonial rulers had earlier controlled the country through a "divide and rule" policy.

"To sustain this vision we must empower the people and revamp the present exploitative economic system to be people oriented," he said.

"To progress we must balance out the uneven development of the country through efficient use of resources, create opportunities, denounce racial policies that create disharmony , and implement poverty eradication schemes , irrespective of race, religion, creed and region," he said.

Malaysia as a nation has taken many steps forward since Tunku took that bold first move but we must be mindful that rapid progress sometimes means that important values get left behind . Our freedom and independence is a flame that must be allowed to shine brightly, not leave us sifting through charred ruins.

"MERDEKA! MERDEKA! MERDEKA!"

'Remain united to defend sovereignty'

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KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has called on the people to remain united to defend the sovereignty of Malaysia which has gained independence and free from the clutches of colonialism for decades.

In his message in conjunction with the 56th anniversary of the country's independence today, the Prime Minister pointed out that now was not the time for Malaysians to be disunited.

"Whatever challenges there are, we must not despair.

"We must move forward to develop the country based on national solidarity," said Najib when delivering the message which was aired by local television stations last night.

He said that being a sovereign nation, the people had full rights in all matters pertaining to the administration of the country and decide for themselves the direction the country was heading for.

"In fact, in animating the independence and the incidents involved in attaining it, we must also continue to preserve and defend matters pertaining to the Malay Rulers, the position of the Islamic religion as well as the special privileges of the Malays and bumiputras as had been enshrined by our forefathers in the Federal Constitution," he said.

The Independence Day parade this year with the theme 'Malaysiaku Berdaulat: Tanah Tumpahnya Darahku' ('My Sovereign Malaysia: My Native Land') will be held at the Merdeka Square, here today.

Najib also reminded the people that sovereignty as a factor that buttressed Malaysia's independence did not come on a silver platter.

"Too much sweat had been shed, too much blood had been sacrificed. All these were due to the struggles of the leaders together with that of the past generation, and continued until today," he said.

The Prime Minister said the young generation must continue to be guided and prepared to strengthen their identity and patriotic spirit.

"Only then would Malaysia with its high-minded people remain as a sovereign nation in its real meaning," he said.

Referring to the armed intrusion incident in Lahad Datu, Sabah recently, Najib said the bloody incident was a lesson that Malaysia was not spared from exposure to external threat.

"The tragic incident is a reminder to Malaysians on the importance of remaining united for the sake of defending the country's sovereignty," he said.

Referring to Malaysia as a nation of various races that has made the country unique in the world, he said: "This uniqueness has made us special and an asset that will help us to achieve the developed nation status with high income in the next few years."

True Merdeka has yet to come, says Sivarasa

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PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is a beautiful country with much to celebrate, but it has yet to make the final leap to be a truly developed and democratic nation, says Subang MP R. Sivarasa.

Now 56 years old himself, the former Bar Council member and long time Parti Keadilan Rakyat vice-president has watched Malaysia take many interesting twists and turns through the years.

"Perhaps we must start off by asking how old Malaysia is" he began, only half-jokingly during our interview. "Is it 56 or 50? Because while Malaya became independent in 1957, Malaysia itself was created in 1963. I am certainly proud to have been part of a movement that successfully campaigned for September 16, 1963, which is Malaysia Day to be a national holiday. "

While national days tend to be occasions of pomp and circumstance, Sivarasa feels we need to look at our nation with a critical eye. And yet he considers himself a patriotic man.

"I may not defend the way Malaysia is run, but I will defend the people and this land anytime. I notice this happens especially when I travel. I talk about the country and I feel proud of its people. Every time I look around, I am impressed by the rich diversity of cultures that makes this place a lot more interesting than most countries."

Sivarasa (bottom row, far right) was a reserve on the University Malaya circket team of 1979.

Unlike many of his generation who migrated to the Klang Valley, Sivarasa has resided here since birth. "I've actually always been in this area. At first it was in KL in Jalan Beserah, in the Titiwangsa area near Jalan Pahang. I attended primary school there. Then we moved to Section 14, PJ in 1967. And of course I attended Universiti Malaya. Funnily enough, these particular areas haven't changed that much over the years, although the Federal Highway was smaller then. It was just a dual carriageway."

"There is no question that there have been dramatic changes all over Malaysia. From the late 80s to 1997 the sheer pace of economic growth was reflected all over the country. And it's not just KL, you can see it in Melaka, Ipoh, or Sungai Petani. The development is there although sometimes it feels like every little bit of spare land is grabbed by somebody who has put a tall building there."

Sivarasa describes his early years and influences as quite normal for people of his time. "I had some Malaysian heroes. I used to listen to the Blues Gang and Hamzah Rahmat, but really it was Western music that I grew up with … Deep Purple and Cream. We had Western-influenced, English-speaking interests. Indigenous explorations come when you're older."

"When I was young we also used to look up to sports heroes. I think of the Malaysian badminton team in the late 60s with Punch Gunalan who went to Indonesia and came back with the Thomas Cup. In some ways I'm disappointed now. With the Olympics you see small nations taking on the big ones and winning, I'd like to see that with us again."

"When you are older, you get more open-minded and there is a shift of course. So now when I look back I respect the many unnamed unsung heroes of what was then the Malaysia/Singapore independence movement. Ahmad Boestamam, Said Zahari, Lim Chin Siong and many others are true heroes who opposed not just colonial oppression but post-colonial exploitation."

Sivarasa is seventh in a family of 7 boys and a girl. Four of his siblings eventually emigrated to Australia, and when you take into account that he attended Oxford in the 1970s, Sivarasa would seem to have been a prime candidate to leave the country.

"The question of migration was never a concern," he explains. "I did spend 6 years abroad getting a second degree, and then working and travelling, but Malaysia is my home. I believe we should deal with what problems there are."

"If you look at my field of law, any lawyer will tell you that post 1988 it hasn't been the same. The legal system that we inherited calls for the judiciary to be independent of politics, and I fear that's not the case. It's really been downhill all the way. At the moment, sad to say, serious concerns about the independence of the judiciary remain. 12 High Court judges just struck off election petitions with high punitive costs and a swiftness that did not inspire confidence in the process.

And soon after in the Altantuya case, the Court of Appeal let two men go. The impression in the public domain is that of a manipulated judiciary. But I think sometimes things have to get worse before they get better. I am an optimist and I believe they will get better. "

"I look with envy at our neighbours Thailand and Indonesia. Granted Malaysia (and Singapore as well) are doing better economically, but we are streets behind in terms of political culture. There is still corruption there, but they have a more robust, even-handed press, and a more independent judiciary, especially when you consider the baggage of the past. In those countries a Minister will resign to take responsibility for his actions. I regret to say that Malaysia is still politically backward."

"Of course you can't look at the past and say it was always better. For example ... there were more ISA detentions under Tunku Abdul Rahman than under any other Prime Minister of Malaysia. In terms of human rights, we are not last in the class. I thought we would always be better than Myanmar but even they ironically are making huge strides now. I think they have more progressive peaceful public assembly laws than us now!"

"One thing is for sure, the culture of political accountability is still stronger in other countries throughout the region. Ministershave resigned for their failures. Indonesia and Thailand jailed members of their election commission for corruption. They are not afraid to go after high level politicians and bureaucrats while in office . In Malaysia we wait until after they leave office to put them in the dock. I think our people deserve better than what they have."

Having said that Sivarasa has witnessed many encouraging changes in the last five years. " I think over the last two general elections, the country has witness some phenomenal changes.

It started with the 2008 elections which took us all by surprise when the opposition broke the government's two-third majority and took over five states. In 2013 this was further extended in terms of the popular vote, whereby more people voted against the government than for it.

R. Sivarasa

This has entrenched the reality that there is a two party system now, and serious political competition forces both sides to perform.

There is the government of the day and a government in waiting, which augurs well for the future."

He also feels that while technological changes have helped many, not all Malaysians become more aware of socio-political issues.

"The media situation in Malaysia mirrors a global trend, whereby control of information is no longer dominated by the mainstream tv and newspapers. Today thanks to the Internet and independent media, Malaysians have much more access to different points of view.

However, there still remains a substantial number of people, particularly in the rural areas who are denied access to this. This is a major obstacle for further social awareness and nation-building."

Sivarasa is married to schoolteacher/actress Anne James. Does he feel the country has progressed in the field of arts? "I think we certainly have moved in terms of volume of creative work. In terms of the theatre, I think it's a reflection of the increasing education level and the interest of people. There are more art galleries, there are more theatre productions. But it's still well behind what's going on in some neighbouring countries."

There are a number of areas in which Sivarasa in unequivocal about Malaysia's supremacy.

"I think you have to start with food. There isno country that can compare to us. We have Malay, Indian and Chinese cuisine. We've even adapted Western food to our style. You can find it all here in abundance".

"We are also lucky with our natural beauty, you can take your pick of locations, the islands, the highlands, the jungles. If you just look at the Kota Kinabalu area, the mountain, jungle and beaches are all within an hour's reach. Where else in the world can you get quite that combination? At its best it's like paradise. Our coral reefs also are some of the best in the world."

Sivarasa did however conclude with some sobering words. "For me, the real Merdeka is yet to come … a time when we have a truly democratic, open Malaysia. I have to say that I think there is retardation in nation-building.

I feel there is a greater distance between the races than there was 25 years ago. I saw it at university level, but now even it is present even in primary school. I think we now have a society that lives in co-existence where we tolerate rather than respect each other's culture. I think there is a concerted effort to play up ethnic and religious tensions.

Instead of trying to promote understanding and harmony, you have leaders who inflame tensions. That makes me concerned for future generations."

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Sabtu, 31 Ogos 2013

The Star Online: Nation

The Star Online: Nation

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