Happy Merdeka

Happy 51st “Merdeka”, not Happy 51st Malaysia Independence Day. 31st August now becomes just another celebration called Merdeka, or what many presume it to be – a holiday. Deplorably, this is what some people commented about our Independence Day because Merdeka seems to have lost its meaning, tarnished by the current politic instability.

 

3 more hours to go before the 1st of September slips in, and 3 more hours to go Malaysia is going to have another year of political instability. Not that I wish this to happen, but I couldn’t help but to give a “death sentence” for the coming year of 2009 judging from the on-going unstableness.

 

Anybody ever wondered why it is always the leader giving speeches to “motivate” the citizens for the coming year but not the other way round? Is it because we, the rakyat, never give encouragements or ever produce any edifying suggestions? Or may be the leaders do not need encouragements? Or is it because our words fall onto deaf ears?

 

No matter whether our voices reach the Prime Minister or not, I have a message for our beloved Prime Minister, YABDS Abdullah Badawi:

First of all, my compliment for your work/job done for the rakyat for the past few years. Yes, you have worked hard to be our leader and you deserve a compliment because not everyone has the ability (or the opportunity for the minority) to stand on a podium of a country’s arena and decides the directions of every activity and sculpting the future of a country. You must have strived tirelessly to be here today.

 

Also, I thank you for the generous freedom of speech to the citizen (initially) because I notice that we rakyat found our voice (oh, so it’s not you who had deaf ears, it’s us who lost our voice) when you succeeded Tun Mahathir.

 

However, I would like to encourage you to be bolder in your decisions, but at the same time being righteous in your decisions, and also being confident in your decisions WITH CONSCIENCE. A leader is destine to receive respect and submission from the people he leads, but he who does not lead with just and righteousness is doomed to be overthrown.

 

Therefore, a phenomenon known as whistleblowing occurred and chaos ruptured. Worse still, this weakness is taken advantage by the oppositions and everything began to crumble. All this may have been a result of a corrupted and unjust government, but it all stems from one thing: the selfish and unrighteous (poor) leadership.

 

Judge not and you be not judged, so I don’t want to pinpoint anyone right now, but had there been leaders who act with just and righteousness, practices fair-play and lead with a heart for the citizen (not himself), will Malaysia now celebrate its 51st MALAYSIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY? and not merely “Merdeka” which means independent, but whose independence? the Malays? the Chinese? the Indians?

Independence means that the nation is free from any imposed political domination, citizens are sovereign and are masters of their own destiny. For that to be true, they must at least be able to think freely, express and exchange opinion, and, obtain and disseminate information without fear or favour………We should be proud that as citizens, we are a truly sovereign people, ruled by nothing more than the collective free will of our citizenship. We invite all Malaysians to ponder before lighting fireworks and joining the parade: Are we truly free? Are we truly sovereign? – aliran.com

Well, too much said, and you know way better than us, my beloved Prime Minister. You know more than anyone that leading without direction is analogous to blind leading the blind. Alexander Hamilton once said this: “Those who stand for nothing fall for everything”, and I urge you to take heed of these words of wisdom.

 

Finally, best wishes to the coming political tsunami set to conquer in another 16 days. I hope you can stand strong and continue to lead WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUST, regardless of creed and colour, that is, if you survive.

 

As a footnote, please do know that you don’t have to learn to get respect and submission from the rakyat and your subordinate, you earn it through your leadership.

 

 

 

Please help us find find back the meaning of Merdeka!