THE Jalur Gemilang, bunting, billboards and arches are all up in the city of Kuala Lumpur and everywhere throughout the country in readiness for celebrating Merdeka, the nation’s National Day, today. This august day is usually observed in solemn prayer and mass jubilation by people of all ages. On display at the various public parades held to honour the event are the values, solidarity, unity, respect and love for the country and its leaders. These are the sentiments shared by all as they look back to the past and think of the future and the future of their children and those of their children’s children. Many remember the sacrifices they had to make, and the happy and painful days everyone had to go through, in making sure they all had an identity, gained acceptability, and were given the responsibility in building this country they can now regard as, “Tanah tumpahnya darahku”. On the streets on this day, we can also see the different ways people are doing their bit for National Day. One can see vehicles ranging from taxis, buses and bicycles, to push-carts festooned with the national flag. A great way to enjoy the spirit of Merdeka is the discounted rates one can pay for riding public transport and going to movies and spending one’s day at the shopping malls. Indeed, there is plenty one can do, and these cater for all ages and tastes. What makes the day more meaningful has been the different themes that have been created by the government for the celebration of National Day each year. From the available records, the themes have been quite varied over the years. Briefly, they have tried to capture the spirit and soul of the times so that people can easily gravitate towards them. But, essentially from the 1970s until today, these themes could be categorised into three major groups, covering respectively, Society and Unity, Vision and Values, and People and Transformation. The categories also correspond to the different historical periods that the country has gone through from the “Independence Years” from 1957 until 1990, followed by the “Vision Years” that began from 1990 and lasted to 2008, and on to the “People’s Transformation Years” from 2009 to the present. A further analysis of the meaning of Merdeka to Malaysians in each of the above periods is attempted below. The early years of Merdeka were a time of sacrifice and sharing of the “fruits of our toil” with everyone in the country. For a time, nothing seemed to work; but, with the willingness and dedication shown by all, the turmoil and discord that the people went through together had left a sufficiently deep and strong bond of understanding to be realised. “Society and Unity” moved hand-in-hand to shape the country’s development and made Malaysia the country we can be proud of today. The tumultuous years of Independence and the post-Independence period made nation-building a necessity for all to move forward in concert. The ground was ripe for the “Vision Years” to triumph, benefiting Malaysians and others who grabbed the opportunities handsomely. The country prospered and became a responsible member of the world community, bound by the win-win approach. Positive competition and mutual cooperation had won the day for Malaysians. Merdeka meant that sharing from a bigger cake was the more enriching and lasting of one’s experiences in life. Finally, the “Vision Years” were replaced by the “People’s Transformation Years” that put a premium on the people’s performance. Merdeka has come to be understood since then as the wave of moving forward with the people, based upon the common concern of developing a future for all, regardless of one’s status and calling in life. Characteristic of the years in this period is the need to constantly nurture the “big picture” in one’s undertakings and commitment. It is critical that in looking ahead at the coming years, Malaysians remain connected to the theme of this year’s National Day celebrations, that of Sehati, Sejiwa (One Heart, One Soul), behind one “big picture” of the country marching forward towards transformation. If there are pockets of the people that are still not with us, then, this will spell trouble for the country. The impact of the social media must not be allowed to make the images of the future fuzzy and confused. The writer is a former diplomat with teaching experience at Universiti Sains Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Mara
Read More : http://www.nst.com.my/node/98658
Comments
Post a Comment