Arise Malaysia!

1Malaysia is only achievable if we believe in: One destiny for all,Malays, Chinese, Indians and all ethnic groups living in harmony,
All races with various cultures learning to respect one another,

Agreeing with each other in love,

Yearning for greater unity,

Sacrificing their own agendas; and If individualism is replaced with inter-dependency.

Arise Malaysia, This is your time to reveal your glory!

KUMARATHEVAN BALAKRISHNAN, Gua Musang, Kelantan
letters@nst.com
2010/09/17

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 Malaysia Day thoughts: Let's do more for unity
KUMARATHEVAN BALAKRISHNAN, Gua Musang, Kelantan
letters@nst.com.my
2011/09/16

I AM proud to be a Malaysian. Though I was born more than a decade after the nation gained independence, I love this country because I was nurtured to be patriotic by my parents since young.
I believe Malaysia is a land flowing with "milk and honey", and blessed with different cultures, languages, natural resources and opportunities.

On Aug 31, we enjoyed the Merdeka Day holiday. It was the first time we did not "celebrate" Merdeka Day on its actual date. We are celebrating it today, together with Malaysia Day.

Fifty-four years ago, we received our independence from the British. What a proud moment it was when our first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj declared "Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka!" in the presence of the rakyat.

At that precious moment, those present would have felt that the dream of total freedom had come to pass and a new era of harmony and progress had begun.

In 1963, North Borneo (Sabah), Sarawak and Singapore joined Malaya to form Malaysia. However, Singapore pulled out of the federation two years later.

Today, we celebrate the 48th anniversary of the establishment of Malaysia. But, after so many years, some questions still linger in the minds of people. Are we truly liberated? Is there freedom of expression, press, speech and religion? Are human rights respected? Do we still believe in unity or is it just propaganda? Is there equality? What's happening to our education system? Why is there a brain drain? Why is there racial polarisation? How long or how far will racial and religious issues drag on?

The list may go on, but each one of us must make a stand and put our hands together to bring about a greater transformation in our nation.

Look at Great Britain -- the orderly, developed, civilised, multi-racial and democratic nation. Once a global empire, it fell prey to deadly riots last month. "Great" doesn't mean anything if there is no mutual understanding and unity in a plural society. It's a lesson for us, too.

Don't take unity and peace for granted as it is precious. As Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said, we should move from tolerance to acceptance to achieve greater unity.

Let's stop pointing fingers, throwing accusations, disrespecting the sanctity of places of worship, publishing controversial articles or photos, condemning one another's beliefs and politicising sensitive issues which could cause racial tension.

As faithful citizens, we have the responsibility to show our patriotism by loving our country and countrymen. Respect for one another is essential. All Malaysians must take efforts to be sensitive in handling issues relating to religion and culture for the sake of inter-religious and racial harmony.

The government should emphasise, in every way possible, the five tenets of the Rukun Negara: Belief in God; Loyalty to the King and Country; Upholding the Constitution; Rule of Law; and Good Social Behaviour and Morality.

All quarters -- government and non-government -- should continue to combat social illnesses and provide jobs for the unemployed, and better jobs and positions for those who are capable and deserving without looking at one's religion or colour.

The government should continue to create better education opportunities to tackle unemployment, gangsterism, drug addiction and trafficking, and the increasing problem of unwed mothers and dysfunctional families.

To ensure the success of nation building projects, those in power should not forget the wholesome approach of helping all races, especially the poor and the needy.

Imagine how wonderful it would be if all races attend open house gatherings during festive seasons, sit together to watch sports events on big screens, take part in multiracial programmes, go camping or on outings, sit and chit-chat at coffee shops or warung makan or eat durians together, just like some of us continue to do and as we see on television advertisements.

I'm not saying the government, non-governmental organisations or citizens are not doing anything to achieve this; I am saying let's do more.

It's time to learn from past events and do something drastic to improve our lives. I believe all will be well if we practise moderate living, acceptance and mutual respect for one another.

Let's continue to pray for unity and peace. Together, we can make Malaysia a better place to live by building a healthy lifestyle and creating a lasting legacy.