Merdeka

[chenchow]

With our national day coming within 8 days, lets reflect back what Malaysia has achieved since independence or since we were young. A lot has been done and a lot need to be done. Lets have our merdeka resolution! Selamat Hari Merdeka!!!

[bachok83]

hmm ...

i dunno what to say...but tonight at 8.30 pm

dont miss the launching of the second national car by Tan Sri Naza

(Nasa's Dad)

[littlebigone]

happy belated merdeka!!!! :D

[chenchow]

Since it is Merdeka month again (August), lets think of what all of us could do in this month, especially on 31st August? Anything that ReCom could do on Merdeka Day? There would be ReMag 4 launched on that day... Anything else that we could and should do?

Lets Cakap-cakap Merdeka...

Any thoughts on Merdeka? Did it evoke any kind of special feelings to you guys, since many of us are far away from tanahair...

[__earth]

Any thoughts on Merdeka? Did it evoke any kind of special feelings to you guys, since many of us are far away from tanahair...

the merdeka day evokes nothing in me since it has mere superficial meanings. only words are said but the reality is far different.

its time we malaysians consider the merdeka day as a day for more fundamendal rights. more freedom of expression, more free press. more freedom, real personal freedom - not just the ones allowed by the government.

[opaqa]

Any thoughts on Merdeka? Did it evoke any kind of special feelings to you guys, since many of us are far away from tanahair...

You know how you felt "something" but you're not quite sure what it is? - hmm... is it pride? sadness? I don't know. it's "something" - all those stories about merdeka. i guess you can say that they affect me in some ways.



its time we malaysians consider the merdeka day as a day for more fundamendal rights. more freedom of expression, more free press. more freedom, real personal freedom - not just the ones allowed by the government.

to me, hari merdeka is about celebrating our freedom from all those penjajah, appreciating what our ancestors did, appreciating the fact that we are ruled by our own people (Malaysians) and we can make our future better because of that fact. Things can't change overnight. but I can see it changing for the better (though extremely slow it is...)

8)

[__earth]

Any thoughts on Merdeka? Did it evoke any kind of special feelings to you guys, since many of us are far away from tanahair...

You know how you felt "something" but you're not quite sure what it is? - hmm... is it pride? sadness? I don't know. it's "something" - all those stories about merdeka. i guess you can say that they affect me in some ways.

Its probably romanticism.


its time we malaysians consider the merdeka day as a day for more fundamendal rights. more freedom of expression, more free press. more freedom, real personal freedom - not just the ones allowed by the government.

to me, hari merdeka is about celebrating our freedom from all those penjajah, appreciating what our ancestors did, appreciating the fact that we are ruled by our own people (Malaysians) and we can make our future better because of that fact. Things can't change overnight. but I can see it changing for the better (though extremely slow it is...)

8)

I appreciate the rise of Malacca. In the same way, I appreciate the fight our ancestors fought for an independent state. But, almost 50 years later, that appreciation is pretty much irrelevant. What good it is for us to appreciate but do nothing?

A new fight is needed. A new fight that is relevant to our time, not about shouting merdeka and talking about tunku abdul rahman while tolerating erosion of freedom day after day.

IMO, stopping that erosion and push it in the other way is freedom. If individual freedom is widespread, only then merdaka day means something to me. To be merely free from imperialism but to be gag by the big brother is hardly what I call freedom. Soviet Union was free from colonialism back then but its citizens couldn't be considered free. Myanmar is another example. Former Yoguslavia Republic is another.

The fight for individual freedom is our next fight.

[phantom]

do you know how some of our young generation are spending their merdeka nights?

at KLCC,and bintang walk.at the park where the could do whatever they want with their gfs.saw that. (i once celebrated the merdeka night at KLCC and bintang walk) and trust me,it is the last place you wanna be in your lifetime.

beer tins e'where,and liquor profusely thrown at e'sight your eyes could catch.ppl smoking weeds.the whole night air was dampen with cigarettes smokes.the real hedonist lifestyles you think only happened at the western hemisphere.

the again,i met this tv personality.forgot her name.

to some extend,merdeka day is just another holiday,another reason to party.

[ElansarGelmir]

Basically, i didn't "feel" the Merdeka day spirit until when i went overseas.... I guess it's something in us which we dun appreciate until we are far away from it.... Perhaps i won't feel more patriotic on that day, but i think there's some inexplicable feeling which makes me proud to be a Malaysian, and to sing together our National Anthem with Malaysians... what's that feeling called? Romanticism? I dunno...

[gatecrasher]

hmm... i wonder what the phrase 'proud to be malaysian' means. certainly, i've felt glad to be msian before, compared to, for example, being a singaporean, not because of some abstract feelings that might be termed nationalism or romanticism or whatever, but for practical reasons like great hawker food and a lighter school workload. but i don't think that's the same as being proud of my homeland.
to be frank, i've hardly ever felt patriotic in my life. one of the few times was when someone was dared to sing negaraku at the psycho camp and everyone joined in. yeah maybe it is romanticism.
maybe, like _earth, i'll feel proud of my country when the day that we enjoy true freedom comes.

[gohweihan]

One can be proud of the motherland only when there is something to be proud of. Right now, everything seems ordinary, if not sub-ordinary (freedom of speech comes to mind). Perhaps the bottleneck here is not the nation, but the ruling Government.

[The_Observer]

While the political and ideological situation from our viewpoint
does look grim and ghastly....

But still, it is unfair to take the meaning out of our Independence Day. Romanticism or whatever...you guys still know which flag to salute, right?

Perhaps, it would be appropriate to salute 1st and flash the bird at our Government later.

Seriously, I am sure students like us back in the 1950s are complaining as vociferous about the Brits. Unfair Government, give us freedom...all those things.

Shows we din come too far in the last 4+ decades, did we?

Otherwise, it would be better to concentrate on what our country stands for and whats it built upon...at least for Merdeka....rather than blaming everyone else out there but ourselves.

[cmhang]

I think besides feeling patriotic, we should be feeling thankful.... for all those that happened, for the leaders that fought for freedom, for the leaders that shape Malaysia to be what Malaysia is today.

We should be thankful that we can live in a peaceful country. We can not deny that it is hard to lead a country with so many races and religions. Can you imagine how life could be if our situation today is like Indonesia? Where Chinese have to hide their Chinese identity and use an Indonesian (or maybe in our case, a Malaysian name?) And some fanatics trying to kill ppl of some other particular religions/races?? I bet you won't want to live in a country like that.

My experience talking to a foreigner in Australia: When he heard the name Malaysia, he thought our situation is the same as Indonesia.... with lots of fightings, killings and such. :( He never know that Malaysia is a peaceful country. As Malaysians, do you want others to think of us that way?

As Malaysians, I think we should be proud to talk about our country. This is, to me, the least we can do for our country: to make our country known more by the people around the world, and let them know how peaceful and how beautiful Malaysia is. :)

[__earth]

Seriously, I am sure students like us back in the 1950s are complaining as vociferous about the Brits. Unfair Government, give us freedom...all those things.

Shows we din come too far in the last 4+ decades, did we?

So you suggest, we should not ask for more?

And I agree we have gone far but it is far from sufficient. Not only freedom is limited, the system itself actively divides Malaysian across racial lines - this shows we got stuck somewhere in our timeline.

We got then, then we got stuck, then we haven't moved much.

I think besides feeling patriotic, we should be feeling thankful.... for all those that happened, for the leaders that fought for freedom, for the leaders that shape Malaysia to be what Malaysia is today.

The problem is, people are being thankful and satified. And being complecent.

While we are relaxing, enjoying others' fruits, somebody elses are eroding our freedom. If merdeka is about being complecent, hell with merdeka. it means nothing.

And this is true to most of us:

to some extend,merdeka day is just another holiday,another reason to party.

[cmhang]

To me, merdeka day is to remind us of what the leaders have done for us, and to remind us to keep fighting for the better. We have come this far, we should carry on to be better, not to waste all the efforts of our leaders.

But yeah, sad fact is like what phantom wrote: "Just another holiday, another reason to party". :cry:

[opaqa]

Its probably romanticism.

*sigh*

To me, merdeka day is to remind us of what the leaders have done for us, and to remind us to keep fighting for the better. We have come this far, we should carry on to be better, not to waste all the efforts of our leaders.

But yeah, sad fact is like what phantom wrote: "Just another holiday, another reason to party". :cry:

exactly what I meant.


The fight for individual freedom is our next fight.

I didn't say we shouldn't fight for individual freedom. I just hope that August 31st be appreciated by most. let it be a motivation for everyone to be better; for example, to get the kind of freedom that you all talk about. I'm with you on that.




-opaqa-
http://rossublu.blogspot.com

[topdog]

i am not espousing negativism (okay, maybe i am) but for those abroad (especially those who haven't been home for > 2 years), a good way to feel less patriotic would be to come home. you know, back to reality and all that.:)

[The_Observer]

Liew...that quote was meant to be along the same line as your comment la just that mine intended to be subtle.

I just hope that you guys (myself included) dun become NATO.
No Action Talk Only.

Let he/she who calls him/herself righteous/virtuous throw the 1st stone!

So...you guys think that Merdeka is dwelling in the past?

[topdog]

I just hope that you guys (myself included) dun become NATO.
No Action Talk Only.
matter of fact, i just realized that i am exactly that. not to worry, i'm sure i'll regain whatever "passion" and "fire" i had when i return to the states. ironic, huh? though i'm sure it's a common affliction among malaysians who have spent/are spending time abroad.

[chenchow]

Frankly, I think if we have a point, there is definitely avenue for us to voice our thoughts freely, but responsibility...

For instance, if you look, 99.99% of the posts in ReCom were not moderated, and I would say that we have not censored anyone's post, because it is sensitive or anything... Others can still get to see what you have typed and decide for themselves... Isn't it a trust and freedom that is given to ReComers and basically Malaysians and I am sure there are a lot of portals for people to share their mind.

In fact, I would say that all these talks...may not translate to immediate action, but remember that those who read... there are so many of us here, would have such awareness and this long term effects would mean a lot, and it is possible to bring out changes in the future, or even currently.

I wouldn't say that Malaysia is doing perfectly well in freedom of speech, but I believe that if we have a valid point with substantiated evidence and have looked at the issues from different perspectives, there are avenues that we can voice out. Malaysiakini is a good example. And in fact, if you look at the letters in The Star, NST, not every letter is saying positive things about Malaysia, but they still get published. So, use those avenues.

It may not be perfect, and it is upon us, the younger generation to improve it...

This is just my two cents...

[ElansarGelmir]

we have not censored anyone's post, because it is sensitive or anything

Poor Misled_Youth's posts were heavily filtered... :D


Malaysiakini is a good example

yeah... Malaysiakini is a perfect example... Remember the police raid on the 20th January 2003 and took away their comps which contained their journal entries and etc just because they were practising their freedom of speech?

NST, The Star are all our govt's mouthpiece... I bet they filter the letters which will jeopardize their position...

[The_Observer]

I bet just 1 honest and fiery letter will ensure free lodging and food for God knows how long.....courtesy of our dear ISA.

[cmhang]

I agreee with ElansarGelmir....

:( Sad fact is that most published articles in newspapers are filtered. I bet the contents will be very much different if Malaysia REALLY practices freedom of speech (without filtering)

But then.... I guess we HAVE to do that.... at least for now. Imagine how the situation would be if anything can be published unfiltered, including all those sensitive issues.... I bet there will be ppl that's so much disturbed by it and that could cause chaos~!

[gohweihan]

I agreee with ElansarGelmir....

:( Sad fact is that most published articles in newspapers are filtered. I bet the contents will be very much different if Malaysia REALLY practices freedom of speech (without filtering)

But then.... I guess we HAVE to do that.... at least for now. Imagine how the situation would be if anything can be published unfiltered, including all those sensitive issues.... I bet there will be ppl that's so much disturbed by it and that could cause chaos~!

Without the darkness, one cannot see the light. Only when society is exposed to these sensitive issues that they can work to overcome it. Hide it from them, and it would forever remain hidden and unsolved.

The fact is, the longer these problems remain hidden from society, the more deadly it becomes. This situation is like a gas cannister being continuously filled with gas. Over time, the cannister would be so highly pressured that it becomes unstable and explode in it's own pressure.

[gohweihan]

I agreee with ElansarGelmir....

:( Sad fact is that most published articles in newspapers are filtered. I bet the contents will be very much different if Malaysia REALLY practices freedom of speech (without filtering)

But then.... I guess we HAVE to do that.... at least for now. Imagine how the situation would be if anything can be published unfiltered, including all those sensitive issues.... I bet there will be ppl that's so much disturbed by it and that could cause chaos~!

Without the darkness, one cannot see the light. Only when society is exposed to these sensitive issues that they can work to overcome it. Hide it from them, and it would forever remain hidden and unsolved.

The fact is, the longer these problems remain hidden from society, the more deadly it becomes. This situation is like a gas cannister being continuously filled with gas. Over time, the cannister would be so highly pressured that it becomes unstable and explode in it's own pressure.

[chenchow]

I found this article in NST about Merdeka. It is written by our PM Pak Lah.

Enjoy reading~!
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/Frontpage/20040901080305/Article/indexb_html

[jiinjoo]

Hi everyone! This is an excellent collection of articles by thestar - a job well done by many reporters including the BRATs - I highly suggest readsing some, e.g. the interview with Pak Lah and all. We're still having our "Merdeka month" after all right?

http://thestar.com.my/merdeka/special.asp

Did anyone attended the Kuantan celebrations this year? How was it?