Mad Season

I love this country but I will not fly the Malaysian flag come Independence Day.



Mad Season

It’s the month of August and I haven’t written anything for the last ten days, not even in draft form. I find no inspiration in the month of August every year.

The reason is simple. It’s the month when the nation of Malaysia will celebrate her independence from the British 52 years ago on August 31st 1957.

On that historical date, the reign of the white men as colonial masters ended and Malaysia was accorded the liberty to pursue her own destiny.

Colonization ended but feudalism persisted, and the latter is still very much pervasive in the Malaysian community.

Anyway, the silly season has begun. It’s the season to demonstrate patriotism in ways and means that are outright irrelevant and absolutely nonsensical, like 2007’s stitching the longest and most unusable flag on earth.

Before long, the BN politicians will be calling upon all Malaysians to fly the Jalur Gemilang if Malaysians truly love the nation.

Many will inexorably heed the call and do as they were told by their feudal masters, oblivious to the fact that their hard-earned ringgit are falling effortlessly into the pockets of cronies and friends of the ruling party. These folks will proudly fly a solitary Malaysian flag on the top of their car, usually just next or behind the radio antenna.

Perhaps they really love the country and feel that the only way to do so is by flying a mini flag wherever they go. They are probably totally inundated by the half-century UMNO axiom that to love one’s country is to fly the national flag during the month of independence.

I beg to differ.

I love this country but I will not fly the Malaysian flag come Independence Day.

It is hypocrisy to demonstrate patriotism just because Independence Day is around the corner. It’s no different from a Christian who behaves like an angel on the Sabbath when one is in church but transforms into the real ugly self for the remaining six days of the week.

Patriotism is a lifestyle and not an act. In our small ways, we bring out the patriot in us in the work and tasks we perform every day.

Among others, loving the nation means one will not steal from the tax payers by engaging in shady deals through dubious means to enrich oneself. If flag-flying Malaysians can see this with common sense, they’d realise that the current Malaysian government are made up of a gang of lying liars.

In that light, the city hall worker who earns a paltry sum every month sweeping the filthy roads of Kuala Lumpur has more virtue and love for the country than the loud-mouth, tough-talking politician who live off the honest earnings of the people.

The way I see it, the humble, hunch-backed hospital attendant has done more for the nation and her citizens than the deceitful, callous and careless brain surgeon.

It’s just an opinion, but my envy for a Dato’ cum director of multiple listed companies speaking with that fake overseas accent pales in comparison to the friendly, petite lady selling tropical fruits at a makeshift roadside stall. The latter at least, retires to bed every night with a clear conscience knowing one has made an honest living.

In fact just to stretch the limits, perhaps the many uneducated and unskilled and unregistered Filipino immigrants laboring under the scorching sun daily have contributed more to the nation’s progress that the thousands of over-pampered, overfed and overpaid government bureaucrats.

Perhaps we should make these diligent migrant workers honorary Malaysians by virtue of their brute strength and sheer determination. Similarly, perhaps we should suspend the citizenship of those civil servants who regularly take daily two-hour breaks for breakfast, brunch and then lunch.

Let’s not fly the flag for independence day anymore.

Let’s just do our jobs well for starters.