I don’t care for National Day. I don’t celebrate National Day.
I don't put up flags, I don't watch the parade. I don't listen any of those manufactured nonsense theme songs like ‘Satu Malaysia’. The only thing I celebrate is that I don’t have to turn up for work that day. In fact, every morning of that day I wear casual clothes to enjoy my nasi lemak at a kopitiam.
Honestly I don't have reason to celebrate. Why? For what or whom should I celebrate? For BN, MCA, or Perkasa?
Celebrate that one political party that has hijacked my country for 54 years, its institutions and everything it stands for? Celebrate that BN has become a ‘big brother’ in Malaysia, a government which in turn has become the ‘communist’ government? The lines are so blurred that I don't even know what is right or wrong in the end.
Malaysia, BN, Umno, MCA, MIC, Gerakan, PPP, PBB, Perkasa and everything in between seems to be nothing more than extensions of one monolithic entity that seeks to control every aspect of our lives, like religion, culture, education, business, and living lifestyle.
We could read practically everyday news about the discrimination of the Chinese or Malay, ISA against civilians or parties who are opposed to the BN, corruption cases, and only everything that is good about BN. Using fear to control Malaysians, they turn into slaves to help BN build a mega corporation.
Celebrate that? Seriously?
Everywhere I turn there are banners with all sort of feel good, sound good exhortations to ‘1Malaysia’. The prime minister his ministers show ‘1' with their first finger and smile down benevolently at us while pictures of citizens are conveniently photoshopped beside them as if to say we are all one people, one nation.
National day, BN day - what’s the difference? Those posters and banners put up by the town councils and grassroots organisations seem identical to those election banners and posters put up by the BN during election. Who really knows the difference?
The only thing I know is between the political leaders and us there is Satu Malaysia, two different rules. The first rules are apply to the BN. The second rules apply to the civilians. They make millions while we try to eke out a living, we stay together while they move ahead.
‘Satu Malaysia’ is for suckers who still buy that crap. It’s very telling that among that challenges spelled out by PM Najib Razak, is that corruption can be found in every single government project.
Can I count on the government to bail me out when I'm poor and jobless? Can I count on the government to treat me when I am sick and penniless? Can I count on the government to provide me with a social safety net? Can I count on the government when I get old and alone?
It used to be said at least you can count on your EPF when you've reached retirement. Now who the heck knows, the newspapers say EPF had lost money, and BN went ahead and changed the regulation to prevent EPF funds from becoming insolvent. They can actually not pay you the money which they took away without asking your permission. As a Malaysian, who can I really count on except myself?
I think at some point during the celebrations, everyone was supposed to stand up and sing Negaraku together. Do these people even know what they are singing or are they just going through the motions?
Do they even know the true meaning of Negaraku? I for one did not sing Negaraku for it would be a tacit support of a gross hypocrisy. When one thinks of democracy, Malaysia is just about as far away from that as you can get.
The truth is there is nothing in the world I want more than to celebrate National Day, to proudly stand and declare, “I'm Malaysian”. But I can’t. I can’t celebrate National Day while Malaysia remains a nation in captivity and its people are stripped of their rights and civil liberties. I can’t celebrate National Day until Malaysia is returned to its rightful owners - the people of Malaysia regardless what race you are.
Put another way, if some goon came into your house and stole all your stuff, you sure as hell don’t celebrate that.
