" The proverb warns that, ‘You should not bite the hand that feeds you.' But maybe you should, if it prevents you from feeding yourself." - Thomas Stephen Szasz

COMMENT For some, Merdeka day was the day we matured as a nation. For others, it was marred by political one-upmanship and the disgraceful behaviour of certain celebrants. Unfortunately, the truth rarely rests somewhere in the middle. Never forget when it comes to politics, the middle is all about compromise.

For the past 55 years, we lived with moderation and tolerance. If you are non-Malay, you were told to be grateful to the hosts of this land for being allowed to live here in peace and harmony. The so-called social contract (sic), a nebulous figment of political imagination, was conflated with certain elements of the Malaysian constitution which then become the barometer of how racial relations were governed in this country.

This Merdeka day celebrations was the harbinger of the shape of things to come. What it demonstrates is that ‘Janji Ditepati' has fallen apart and the Umno centre cannot hold...