COMMENT | "Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious" - Oscar Wilde

(Full disclosure: Gerakbudaya has published a couple of volumes of my articles and I consider its founder Pak Chong a friend)

I am not surprised that the political establishment, while beset by problems, has decided to retreat to 'patriotism' as a means to radicalise a certain section of the population.

This idea that 'altering' a national symbol means a lack of patriotism or the publication of a book with such art, is somehow anathema to national unity, is a continuing narrative meant to divide Malaysians further.

I have never understood (and I say this as someone who served in the state security apparatus) how anyone could enforce love of a country or reverence for "national symbols". Most times, the people who are most vocal about respecting these symbols have never served the country in any capacity, beyond serving political parties or their various proxies.

Some people make all these declarations of supporting the troops, cherishing the flag or believing in national dogma, but they actually spend all their...