Our country is about to celebrate its 53rd year of independence. What does it all mean to me??? Well, I wouldn’t really know as I was not around for the “troubled” years. I didn’t see British rule, the fight for independence, MAY 13TH, the split with Singapore, communist insurgents, Japanese occupation, bombs, war, famine……nope….none of that.
My Malaysia was comfortable. Grew up in a nice neighborhood, nice house, nice car(OPEL CADET was a nice car back then!!! Hehehe!!), good food and a pretty normal life. Dad was a teacher (Government job!!) who felt every cent he made was owed to the kindness of the “government”. “We should be thankful for what we have. People in India are starving”, he used to remind us.
I went to school knowing there was a quota system. I knew my Malay friends will get better deals for education. I knew my Chinese friends had to do even better than me if they wanted to succeed. I spoke better English than Bahasa Malaysia, better Bahasa Malaysia than Tamil and better Tamil than a few “white” Indian friends!! We played together, studied together, ate together, hell… we did everything together. That was and still is my Malaysia. (Regardless of what the politicians try to tell me!!)
I left in 1991 to study in Singapore and it was a country that I never warmed up to. It was cold, heartless and just felt fake. It was like LEGO land. Just too perfect to be real. I knew why I was there and what I had to do. Get a good education. Period. I longed to leave as soon as I could.
From there, it was off to sail the seven seas!! Across the continents, across the oceans, across borders I went for 11 years. In all those years, in all those different countries, I was always Malaysian. “But you look Indian”, was the standard response. And there I was, explaining my Indian origin time and again but always insisting I was Malaysian and NOT Indian. My Malaysian Chinese buddies had to endeavor the same fate.
So for 11 years I fought hard to ensure I was respected as a Malaysian outside my country but only to realize when I came home in 2005, that I had to fight equally hard to be considered Malaysian at home!!!
Where have we gone so wrong???? I guess that long story is everywhere on the net so I’m not going to bother even remotely trying to explain that one!
I love this country not because it’s 1Malaysia……it’s my 1 and only Malaysia!!! Whatever ethnic background I may have, I know my stand. It may be different for some politicians but I’m surely MALAYSIAN FIRST, INDIAN SECOND!!
So to all my Malaysian friends, let the politicians say whatever they want…..This is our Malaysia so let’s make it the best it can be!!
SELAMAT HARI MERDEKA MALAYSIA!!! Someone still loves you!!
