Negaraku before movies at the cinema?

As appeared on Malaysiakini: http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/239366

Fancy standing up for 6 minutes before a movie at the cinemas? Starting next Wednesday, a 6 minutes clip comprising of Negaraku and 2 other Merdeka Day songs will be played before any movies in the cinema starts, whether it be GSC, MBO, Cathay, or any other cinemas. Action will be taken against anyone found disrespecting the national anthem. Mind you, disrespecting includes texting, chit chatting, and remaining seated during the 6 minutes.

Noble intentions
I can see the government's noble intention. It certainly creates the Merdeka Day mood and atmosphere, but then, how far can patriotism be instilled through this practice? I suggest the government do a research, and be clean and honest with the answer. Take US and England as an example. Why are its citizens proud of their flag, their country and their national anthem? See, in these countries, it's a culture, whether they sing the national anthem or not, they feel proud of their country. You can't force the people to be proud of something they find "not right". 51% of Malaysians who voted for Pakatan Rakyat during the 13th General Elections are sick of the mess in this country. You cannot expect these people to be proud of the country after singing the national anthem, considering their despise towards the mess. Can you?

Corruption
Just look at the corruption indexes spearheaded by the police, government officials and ministers. Businesses lose out because of corruption. Instead of incentives to improve and compete, corruption becomes the driving force in contracts and tenders. Ever come across tales of high ranking officials in governmental agencies who either don't work, or work slowly when there's no under table money? I am sure you have. Even the government has been relying on handouts and cash to win the past elections.

Crime
Look at escalating crime rates. Burglars are carrying out their activities rampantly. Theft is on the rise. And mind you, this does not only happen to normal civilians, even Ministers, police chiefs, the deputy prime minister, a Menteri Besar, and a Tan Sri became victims themselves; These are high ranking personnels who have CCTVs and proper security measures at their home. Gangsters, prominent businessmen, NGOs and even corporate leaders, you name it, not spared from the wild wild west shooting style; The recently concluded Altantuya Shaaribu murder trial also raised much questions. No answers as to how she entered the country, got shot twice and then exploded into bits and pieces; Tech Beng Hock died while in MACC custody. Court judgement was an open verdict. So, how safe do you feel in Malaysia? If it is still hard to comprehend, just try walking through the streets of Sinsuran or Kampung Air at 11pm.

Inflation
The rising cost of living. Yes this happens everywhere in the world, but that should not be an excuse to allow the continuation of inflation. Statistics by the World Bank showed that Malaysia is one of the leading countries in terms of rising cost of living. Consumers are losing out because spending power is becoming weaker and weaker. On the other hand, government politicians are spending like there is no tomorrow. Corporate and conglomerates with political connections are forever expanding and raking in millions and billions in profits.

Religious tension
Religious tensions caused by monkey politicians who want to score cheap political points. Where is the religious tolerance that Najib preached to the Arab world? The likes of Ibrahim Ali, forever indispensable to UMNO and untouchable by the authorities despite inciting hatred against other religions. So much so for 1Malaysia?

Racism
Racism championed by right wing groups and irresponsible parties. Yet again, where is 1Malaysia? 2 bloggers who posted a picture of a pork dish initially denied bail by the court. A politician, specifically Zulu Noordin, who mocked the Indians, got away without being charged. Ibrahim Ali who suggested burning bibles got scotch free. Even the PM himself, blamed his loss on the Chinese. The next day, Utusan ran a headline asking "Apa lagi Cina Mahu?" What happened to teachers asking students to go back to China or India. Where is the consistency in charges and disciplinary actions?

Education system
Flip flop education policies by the forever problematic education ministers. They say youths are the future of the nation, and yes I agree. Parents are responsible at home, whereas at school, the education system plays an important and fundamental role in shaping tomorrow's society. Few years back we witnessed a U-turn decision with regards to the teaching of science and maths. Much resources were invested in preparing English to be used as the medium for teaching science and maths, few years later, the policy was abolished. The respective ministers, in order to gain political mileage, is suggesting that he is prepared to use students and teachers as his political pawns. Now, we see them trying to make Islamic civilization a compulsory subject for University students.

50 or 56 years old?
The worst part is, Merdeka is around the corner, yet many still disregard the fact that Malaysia is 50 years old, and not 56 years old. Even politicians from both ends cannot decide where do they stand and try to avoid making a stand. History tells you that Malaya gained independence in 1957, whereas Sabah and Sarawak agreed to join Malaya to form Malaysia in 1963. So Malaysia is in fact 50 years old, unless your definition of Malaysia does not include the two resource rich states East Malaysian states. You cannot change history, can you?

So tell me, will singing the national anthem solve all these problems? Yes, I will stand for the six minutes because I love my country, but I wish that as I stand and sing, I can be proud of what my country has achieved. I want to feel proud of the country, the system, and things other countries do not have. But will that happen in the near future? As I have always shared with my friends, at this point in time, "I love my country, but not the system".

My article submitted to Poskod.my

I would like to write on issues relating to Sabah and Sarawak. I am a Malaysian, as much as I am a Sabahan. I take to heart things concerning Sabah especially, because that is where I come from, and where I grew up. It is disheartening, and hurtful, when our brothers and sisters from other parts of Malaysia disregard issues pertaining East Malaysians. From political leaders to acquaintances, East Malaysia tends to be disregarded at many a time. I do not wish to condemn anyone, because this in my opinion is inappropriate, instead I would like to have a chance on a wider platform, to convey my message to a wider range of audience, reminding the importance of this two Borneo states. The previous concluded general elections can be one of my reference points. Political leaders battled it out in Malaya, and it is proven costly to the opposition pact.


My article:

What is Malaysia? When I say Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak, what comes into your mind?

I put pen to paper, my grievous concerns towards the ignorance of Sabah and Sarawak from Malaysia’s political scene. What is the status of Sabah and Sarawak? I believe many Malaysians assume that Sabah and Sarawak are one of the thirteen states in Malaysia. Well, I cannot blame this blissful ignorance or misinformation because of the distorted facts in ourSejarah textbooks during high school days.

​So what is Sabah and Sarawak’s actual status? A bit of history: Malaya received independence in 1957. Be mindful, Malaya received Independence, not Sabah and Sarawak. The two Borneo states, received independence in 1963, the very same time Malaysia was formed. So how old is Malaysia? In fact, Malaysia is only 50 years old. Important to know that Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya, are 3 equal partners in forming Malaysia, and this is stipulated in the Malaysian Agreement 1963(MA63) and 20 points Declaration. So, this means that Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya are partners each worth 33.3%.

​I am a Sabahan, born and bred there, studying in West Malaysia now. But do you know what is most pathetic? ​

​What happened to Sabah and Sarawak? They are by far the most undeveloped and poorest states. This is in spite being blessed with petroleum, natural gas, timber, palm oil, and so much more natural resources. The woes of Sabah and Sarawak are the least on BN’s list of concerns. If Pakatan Rakyat walks the talk, go and help the states of Borneo. They are kingmakers.

People talk about the problems of Bangladeshis in Peninsular Malaysia. Yes you have the right to complain. But if we are talking about a real change, take a look at Sabah. 40% of the population are not genuine Sabahans. This figure was announced by NRD, not PakatanRakyat. It's statistic given by a government agency. We talk about Bangladeshis getting ICs, and talk about the need to rectify this. I humbly think, we should try looking at Sabah.Cybertroopers and Malaysians who fight for a better country should put more effort in East Malaysia.

I am so proud of the level of racial tolerance achieved by Sabahans, so proud of how friendly Sabahans are, so proud of what Sabah and its people have to offer. We have mountains, seas, greens. We have a mixture of at least 7 major races- Chinese, Malays,Kadazan, Dusun, Murut, Indian, Bajau and of course many more indigenous races. We all live peacefully without racism. We can all sit down in either a mamak or a Chinese restaurant or even a malay restaurant without any problems. Anyone who has ever been to Sabah can vouch all these for me.

Economically, we are also one of the biggest petroleum producers in Malaysia, if not in South East Asia. BUT, what happened to Sabah? We don't have proper roads. Goodness, it is 2013 now. That is why the richer you are in Sabah, the bigger 4-wheel drive you'd need; Do not talk about blackouts, many don't even have access to electricity. What bullcrap is this? Living without electricity in the 21st century! Water? Forget about free water. Folks in the rural areas cannot even have access to clean water let alone free water. They rely very much on rainwater and water from rivers. 

So why did Pakatan Rakyat fail to overthrow the government? In my humble opinion, Anwar's biggest mistake in the recently concluded General Elections, is his failure to address the woes of East Malaysians. If you compare the seats won in 2008 and 2013, there's not much of a swing in Peninsular. What does this show? This shows that West Malaysians have more or less made up their minds. So if you want a real change, try investing time and putmore effort on East Malaysia. Trying to win votes in West Malaysia is like fishing in a sea with very little fishes left. A bigger impact can be done, if you focus on Sabah and Sarawak.

You cannot blame the people in the rural areas of Sabah for voting BN back into power. They know nothing else apart from the blue colored weighing scale. We scoff at the BR1M, BB1M, BL1M or whatever other brim brom brum. We city folks are exposed and we are well informed. RM250 or RM500 may be little to some of us. It's a different situation out there. Imagine your whole life being in the jungle, no water, no electricity, no car, no KFC, no McDonald's, no Adidas, no Nike, no Puma, no LV, no Burberry, no G-Shock. You have nothing, and the only way to feed your family is by finding food from the wild. If you lived through this, you would agree RM500 is a hell lot of money. It can be enough to feed a family of 5 for a whole month. These folks are therefore so grateful. Our job, is not to blame them, but help them, show them the light, and educate them.

So folks, I invite you to Borneo. If you really want to UBAH something in Malaysia, come to Sabah and contribute. As to Pakatan Rakyat leaders, the ball is in your hands, you decide how you want it played. Please help me spread this. I am a Malaysian, as much as I am a Sabahan.