This day is no different from any other day.
Some stores and homes might fly the national flag on their front porches and windows, and call it a day.
Some might overdo it, with flags plastered and stuck all over the Proton Saga,
or with four colours bursting across the restaurant’s interior, each fighting
for more attention than the other.
In 2020, this day is no different from any other day.
Except during the year of 1957. And maybe a few years after that. The victory resonated deeply with every single Malaysian back then. It was not just a public holiday.
It was Independence Day.
Today, it resonates differently. I can’t say that for all my
fellow Malaysians, but I can say it for myself.
The fight is not over yet.
We are celebrating the victory
written on paper, but not the victory that has yet to be won over inside the
minds of every single Malaysian. In reality, there are some whose minds have
been freed from British colonization long ago, but have not been freed from
segregation and corruption yet.
Independence Day is still a fight, especially for the young.
It is our most important fight.
We are not fighting for unity, peace or transparency anymore. Those are the battles that should have been over by now, that should have been engraved into our minds, like second nature.
We are fighting for what’s capable of reformation. We are fighting for a change of things to be better.
We are
tired of seeing history repeating itself, tired of waiting for things to turn around. We never felt a stronger need to fill in the history books than at this era of new possiblities.
Some might not even notice it, but it is so vibrant that it would be hard to miss: a generation filled with determination is on the rise.
We are ready.
Our drums beating louder than ever.
We are here to stay, and we do
not care about political parties or social status. We only want what’s best for
the nation.
We are not afraid to be different.
And we are not afraid of
change.
Begitulah suara hatiku. Aku bangga menjadi anak Malaysia. Selamat Hari Merdeka ke-63, dan semoga Malaysia prihatin selama-lamanya.