KUALA LUMPUR – Despite the country being set to celebrate its 65th Merdeka on August 31, enthusiasm towards celebrating the country’s independence appears to be lukewarm.
The Vibes recently took a stroll around the city centre, noticing that most establishments have failed to either erect or decorate their premises with the Jalur Gemilang.
Areas such as Central Market, Petaling Street, Dataran Merdeka, KLCC and Masjid Jamek were devoid of flags, which is unusual, given that Malaysians are usually prompt to promote the Jalur Gemilang in August annually.
Only a few shops had already placed the national flag at its premises, while an LRT worker was spotted placing the Jalur Gemilang at the Pasar Seni LRT station.
Evidently, Malaysians also took to social media to discuss the apparent languishing of the Merdeka spirit in the country, compared to its neighbour Singapore, which recently celebrated its 57th year of independence on August 9.
Twitter user @sharidzuan_ expressed her dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs in the country, stating that the Merdeka month is supposed to be about loving the country and being proud of our 65 years of independence.
“Instead, what is happening today is akin to Malaysians selling out their own country,” she added.
Bulan merdeka ni patutnya kita rasa makin sayang pada Malaysia, makin bangga dengan kemerdekaan yang ke-65 tahun.
— sharidzuan (@sharidzuan_) August 16, 2022
Tapi sebaliknya yang jadi. Negara umpama dilacurkan oleh rakyat Malaysia sendiri. https://t.co/enojSqU0pL
Meanwhile, Twitter user @carolineanushya remarked in her post, “It’s like the whole country is in mourning. We are no longer colonised but still in shackles.”
It's like the whole country is in mourning. We are no longer colonised but still in shackles. https://t.co/TQTMEmvVMM
— CarolineMariampillay (@carolineanushya) August 15, 2022
Another Twitter user @shanghaifish tweeted: “Everyone is so embroiled in so many mega scandals in Malaysia. Nobody cares if you have replaced that old tattered flag and raised a new one this month of Merdeka anymore.”
Everyone is so embroiled in so many mega scandals in Malaysia, nobody cares if you have replaced that old tattered flag and raised a new one this month of Merdeka, anymore. pic.twitter.com/emD7nEdwYq
— Stephen (@shanghaifish) August 15, 2022
Speaking to The Vibes, National Textiles Museum intern Harith Naim Ishak, in his twenties, observed that the days leading up to this year’s National Day celebrations have been shrouded by gloom, despite the nation no longer being under restrictive lockdowns and movement control orders as seen during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
When asked why this is probably happening, Harith, who is also a final year university student, said it is likely that Malaysians are preoccupied with other responsibilities instead.
“After two years under the movement control order, there must be those who desire to emerge from the shadows or stabilise their business. Some have mouths to feed, and some might still struggle to secure jobs.
“Merdeka will be celebrated as usual, although not as enthusiastically as in the past. The spirit is not there,” he said.
Another factor behind the lacklustre mood among Malaysians, he added, is the present attention given to government-related issues, such as poor policies, economic woes, and ongoing controversies that reflect an unfavourable image of the government.
“The public are obviously not in favour of improper conduct (among those in power). It is worse when it happens during Merdeka month, giving an impression that this country is not an ‘independent’ one at all.
Merdeka is meant to symbolise independence from colonialism. For me, it means that we no longer rely on others and live independently. And as citizens, we must be free; no one should interfere with our rights,” he added.
Tunnel engineer Derek Eng, 35, said Merdeka is not a similar occasion to Hari Raya or Chinese New Year, where people usually spend money, but instead, people go to Dataran Merdeka or watch the parade at home with their families.
“I cannot deny that the public is angry with the government due to their inadequate management of the rising cost of living and unemployment problems.
“But I believe Malaysians are savvy enough to differentiate between supporting the government and the country.
“Their outrage is not against the country, but rather the government. People have a lot on their plates, but their passion for Malaysia endures to this day, and they will likely celebrate Merdeka as normal,” he said.
Eng believed that Merdeka was not merely a day to be celebrated, but rather a mark of a long journey.
In the current context, it is time for Malaysia to be free of corruption and bad leaders in order to achieve genuine independence.”
Commenting on the lack of Merdeka spirit among the people, university student Muhammad Noraiman, 22, said Malaysians are currently still under a tremendous amount of pressure due to the ongoing social gap between the races, worsening economic problems, and minimum wage issues.
“Even worse, people are unhappy with the state of politics right now. All parties point their fingers at each other and use current hot-button issues as political capital.
“People are dissatisfied and frustrated with our country’s current state of affairs because of the pervasive corruption that continues to exist.
“Celebrating Merdeka means nothing if we are still not free from poor governance,” he told The Vibes.
Meanwhile, executive recruiter Mirosha Somasundram, 29, said people are not as excited to celebrate National Day this year not because they do not love their country, but rather because they have too many other issues on their plates.
“With the current economic crisis and the high cost of living that is tormenting the entire country, everyone is on the edge of their seats and is striving hard to make ends meet.
“Simple grocery shopping requires most of us to check each price tag and budget ourselves before we wave the flag around in our cars and homes.”
She also highlighted that the daily news, which reveals how the country is being mismanaged by the government and the corrupt, has left Malaysians in a state of perpetual disappointment and weakened their morale.
“I repeatedly told myself that the country is not the same as the government.
Well, I still say it, but as an adult who works and sees how the government affects the country, I doubt they are different,” she said.
Despite her dissatisfaction, Mirosha still hopes to celebrate Merdeka with multiracial friends she has known all her life.
“However, when I look about and see that we are all working so hard to stay ahead of what is going on, I get the sense that we are all worn out.
“Whatever it is, it doesn’t change the love for our country.” – The Vibes, August 19, 2022
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