LET'S TALK ABOUT PATRIOTISM

George Bernard Shaw once said “Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it.”

This statement made me think- Can a person be devoted to one's country for no other reason than being a citizen of that country?

Let’s take Malaysia for example. We were colonised for 446 years by the Portuguese, Dutch, British and Japanese empires until our independence in 1957. Since then, we have progressed to become who we are now. Our unique history has constructed us to be who we are today. Our different traditions, customs, religion and ethnicity affected each and every one of us and have moulded us into the individual we are today.

The unique spirit of the Malaysian people is what makes us special. Regardless of our colour, we all enjoy a plate of roti canai banjir, hot steamy nasi lemak, tosai, dim sum, etc. We all enjoy the lion dances during Chinese New Year, ketupat and lemangs during Hari Raya and the colourful rice kolams during Deepavali.  We have become one huge melting pot.

Our diversity not only enriches ourselves, but also enriches our nation. Our uniqueness makes Malaysia unique as well. I have heard many positive remarks from foreign friends who made trips to Malaysia, and they never fail to remind me of how lucky I am to be born in Malaysia.

I am sure we all know how lucky we are to be born in Malaysia. We are free of natural disasters – the only natural disaster that frequently occurs for Malaysians is when it rains non-stop, creating massive traffic jams or when it gets too hot and we start rubbing our foreheads at local clinics, hoping the doc would write us a free MC.

We have no war. The only war that ever happens around here is when we start questioning the mamak why the bill for white rice with fish curry, fried egg and long beans is 50 sen more than the day before. Or when a lady driver makes an illegal turn and knocks on a car passing by. Or when your neighbour, being an animal lover, brings home 5 dogs and places the kennel right next to your fence, causing you sleepless nights.

Yes, we are indeed lucky to be Malaysian. But I wonder if we are so lucky to be Malaysian, then why do many of us regard Malaysia as a ‘rest house’? You see, there are many so called Malaysians who live in Malaysia, but makes investments overseas; they look for career opportunities overseas; they plan to send their children to study overseas, they go vacation overseas and they even have plans to migrate overseas.

While many foreigners are choosing to settle down in Malaysia, we choose to leave our home. While mat sallehs and our Asian neighbours find our beaches breathtaking and our cities amazing, we choose to be elsewhere but home. While Africans, Middle Eastern and Asians flood our local universities, we look down on our educational system and talk big about studying abroad. The grass does look greener on the other side, eh?

This brings me back to my question - Can a person be devoted to one's country for no other reason than being a citizen of that country? My answer is ‘No’.

It takes a lot more for a person to be devoted to the country they were born in. It takes love, and courage and faith. Love – to accept Malaysia the way she is; Courage – to protect Malaysia’s integrity; Faith- to believe it is possible to create a better Malaysia for our future generation.

It is rather sad that despite working towards to create a better Malaysia, many of us rather talk about it.

Before 1957, our fellow Malaysians would hang around at kedai kopi and kopitiam to discuss about the British propaganda and plan out strategies in order to demand for independence. Today, we fancy having a round of caramel macchiato and coffee frappucino in Starbucks and Coffee Beans as we criticize about every single thing happening around us.

From chats about the Sarawak MB’s new wife to our First Lady’s jewellery collection; corruption among the police to the murder of the Mongolian beauty; the increase in oil price to the purchase of submarines; politicians sex videos to Bersih videos on youtube.

Though it is overwhelming to see Malaysians taking interest in issues that concerns them, I don’t see any benefits of this so-called lepak sessions (well, besides giving business to our local mamak shop, that is). All we seem to do is talk. But when it comes to real action, many of us choose to take the ‘tunggu dan lihat’ approach.

How can we be devoted to Malaysia if we don’t even bother to take action in order to shape our nation’s future? Many of us fail to understand that our responsibility as citizens of Malaysia is beyond flying the Jalur Gemilang during the Merdeka month or casting votes at every election.

So what should a devoted Malaysian do? I believe patriotism comes in various forms. Throwing trash into the designated place in order to keep our country clean is an act of patriotism. So is obeying the traffic lights and paying summonses before dateline. Even marching on the streets in the interest of the entire nation is an act of patriotism.

Remember, it is not the land or government that makes the country. It’s the people.

This reminds me of a quote by a British historian, “Our country is not the only thing we owe our allegiance. It is also owed to justice and to humanity. Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong.”

Let this Merdeka month bring out the patriot in all of us. Let it remind us of our hopes and aspirations for our nation. And don’t forget to fly the Jalur Gemilang. It is the symbol of our unity. It is a testament that our future lies not in us trying to outdo each other. Instead, our salvation depends on us looking out for one another.