Lest we forget... This Merdeka is for Tunku
(for only if not for Tunku...)
The Bangsa Malaysia Merdeka Get-together was held at Blog House, Saturday August 25. The one Malaysian we remembered most was our first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, who brought us the social contract, the original Federal Constitution, and a peaceful transition to Independence.
At the end of the 6-hour gathering in two parts, we decided on another initiative, the Penyayang Legasi & Inspirasi Tunku Abdul Rahman (PELITAR). That, we thought, is the way forward for Bangsa Malaysia.
The organising Committee, led by Haris Ibrahim, has compiled a CD with content relevant to the Bangsa Malaysia initiative. The preamble says:
Our ‘Bapa Malaysia’, Tunku Abdul Rahman, had a vision. His leadership and spirit that led us to this independent nation, are the epitome of a true Malaysian. Forgiving, undividing, and always forging new relationships whilst breaking down barriers.
Fifty years on, and with the ever growing threat of severe polarization in our community, it is even more now that we feel the need for you to take this home, and share these materials with the people relevant to you and Tunku’s vision of Bangsa Malaysia.
The coming-together of this group is a testament our determination to fulfill our vision of one True Bangsa Malaysia that we have come to know through Tunku.
One People, One Nation. Malaysia.
‘Help us to help you. Towards a true Bangsa Malaysia.’
ALL-BLOGS president Rocky allowed me to join five others, in his session, to read 'Untuk Malaya Merdeka', an unpublished love story from 1949, penned by national laureatte Usman Awang. It's about a group of young Malayans who were chasing the Bangsa Malaya dream.
While Dr Azmi Sharom showed his Dylanesque side on guitar and songs, and Walski and Black sang, I contributed a 3-part pantun for the occasion, not with literary finesse but more for posturing the day. This is how it rhymed:
Buat Merdeka 50
Buat Haris IbrahimTanggal tiga puluh satu
Bulan lapan lima puluh tujuh
Demi Perwiraku jiwa nan jitu
Merdeka kita teguh tak runtuhSuku-sakat bangsa di bagi-bagi
Ibarat abdi zaman jajahan
Bermuafakat kita berdikari
Bertahan akan sifat keMalaysiaanBangsa Malaysia idaman ramai
Parlimen Rakyat kini terlunas
Keringat menghujan mengejar permai
Perjuangan blogger tak akan lemas
We read the Rukunegara to close the gathering.
Haris blogged that we have had firm commitments to take this fellowship of like-minded anak Bangsa Malaysia to Penang, Ipoh and Johore Bharu, with Kota Kinabalu as a distinct possibility.
For the captures of the event, please read Rocky's Bru, Haris Ibrahim, 3540 Jalan Sudin, June E-Tan, Aishah, Big Dog and Walski. Perhaps more are updating soon.
Comments
I just saw a picture of the RM5 stamp for this Merdeka celebration on another blog site.
If you look closely, the stamp features the national flag, and is meant to be detached from a larger piece of paper that features the five PMs of this country.
LOOK CLOSER!
Detaching the stamp removes part of the stripes at the bottom right of the flag.
Isn't it kinda disrespectful to cut up the national flag? I thought we were supposed to be real respectful of the national symbols?
Posted by: the65thsquare![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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August 27, 2007 05:41 PM
Folks
We MUST bring back the memories of our Bapak Malaysia, our beloved Tunku.
Without his compromising style and benevolent leadership style, we would have faced a very chaotic history of racial strife, divided nationhood of the extreme, the kind we saw the birth of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and in Africa and in East Timur.
But the party he led, UMNO, decided to reduce marginalise and even attemtped to eradicate the importance of the role of Tunku in forging the nation together from different ethnic communities.
The present of UMNO including those post 1969, discarded the Tunku, yet enjoying the fruits of Tunku's sacrifice for the nation.
They accused him of cozing to non Malays, yet it is that fundamental trust the nonMalays gave him that showed the British that we can live together.
If we are to transport the present UMNO leaders to 1957, we would NOT have got our independence. We will be fighting among ourselves, killing ourselves instead of fighting the British for our Merdeka.
This UMNO led Govt is making sure that Tunku's legacy in the history of the nation is only a footnote.
We now have the internet and the blogosphere to correct and counter this UMNO-led Govt from revising History to suit their own personal and political agenda.
I would suggest that for this week ALL BLOGGERS worth their salt and guts, to blog all things, not only about Merdeka, but about the Tunku, photos, snippets of personal knowledge of the Tunku as some have done, dusting off from history the rightful place of Tunku not only for Merdeka but the years before his death, of his sorrows, and frustation with his own kind in UMNO in dividing the nation he built in the first place.
As Jeff said, THIS MERDEKA IS FOR THE TUNKY, ONLY FOR THE TUNKU.
MERDEKA AND MAY GOD BLESS MALAYSIA.
(By the way for those who are prickly about religion, God being refered here includes Allah, Jehovah, Elohim, Ti-Kung, Lord Krishna/Vishnu, and all the Divine Beings with those Supreme and Mystiical Powers to change or revise the Laws of Physics and the Laws ofa the Cosmos without destabilising the Universe, Who at the same time are able to change the life, fate, side-stepping death, future and destiny, regenerate life after death of each and every Homo Sapiens (human beings)against the Laws of Biology.
There you go!! Let's Pray.
Posted by: Frank&Honest![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jeffooi.com/nav-commenters.gif)
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August 28, 2007 02:30 AM