It used to be that the National Day celebration was commemorated only on 31st August. In the past few years however, the commemoration of the nation’s independence spans for a month, between 17th August until 16th September. Many activities are conducted during this period – all with the intention to instill national pride and to rekindle the past struggles of our forefathers.
The post-independence generation needs to be reminded of how things were during the colonial times, the Japanese occupancy as well as the Emergency. This generation today lives in a nation which is a far cry from what it was before independence. The country has changed and developed for the better. It is this generation that is reaping the rewards of the labours of the preceeding generation in fighting for the nation’s independence.
Therefore, it is indeed a pity if today’s generation do not truly comprehend or appreciate what independence stands for. The last day of August is more than just a public holiday.
This very special day is more than just a day to simply celebrate without really knowing what the celebration is actually for. Even the celebration should be conducted in a manner befitting that of independence – not pure hedonism and having fun for the sake of it. It is imperative, especially for the post-independence generation, to really understand, be aware and be thankful for the gift of independence as bestowed to the multiracial and multireligious society of Malaysia.
This gift of independence is from God as a result of the hard work and tireless efforts undertaken by countless of people that came before us. It would indeed be a waste if their painstaking endeavour – oft-times accompanied by tears and blood – goes unnoticed by today’s generation.
When we say “understanding independence”, it does not simply mean to utter the word “Merdeka”, rather understanding independence requires us to realise the worth and importance of independence to the people of Malaysia. In other words, independence is not just about exclaiming that we are independent, but also it is about the need to ensure that the independence that we achieve is protected.
When we say “be aware of independence”, it goes beyond simply knowing when and where the National Day parade is taking place. Instead one who is aware of independence would be equally aware of the need to ensure that the future generation of the nation would also be able to live in an independent nation. As such, we should realise that there is still much to be done, in particular in ensuring that the nation would not fall victim to neocolonialisation, which is far more dangerous than military subjugation.
When we say “be thankful for our independence”, it is essential that we realise that it is not sufficient for us to only express joy and delight on 31st August. Indeed expressing happiness for our independence is justifiable as we are no longer subjugated to foreign powers, but far more important is the need to express our gratitude to Allah SWT for providing us with this gift of independence. As such, it is pertinent for us today to express our thanks to Allah SWT as this invaluable and precious gift is not given to all nations. Even nations which are already independent may not enjoy the bountied showered on us by Allah SWT.
Unfortunately, many forget the need to be thankful and grateful for the independence that we have achieved. As stated in the Quran, translated thus:
For God is full of bounty to mankind, but most of them are ungrateful.[Al-Baqarah (2): 243]
How then do we show our gratitude for the independence that we now benefit from? Surely there are many ways for us – in particular the current young generation – could manifest our gratitude. For one, the post-independence generation must always ensure that the independence that has been achieved 49 years ago is safeguarded and preserved. As much as we enjoy being independent today, we must remember that it is our duty to guarantee that the future generations would also enjoy the same.
We do not want our children and grandchildren putting the blame on this generation for failing to uphold independence. This is particularly more so in view of neocolonialisation. In the past, colonialisation is mainly in the form of territorial expansion and military conquest. But today, colonialisation has taken a new form and meaning – hence the term neocolonialisation – that can take place in many forms.
We need to prepare ourselves to face these challenges. This preparation comes in many areas, such as building our economic strength, maintaining political stability, forging social integration, mastering all areas of knowledge and technology, enhancing our defense capabilities and many others. This is in fact in line with what is mentioned in the Quran, translated thus:
Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war…[Al-Anfal (8): 60]
While the Quran mentions on the need to muster military strength, the scope of mustering strength could further be widened in view of today’s context. Today military strength alone is not sufficient. The much needed strength in knowledge and technological mastery is equally, if not more, important.
Thus, the challenge to build all these needed strengths within our country lies with today’s young generation. There must be a sense of patriotism and nationalism in today’s generation. There must be a strong love and pride for this nation that we call home.
It is, therefore, the duty of all Malaysians – regardless of religion and race – to continue to preserve this priceless gift called independence. Our country had been under foreign powers for a total number of 446 years, from the day the Portuguese conquered Melaka until the day the Union Jack was brought down and replaced with our national flag.
Today we have been independent for just under half a century. This period of independence is, in actuality, miniscule compared to the period that we were under foreign powers.
Are we willing to throw away over four decades of independence, and barter it for four centuries of hardship as experienced by our preceeding generations? The answer lies within this generation – ourselves.
