Tanggal 31 Ogos - Happy Birthday Malaysia

Hujan emas di negeri orang,
Hujan batu di negeri sendiri
Lebih baik negeri sendiri

Roughly translating to:

Golden rain overseas
Rocky rain at home
Its better at home

Merdeka had been a very significant day for me in the past year. It is a day to reflect on the past, the present and the future. Of how my country had evolved in many different facets and take on various guises.From the days where my prawn mee during school recess cost RM 0.10 and the RM5 plate of char koay teow I had recently.From the hot, dirty sand-blown and mud-caked kampung house that my grandmother used to live in - and now she lives in a low-rise apartment.Now that it's so clean and cool inside, it's not the same anymore. Good or bad, it is still home to the best nasi lemak and char koay teow in the world, not to mention the world's largest pencil just round the corner from my place

Last year I was contemplating on the irony of having to work on Merdeka for a company belonging to the colonist that granted us Merdeka.This year irony don't even begin to describe my thoughts as I contemplate working every single Merdeka day in the future in the land of the colonist. But then again, is there anything really to celebrate as I watch the country of my birth turn a ripe old age of 49?


As I watch from afar the political infighting of the cream of our political society, I cringe at the thought that I am labelled an outcast in the country I called home. As ethnic chinese, we are now being accused of trying to take over the country and cause racial uproar. That the very country promoting the muhibbah (happy happy joy joy racist-less society) shiet are pointing fingers at the chinese race that we are communists and want to take the country over from the 'bumiputras' (earth prince - aka the malays). I cringe at future merdekas filled with dread, as we are being osctracised from our own country.Is it absurbd for us to be treated like fellow countrymen and not racially quota-ed out from the higher education system which,by the way, our tax money pays for?

It has been 49 years since special rights are given to the ethnic Malays to help them improve their lives with better opportunities at work and at school. Which means two generations of Malays who had grown up accepting the fact that the government is there to help in work and in school with the imposed quotas. But people tend to forget that it is also two generations of 'the others' with broken,trodden down spirits leaving the country, seeking greener pastures elsewhere so that they are not osrtracized in their own country. Mostly not even greener pastures, just somewhere where we are not treated like second class citizens.

I remember when I first moved to Fresno ,filled with wonder at the fact that ethnic minorities i.e. chinese americans, korean americans ect are actually covered by the affirmitive action policies,therefore are given priority in student loans ect to help them better themselves and therefore the ethnic minority society .Absolutely amazing. I found that a wonderful, brilliant idea. Until I found out that most western countries have affirmitive action policies similar to the one in the States. And I started to question my identity as a Malaysian, about how I love and call Malaysia my home,but for Malaysia to treat me like a second class citizen.

Happy birthday Malaysia. In the spirit of Malaysia, let's work towards acceptance that we are all, afterall, fellow countrymen.

And don't forget; merdeka is also the birthday of many people in Moo's family.Happy birthday family Moo.