My Malaysia Day – Gayatri Unsworth

I always get a little teary and emotional this time of year. The haze somewhat contributes to the former but for the most part, on September 16, is very special because it is the month where my country came to be.

This month marks the date a little over half a century ago where we said a somewhat tentative goodbye to Tanah Melayu and a very optimistic hello to Malaysia.

Some apparently did not get the memo about that transition and therefore have taken to the streets of Kuala Lumpur today to chant all sorts of lovely, warm and fuzzy inflammatory slogans and wore their self-inflicted supremacy on their red sleeves, for the whole world to see.

A fitting choice of colour by the way – I would turn crimson too if I were to be seen in public upholding and espousing such views. Even the prime minister must agree – surely he would not have given his tacit approval for the rally to go ahead otherwise.

Mind you, he has had plenty on his plate. Can you imagine how long a thank-you letter one must have to write to show gratitude for a RM2.6 billion donation?

Not to mention, having to deal with the barrage of outrageous allegations levelled against him. The poor, poor man. No wonder he couldn’t speak at the International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) hosted in the administrative capital recently.

He has got his hands and pockets full (and just so I do not get into trouble – let me clarify, that I am only referring to legal, fully accounted for but only to Umno because everyone else somehow doesn’t really matter – funds)

Anyhow, back to the wonderful people who are out and about today, trying to put certain ethnicities in place and show them exactly where they rank on that ever-wonderful 1Malaysia ladder, and to those out there supporting them, here is a reality check for you.

You may feel threatened by the millions of rational, right-thinking Malaysians asking very timely and appropriate questions about the administration, and the push for an accountable, transparent government but your insecurities are more to do with your inability to see through the foundless fables you have been continually fed, and less to do with truly patriotic Malaysians raising such contentious issues.

You and I are fundamentally the same – well except for your laughable delusions about the administration but we are all essentially Malaysians facing the same challenges.

Your hard-earned taxpayer ringgit is being frivolously spent (or transferred into personal accounts, who knows) the same way mine is. You are buying from the same overly-inflated property and automobile markets as I am.

You sit in the same traffic jams, you get ripped off by the same tolls and I am sure your not-so-SmartTAG refuses to work for you the same number of times it does for me.

This is my country, as much as it is yours. I will not object to your right to assemble peacefully and express your opinion, as long as you do so in a non-violent manner.

However, do know that you are but a very minor section of society? For every one of you out there, there are many, many others sitting at home trying to figure out exactly what you might be trying to achieve with this rally.

My Facebook newsfeed has been filled with countless ethnic Malay-Malaysians in particular, denouncing the rally and everything associated with it. They want nothing to do with such contemptible displays of baseless superiority.

They are going out of their way to assert that their ethnic and religious identities outright reject such obscene shows of intimidation. They know that Malaysia belongs to all of us. All right-minded Malaysians do.

Our forefathers may have come from different nations, but they joined hands and toiled together, breaking their collective backs and tearing down innumerable barriers to put this country together and build it into a place that honours diversity and celebrates differences.

So yes, continue flooding the streets and continue shouting provocative slogans. Come by the bus loads, stick out your chests and feel oh-so-good about it. But know this, when you go back home tonight, you would have achieved nothing.

You will wake up tomorrow and this will still be a country filled with people of many colours and beliefs. This will still be a country where we will treat each other with respect irrespective of what we wear or where we pray.

This will still be a country filled with responsible, principled citizens who will continue to demand and insist that the country stays on the right track. This will still be a nation of people who will demand justice, integrity and fairness.

This will still be my Malaysia. We don’t fear you. We never have and never will. Happy Malaysia Day, my beautiful country.

There are some trying to rain all over your parade today but you shall hold your head high and carry on like you always somehow manage to valiantly do and someday, I hope, you will finally become, only and exclusively, the version of this country I so proudly tell my children and everyone else about.