The Negaraku does not require rebranding

The Negaraku has served us well as our national anthem - now we must just believe in the words and not alter certain bits to suit our political needs.

COMMENT

When you see a blind person with a white cane walking perilously close to the edge of the road, and it looks like he will crash into an obstacle ahead of him, you don’t just stand there and watch him hurt himself, you steer him out of harm’s way.

Similarly, a loyal company employee would inform the board if he finds that another person is taking money from the company for his own use. Perhaps someone else is taking short cuts and not following procedures, thus endangering the safety of other employees. Being an upright citizen, this devoted employee will speak up when he notices something unethical underway.

Likewise, if you are a critic of the government and its leaders, it is not because you do not like Malaysia, or because you hold a grudge against an individual. Your motivations stem from your love for the country.

If company staff can be made to feel more productive, secure, and happier, then why should the government critic not speak out to prevent a further escalation of tension? After all, he is trying to stop an incident that may very well jeopardise the safety and well-being of the people of the nation.

Nation building is not about rebranding the Negaraku. The Negaraku in its unadulterated form has served us well since the song was chosen as our national anthem. We just need to believe in the words and not alter certain bits to suit our political needs.

Nation building is not about having different levels of citizenship. Everyone should be equal.

Leaders should not be afraid to acknowledge that they could be wrong. Discussion, discourse and dialogue are preferred to dictatorships.

If individuals, who try to earn a living are prevented from promoting their work, then this is not nation building but quite the opposite. When Zunar, the cartoonist, held an exhibition of his work in Penang, Umno Youth members took offence to his cartoons, threatened him, and wrecked his exhibition.

Persecuting someone for their beliefs is not part of nation building. Our constitution guarantees the freedom of religion. Currently, we have two sets of laws, civil and shariah and they conflict in many areas. These confusing messages do not help in nation building.

Nation building cannot be nurtured in our young if we have different schools for different classes of students. Our schools also separate students into different groups. Those who are taught moral studies and others who are not. Those who want to speak English and those who are reluctant to try. Those who want to memorise the Quran, and those who want a more rounded education.

Some teachers stop the students of different races from mixing freely with one another during break time. Shockingly, one school used separate cups for Muslim and non-Muslim students.

There are also allegations of history textbooks which omit important events and make no reference to early nation builders, like Yap Ah Loy. Integration cannot happen if some universities are only for one race.

Things will eventually fall apart if we use race-based parties to fight for our rights.

We need leaders who will push for the rights of everyone, and not fight only for the rights of the members of his race. Being united means acting as one. Not only for one race, but for everyone.

A true patriot stands by his country, and is prepared to defend it against an unjust government. A true patriot can only be loyal to the government, if it deserves his respect.

Mariam Mokhtar is an FMT columnist.