A forlorn forgotten anniversary of Malaysia’s founding father

 

Malaysia’s father of independence, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, left us at the age of 87, thirty years ago yesterday. The day went unnoticed.

It was incredibly depressing that the nation failed to honour the occasion in memory of its first prime minister, a convivial member of the nobility who negotiated Malaya’s independence, and who by August 1957 had become a powerful unifying force in the country.

Scarcely a word was said yesterday by government leaders or the media about the man whose brilliance was immutable, his judgment praiseworthy and his ability to compromise inspirational.

This was a man who became a success symbol for Chinese-Malay political cooperation and was known for his ability to move people with common sense.

What kind of society forgets such a leader and a champion on the 30th anniversary of his death? Does government policy dictate that only birthdays of past leaders, rather than the anniversary of their passing, are marked?

In other countries the death anniversaries of their luminaries are celebrated with reverence, such as South Africa, which honoured the seventh year of the passing of Nelson Mandela on Dec 5,

When leadership batteries are running low, people require words of wisdom for a reboot.

The thoughts of great achievers like Tunku will lift the spirit as the country hurtles toward mediocrity.

With the global economy in peril, Malaysia reeling from the cruel effects of Covid-19 and racial differences at worrisome level, the people need intense desire to help the country on the road to recovery.

Tunku’s feats might have been previously well-storied but his are the kind of stories we need at a time when politicians are forcing drivel upon us.

Many are tired of the chest-beating interviews and speeches by politicians that denounce rivals as the enemy and boast about how they are punching above their weight.

They are hostile and get famous for the wrong reasons.

Sivaraman Sabapathy, a disciple of Tunku Abdul Rahman, takes up the same pose as Bapa Malaysia while on a visit to Muzium Negara. (Sivaraman pic).

A Facebook post yesterday, remembering Tunku on his 30th year of death, by former journalist Sivaraman Sabapathy reads:

“Tunku was a greater gentleman than a politician, and he walked away from high office as a gentleman when rogue politicians were bent on seizing power. Nothing much has changed today with rogue politicians still calling the shots. And a dreamer like me still hoping to see another Tunku.”

Is the country’s history in mortal danger?

When Muhyiddin Yassin was the education minister in 2010, he ruled that history would be a must-pass subject for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination from 2013 along with Bahasa Malaysia.

It is farcical when government policy lacks promoting the down-to-earth inspiration of history makers. The younger generation might never get to know Malaysian achievers or probably will no longer appreciate our heroes in the future.

Respect for and pride in national heroes might no longer motivate the youth in facing challenges.

The media on the other hand seems to highlight present day “heroes”. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, except sluggish politicians sneak into the picture while the real heroes of the past are binned.

Yes, there is a weird element at play, but it tells the story: Ordinary Malaysians struggling, irritable and sullen, leaders disconnected, lethargic and slow to react.- FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT