By: Natalie Shobana Ambrose
theSun, Malaysia (pg 13)
October 18th, 2012
During a recent anti-Japan protest in
Xi'an, China, over the much disputed Diaoyu Islands, also known as the Senkaku
Islands in Japan, a Chinese man was beaten up so badly because he was driving a
Toyota Corolla. Used as a punching bag and smashed over the head with a
U-shaped lock, he is now partially paralysed. In an outrageous reprimand from
protesters, such violence was deemed as an act "of patriotism".
Far from what real patriotism is, the
understanding that people are allowed to protest, in this case to express
disapproval against Japan, was appropriate. But violence like that seen in over
80 Chinese cities is unacceptable.
On our shores, there are many issues
that are brought up under the guise of patriotism. But really, it's just for
the sake of pushing those delicate buttons and fanning the flames of
sensitivities, mainly surrounding the issues of race and religion. It can be
from anything, like the implementation of hudud law across the country, to the
strengthening of affirmative action, to allegations of a secret takeover by the
Christians, Chinese or the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT)
community.
If none of this is causing enough
discomfort, then the next level of below the belt are from the conjuring of
un-classy allegations such as a coup d'état by political communist, to the
absurd notion of a lack of water in a tropical country where the city centre
now seems to be flooding with daily evening rainfall.
This is all done under the guise of
patriotism. Each side of the political spectrum is protecting us from the
ultimate destruction and ruining of the country. But here is what's ruining the
country – greed, dishonesty and the lack of love for our tanah air, or to quote
our national anthem "tanah tumpahnya darahku" (the land where my
blood was shed). Clearly, we have little regard for Malaysia to allow such bad
behaviour to not just continue, but to escalate.
Looking at the Auditor-General's
Report 2011 with the blatant misuse of funds, I'm disappointed that the
politicians are actually still so smug. Perhaps their alternate universe does
not accord for feelings of remorse. Surely the realities that families,
regardless of their race and religion, who struggle to make ends meet must
evoke some feeling of shame for the millions that have been siphoned and can
never be returned. Where then is their patriotism and love for the country?
Leaving aside the wrongness of
releasing the AG's report after tabling the budget, clearly there has to be
some mandate furthering the implementation of an accountability index. There
has to be mechanisms to ensure that errant ministries, officers and politicians
are charged for raping the country and if accountability indexes are low, then
there are consequences to be faced. How long will it take before we use the
AG's report for more than just a jaw-dropping index of true corruption levels
or as multiple article fillers?
Having interacted recently with
people from Asean countries, learning about their progress and development in
economy and more pointedly in the area of human development, my observations
lead me to a different understanding of our country.
On the façade, we are seen as a
developing country – a striving economy and moving in the right direction – but
when we peel away the niceties of our so-called success story, what we gravely
lack is patriotism. Not the slogan of patriotism but the detailed translation
of patriotism which means more than just upholding the laws. It is going beyond
the basics of upholding the wellbeing of the country, which is the hallmark of
patriotism.
Maybe it's because our
multiculturalism means that no one truly feels like Malaysia is their country
and so we don't love Malaysia more than we love ourselves, but are trying to
get as much out of it as we can – a very different mind-set from other Asean
countries.
History has shown us that it's not
the names of those in power that we remember most, it is those deemed as
trouble makers fighting for a better country. It is the progressives that make
the difference, highlight the cause and spark real change.
Teddy Roosevelt was not popular when
he said this but I believe his words hold true till today: "Patriotism
means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or
any other public office, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands
by the country." Maybe the next time a Malaysian leader fans the flames of
disunity, we might measure him to these words.
Natalie believes that leaders and those in authority
should be strengthening the state, not undermining it under the disguise of
patriotism.
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