There is something about this guy that I secretly adore, and I've no idea where to start. He orders the same drink every time, crosses his legs like a man and still an excellent reader of my hidden intention. He is a prime example of tragedy in a hero no one will ever know. My kind of hero.
He is Ku Ali, and he is back.
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2013 had seen the sovereignty of our
nation challenged from without and betrayed from within. From without, we have
seen a disgruntled pretender landing his mob at Lahad Datu. From within, a
group of confused individuals insulted our National Flag on the eve of National
Day. Both incidences are crimes against our nation and people. However, we feel
the latter to be the more sinister of the two.
We write this article especially for
those who are confused and trying to confuse others. Let us begin by explaining
what is Malaysia, and some of the entities that is part of her history.
This country of ours is Malaysia. She
was formed on 16th September 1963. She comprises the Malaysian
Peninsula and the states of Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo Island. She has a flag,
which bears a 14-point star and 14 stripes, representing all the states within
this federation. This flag had been wholeheartedly accepted by all Malaysians
for 50 years. Malaysians may have our own ideas on how this country should be
run, but we had all rallied united behind the Jalur Gemilang for half a
century.
On 31st August 1957, the
Federation of Malaya, or Persekutuan Tanah Melayu, gained independence from
Britain. That federation comprised only the states on the southern region of
the Malay Peninsula. Sarawak and North Borneo (as Sabah was then known) were
still under British rule. She had a flag with an 11-point star and 11 stripes,
reflecting the geopolitical reality of that period. However, with the formation
of Malaysia in 1963, the country called Malaya officially ceased to exist. And
because Malaya had ceased to exist, the displaying of her 11-stripe flag lost
national significance in our country Malaysia.
Langkasuka is an ancient kingdom,
probably situated towards the north or middle regions of the Malay Peninsula.
Her territory may have included the Thai Malay states and areas within modern
Perlis, Kedah and Kelantan. Her influence did not extend across the South China
Sea, to Borneo, where Sabah and Sarawak lies.
In any country, only one flag can fly as
the national flag. Any attempt to replace the national flag that had already
been accepted by the overwhelming majority of citizens, is a seditious,
malicious act. It is an act of lese majeste, crimes that jeopardize the dignity of the nation and
her symbols. It is an indication of sinister intent to cause unnecessary
division and discord amongst the population.
Our National Day was spoilt by a widely
disseminated YouTube video. In that video, a hysterical man was shouting
insults at our National Flag, insisting that it be thrashed in favour of the
flag he termed the Sang Saka Malaya. He put forward some conflicting
information he tried to package as historical facts. He insisted that our
National Flag is a ‘bendera tipu daripada Amerika,’ and we should change it
with the Sang Saka Malaya, which he claimed to be a heritage of the Malay
kingdom of Langkasuka. Then he claimed that the Sang Saka Malaya was the flag
raised by the ‘rakyat’ in 1947. While waving that flag, he claimed that it was
the flag of Tanah Melayu. He went further by insisting that 31st
August 1957 was a ‘Hari Malapetaka’. Behind him can be seen a very famous
university dropout giggling away. In another video, a famous old man was seen
trying to give a speech, when he was educated by an ordinary Malaysian about
the National Flag.
We shall enlighten our confused
activists point by point.
The United States of America did not
trick us into accepting the National Flag. Our National Flag was chosen through
a competition, and that competition was won by a Malaysian. In a time where
meritocracy is all the rage, shouldn’t such practices be encouraged?
What historical evidence has the
hysterical man brought forward to prove that this flag is a heritage of
Langkasuka? And even if it was, why does it matter? Langkasuka’s territory does
not cover modern Malaysia’s territory. And Malaysia is not Langkasuka. The
people of this land had chosen to be Malaysian, not Langkasukan. Why do you
insist that we Malaysians fly the flag of a defunct kingdom?
The credibility of that man must be
further questioned when it is revealed that his attribution of that flag to
Langkasuka is factual error. Most historians agree that the business of putting
red and white bands on flags came from Majapahit. Majapahit is an ancient
kingdom, also not based in the territory of modern Malaysia, and currently
defunct. Again, why does it even matter? This country is Malaysia, not
Majapahit.
That man also claimed that this flag was
raised by the ‘rakyat’ in 1947. We must correct this fallacy. That flag was
raised by a segment of the rakyat, which do not represent the whole (or
majority) of the Rakyat body. It was eventually not chosen by the people of this
land to represent us. We have chosen the Flag with 14 stripes to fly over this
land Malaysia. Why is our choice disrespected, by activists claiming to fight
for democracy? Does democracy mean that the majority have to yield to a
minority whose vision is coloured by personal grudges?
The 14 stripes of our National Flag
represent the 14 states of Malaysia. In contrast, we are not sure what the 12
stars on Sang Saka Malaya represent. Either the activist wants 2 states
eliminated from Malaysia, or they seriously have problems with arithmetic.
Let’s hope it is the latter. That is a much less sinister situation.
Oh, wait. The activists said the flag is
the flag of Tanah Melayu. They were not even thinking about Sabah and Sarawak,
an integral part of this country Malaysia. We would like to remind the confused
activists that as of 16th September 1963, the country called Tanah
Melayu had ceased to exist, with the formation of Malaysia, which includes
Sabah and Sarawak. We must live with present realities. We are Malaysians, not
Malayans.
And 31st August 1957 is not a
Hari Malapetaka. The real malapetaka for this country is that unfortunately, she had to
accommodate that hysterical man as her citizen, for the principle of jus
soli is in practice on her soil. It
is unfortunate that such accidents of birth as this man could speak so
disparagingly of our National Flag, on our home soil.
Many people are grumbling over the fact
that a famous old man was taken in by police at night. We don’t see any problem
with that arrest. That famous old man was energetic enough to stand by his red
and white flag on the eve of Merdeka. So why can’t he spend another late night
explaining his convictions to those who do not understand the merits of his
antics? Shouldn’t we seize all opportunities to educate the less educated? (Assuming that the famous old man is a great intellectual compared to those arresting him).
Anyway, if he feels sleepy, there is always coffee.
To Datuk A. Samad Said, we desperately
want to respect you for your age and commitment towards those disenfranchised
in society. However, your current behaviour makes that task an enormous
challenge. How can we respect such persons whom had shown such hostility to our
National Flag, the Flag we Malaysians had chosen? With age, ideally, comes
wisdom. Please think wisely before you embark on your next public stunt. Take
the path that is necessary, for us to continue to respect you. If you continue
on this current path, we feel we are left with no choice, but to treat you as the
boy you’ve become, rather than the
man you were.
To Encik Hishamuddin Rais, we live in an
age where everyone is striving towards true democracy, whatever that is. We
understand that you have your own ideas on how this country should run. Being
democratic is not only about free speech. Another, more important aspect of
democracy is being respectful of the choices of others – especially if those
‘others’ form the majority and the choice they made do not harm anyone. We
Malaysians have chosen the Jalur Gemilang as our Flag. Why should someone, whom
by his own admittance, had never held down a permanent job, dictate to us that
we must change our Flag? Perhaps you feel we Malaysians are not capable of
thinking for ourselves. Such is how you regard and patronize us ordinary Malaysians. Such is your display of arrogance.
Your fight is with UMNO. Do not use your
personal scruples with that party as an excuse to insult our country’s dignity.
Malaysia and UMNO are two different entities. Do not confuse the two. If ever
UMNO cease to govern this country, we still insist the Jalur Gemilang fly high.
To Encik Adam Adli, don’t waste your
youth, as it is not forever. Go back to school and finish your studies. Finish
something in your life. You have been distracted far too long. We care enough
to caution you. We care more than the company you keep. We don’t want you, to
one day wake up, in your 60s, and realizing you have achieved nothing, and have
no prospects. You are salvageable, if you choose to be. And remember, everything
must come at a price, whatever that price is. If it is free, it will be taken
for granted. Ponder that.
To the man who defended our flag, thank
you. To those who stood by doing nothing, shame on you.
Lastly, to those who are trying to gain
political mileage through this issue, we are disgusted. You should not be
emphasizing the political leanings of the hooligans to
malign your political opponents. It is the unfortunate fate of that political
entity to have these deluded individuals representing their image. The
government, opposition, and the people of Malaysia as a whole, must put our
foot down, and send a clear message:
We have chosen to be Malaysians. We are
not Malayan. We are not Lankasukan. Respect our choice. Do not force that flag
on us!
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