Happy Independence Day

Boom! I hear something explode loud. I run to the safest place I know… yes to our base, where we are hiding all this while. I can’t control my breathing properly. It’s hard and my heart is beating fast. Maybe from the running or maybe because I’m so terrify now. I don’t know. I can’t even think properly now. My mind puzzled.

I turn right and left to see whether my family members are in good condition. Yes, they are fine with the neighbors. I don’t have watch to look at but they are eating some boiled tapioca with shredded coconut. I look down on the ground. I am sad…Sad to look at what is happening to us… to our country now. War is very painful. I walk slowly… haggard… starving… with watery eyes. I sit at one of the corner. Boom! Again… the sound of bomb yells out loud outside. We can hear it clearly. I cry.

“Faisal…!” I hear mom is calling my name. My head is heavy. Oh it is a dream! Thanks God. I hug my mom and smile. She just thinks it’s another weird day for me… to wake up in a smile and yell before that.

The dream was really scary and maybe because I think too much about ungrateful citizens we have nowadays and some bunch of brainless youth who involved with illegal motorbike racing. What a shame to our country. Maybe we have gone so far… perhaps too far until we forget how hard too achieve our independence last time?

Do you still remember the effort for independence was spearheaded by Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, who led a delegation of ministers and political leaders of Malaya in negotiations with the British in London for Merdeka, or independence along with the first president of the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) Tun Dato Sir Tan Cheng Lock and fifth President of Malaysian Indian Congress Tun V.T. Sambanthan. Once it became increasingly clear that the Communist threat posed during the Malayan Emergency was petering out, agreement was reached on February 8, 1956, for Malaya to gain independence from the British Empire. However, for a number of logistical and administrative reasons, it was decided that the official proclamation of independence would only be made the next year, on August 31, 1957, at Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium), in Kuala Lumpur.

Do you still remember The Federation of Malaysia, comprising the States of Malaya, North Borneo (later renamed Sabah), Sarawak and Singapore was to be officially declared on the date August 31, 1963, on the 6th anniversary of Malayan independence. However, it was postponed to September 16, 1963, mainly due to Indonesian and the Philippines' opposition to the formation of Malaysia. Nevertheless, North Borneo and Singapore declared sovereignty on August 31, 1963. Indonesian opposition later escalated to a military conflict.

Indonesia considered Malaysia as a new form of colonization on the provinces of Sarawak and Sabah in the island of Borneo (bordering Kalimantan, Indonesia), which they laid claim on. To assure Indonesia that Malaysia was not a form of neo-colonialism, a referendum, organized by the United Nations, and the Cobbold Commission, led by Lord Cobbold, were formed to determine whether the people of Sabah and Sarawak wished to join Malaysia. Their eventual findings which indicated substantial support for Malaysia among the peoples of Sabah and Sarawak, cleared the way for the final proclamation of Malaysia.

The formation of the Federation of Malaysia was then announced on September 16, 1963 as Malaysia Day. The Independence Day celebration is still held on August 31, the original independence date of Malaya. However, this has caused some minor discontent among East Malaysians in particular since it has been argued that celebrating the national day on August 31 is too Malaya-centric.

Do you still remember when Malaya celebrated its first Independence Day, new hotels were built everywhere in Kuala Lumpur to accommodate the huge foreign delegation invited by the Government of the Federation of Malaya to witness the historical day.
The historical event was captured by Malayan Film Unit, below are the recorded arrival of the guest of honour.

Upon arriving at the Sungei Besi Airport, the guests of honour were welcomed by the British High Commissioner in Malaya, Sir Donald Charles MacGillivray and Lady MacGillivray, the First Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaya, Tuanku Abdul Rahman accompanied by the Raja Permaisuri Agong and the first Prime Minister of Malaya, Tunku Abdul Rahman.

I won’t elaborate about what happen during Japanese conquer too. If you know some oldies around you, kindly ask them. I bet you will be frightened till death.

Let forget our skin color, race, religion and culture that differentiate between one to another. Let us vanish the boundary and live in a happy country… our lovely country Malaysia.

Happy Independence Day! 31/8/2008





p/s: I write about it now instead of on the exact day because this celebration should be celebrated in this whole month... in fact the whole year.