Malaysia's National Day celebrations on Aug 31, 2023. But have we truly achieved Merdeka, independence, if we are still not yet free and open enough in our thoughts and beliefs? — AZMAN GHANI/The Star
In this year’s National Day speech delivered a day ahead, on Aug 30, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim quoted Datuk Onn Jaafar from 1946: “Bercakap tentang kemerdekaan terlalu sahaja mudah tetapi hendak kemerdekaan itu kekal di tangan kita adalah perkara yang berat dan susah.” My translation: “It’s easy to talk about independence, but maintaining it is a challenging and formidable task.”
Anwar used this quote while talking about the meaning of Merdeka – not only independence from a colonial power but also in spirit and thinking. He said that although a country might be free, its spirit can still be shackled. He also pointed out that although the ruling elite may change, arrogance and exploitation remain too familiar for comfort, which I assume was code for something everybody understands but feels it’s too inconvenient to say out loud.
