SELAMAT HARI MALAYSIA

Residents of Taman Tuanku Jaafar, Seremban, Negri Sembilan, making a Jalur Gemilang kolam in conjunction with Malaysia Day. Pic by Amirul Nubli Wan Ahmad.

By Aziz Shariff (SOGERAM)

MALAYSIA Day acts as a unifying event for Malaysians in Sabah, Sarawak and the peninsula.

This year's Malaysia Day rally to be held in Bintulu, Sarawak, on Sept 16, brings the event and commemoration closer to those who matter -- the people in Sabah and Sarawak.

The celebration commemorates the very day more than 49 years ago when Sabah, Sarawak and the peninsula became one great nation of Malaysia.

It is on this premise that the Prime Minister's Department, Information, Communications and Culture Ministry, in collaboration with the Sarawak government, made the effort to have this auspicious occasion in Bintulu.

It is not just another populist, or desperate strategy by the Barisan Nasional government in the run-up to the 13th general election, but a sincere gesture in telling the people of Sabah and Sarawak that this is 1Malaysia -- this is their Malaysia, too.

What does a 49-year-old Malay-sia mean to us now?

What does it look like in these times of lightning-fast movement of information, courtesy of the Internet?

One thing for sure, despite the usual pockets of dissent and disagreements allowed in any healthy, successful democracy, Malaysia steadily moves foward to become a country much envied by many.

Despite the geographic differences of the land that stretches from Perlis to the borders of Kalimantan in Sabah and Sarawak, we have firmed up on a common ground to live as a much grateful people of an emancipated land that is Malaysia.

Yes, Malaysia is a bountiful and blessed land. This is something hard to dispute, given that both the extreme borders of the country in East Malaysia and the peninsula, have long been the aspired unofficial gateway for those from other lands seeking better fortunes and a sedate life.

Malaysia has come of age after grappling with changes through the years.

Change is constant despite the incessant demands, both sacred and profane put forth by a handful of ungrateful people, who only have sights on Putrajaya to fulfil their lust for life made much better by the sweat and toil of BN.

Change is synonymous with life, and the formula for change as invoked by the BN government is being emulated by the opposition, re-packaged, re-labelled and unashamedly branded as their version of change.

The disparate forms of change under 1Malaysia as introduced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak address every weakness, and fills up virtually every gap that contributes to the betterment of life for Malaysians.

From the lofty but achievable ideals and targets of Vision 2020, Gagasan 1Malaysia, the 10th Malaysia Plan, the Government Transformation programme, the National Key Result Areas and to more benevolent plans ahead, Malaysia is, indeed, on the right path.

If freedom is aspired, the changes invoked spell real emancipation from the unpredictable vagaries of the times. It is such uncertainties that plague the world's nations that gear up the government machinery under the prime minister to safeguard Malaysians from the harmful impact of global recession and the unwarranted effects of things unrelated to us in this country.

In a nutshell, the spirit of 1Malaysia is the aspiration to create a Malaysian race, founded on the spirit of "People First, Performance Now", which is being realised through the various transformation programmes in the areas of economy and politics.

1Malaysia, which is based on key values, will ensure a multi-racial Malaysia that is united.

Essentially, 1Malaysia is the culmination of all the positive changes and programmes put forth by the earlier leaders of the country.

No one leader would have been able to fulfil everything planned and desired to the optimum. But riding on the spirit of the Constitution and the sacred pillars of Rukun Negara, the government will see to it that the lofty slogan of "People First, Performance Now" will not be merely a slogan.

It is important to keep in mind that 1Malaysia is even more relevant in the light of Malaysia Day where it will continue to push all of us to greater heights through the acceptance of our differences as a reality of life as Malaysians.

On Malaysia Day, we need to ask ourselves how far we have come since the day our fathers and forefathers decided through democratic means to become a larger part of an independent Malaysia in 1963. It was their intent to deliver what they voted for in the referendum to bring into existence the nation of Malaysia.

Our fathers and forefathers fought hard for us. They spilled their blood on this sacred land of ours, and their spirits will not be restful so long as we turn our backs on the unity that has long been forged after the war trumpets and dust of battle had subsided.

Many of them are no more, but their spirit remains for a better Malaysia that we see now.

Hence, as Malaysians who hold strong to high moral values within our disparate beliefs and culture, we must ensure that we do not fail them.

Selamat Menyambut Hari Malaysia. - NST.