Patriotism revisited

SEPT 4 — I did not want to write anything on the 53rd Merdeka Day this year. For the more discerning sections of the rakyat, the spate of events that preceded it spoke for themselves. But with the Malaysia Day on September 16 drawing close, it doesn’t benefit anyone to remain under a self-imposed gag-order. This writer is back in his combative, engaging mood to share his two sen’s worth.

Despite the efforts of showcasing the Merdeka Celebration as a “burst of patriotism, a sight to behold and a moment to cherish” by the Barisan Nasional-mainstream media, many would disagree that it was a phenomenon that went beyond the confine of the walls of Stadium Putra in Bukit Jalil. Very sad indeed.

Its absence was even more palpable nationwide and it doesn’t take much convincing to arrive at that conclusion either. But the fundamental question to address is, “Why?”

What has become of the patriotism of the entire citizenry, you may like to ask?

Why are we no longer willing to voluntarily and spontaneously express and exhibit our love for our nation, to support and defend its cause with devotion? Isn’t that the universal definition of a patriot? Has it been become obsolete for now? No! Is it still valid? Yes! But why aren’t we capable of showing all this anymore? Why has it gone stale, if not entirely dead?

The answers to these million ringgit questions lie in the very questions themselves. The state of voluntarism and spontaneity in expressing love and devotion for the nation has a lot to do with one’s conviction.

One’s conviction, in turn, defines one’s attitude and invariably value-judgment. You cannot impose and compel perception, much less conviction, in others. Compulsion is very much against the nature of love and devotion. Compulsion breeds hypocrisy, the anti-thesis of true love and a disease that betrays devotion.

Lest I am misunderstood, let it be clear that I am not demanding that patriotism be revisited but, more importantly, contextualised. It is a timeless moral precept worthy of embodiment. What remains debatable and the bone of contention is how to express and exhibit patriotism specific to one’s political and historical context.

Historically, the challenge of achieving independence from the colonial British had rallied and galvanised the nation from all walks of life and ideological persuasions. Despite their diversity, the founding fathers and their generation strived and heavily sacrificed their all to attain independence in their respective ways. It was perhaps patriotism at its best.

Five decades later, the symbolism has been reduced to waving the Jalur-Gemilang and episodically parading of our youths and uniformed security forces to demonstrate discipline and resolve to defend the country.

Quite evidently, this symbolism of the post-colonial era could no longer hold the nation together, much to the disgust of our leaders. Needless to say, patriotism is surely more than flag-flying at places of business, in house compounds and on motor vehicles.

The nation is now in a severe state of despondency, and embattled with unending crisis. It is in dire need of rejuvenation in its concept and embodiment of patriotism. Not only has it to grapple with the ever challenging global economy and its uncertainties, the systemic rot as a result of subversion of all critical institutions has exacerbated the nation’s decline in competitiveness.

The country, recognised by World Bank as one of the richest nations on earth by way of resource per capita, is languishing in myriad uncertainties and under-performance.

The grim and gloomy outlook seems never-ending. What the rakyat never seemed to understand is why the endemic corruption and leakages continue unabated. And why, despite the many high-sounding mantras of inclusivity and market-friendly approaches of the prime minister, is the nation still beholden to an “affirmative action policy” that eventually only favours a few business elites well-connected to the power-that-be. Why is the divide between the haves and have-nots yawning further post-NEP?

As if that isn’t enough to keep the rakyat in a beleaguered state, the BN-leaders under the premiership of Datuk Seri Najib Razak seem least concerned if the country is torn apart by the spate of race-hate politics that they seem to engender.

We are now mired in racial-hatred and antagonism as never before. Seeing the racial divide widen sickens me and a good many of us, save the racial bigots that strive and thrive in racism.

Going by the spectre of racial-slurs, inflammatory and venomous rhetoric of political leaders and many other prominent people — most unexpectedly from heads of schools — the nation stands numb in thinking of what lies ahead for them and theirs.

As we celebrate this auspicious anniversary, we seemed mired in increasingly rabid and insulting racism, which greatly threatens our already flimsy unity and precarious contrasting diversity.

Perhaps it was never very good anyway in the recent past, but it has surely become a lot worse of late. Never has the rakyat witnessed anything resembling this before, save of course the scourge of May 13, 1969. Without attempting to enumerate the various events, as it pains us further every time it is repeated, you shudder at the thought of what might be the grand finale of it all. God forbid!

The nation, now apparently caught in a transition politics of change and reform, demands that leaders shall no longer turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to the many troubling and turbulent state of the nation.

With this changing landscape of evolving New Politics and a nascent two-party system slowly yet surely being put in place, I now implore that the timeless moral imperative of patriotism be similarly contextualised and revisited as a national dialogue in the public sphere. It has to be crafted to resonate with the changing political context and challenges of an agenda of nation-rebuilding.

The rakyat is ready to be liberated with information and knowledge, to become a well-informed citizenry that will put into practise the knowledge-based politics that will safeguard the interests of the nation. The rakyat shall no longer be beholden to the powers-that-be.

The maxim of the New Politics dictates that it is the rakyat that are the real stake-holders and the actual owners of democracy, as it is in their power to elect and give their mandate to the government of the day. Incidentally that has always been the notion and narrative of representative democracy.

Therefore the rakyat shall not be cowed to abide and support the government when they commit mistakes, and worse still, if they are adamant in abusing their power. Voltaire aptly puts it that “It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.”

I now invoke and paraphrase the notable quote of Mark Twain’s, a famous writer who said, “Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.”

In the context of our current political scenario, it is perhaps pertinent to put the issue to rest conclusively by paraphrasing Edward Abbey, a writer and environmentalist: “A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government”.

Bluntly, it is points outlined above that I propose as the meaning of patriotism in the context of the New Politics for a renewed Malaysia

Najib and his government mustn’t be in denial nor flip-flop on critical policies that affect the survival of this nation. The rakyat has now become awakened by the power of New Politics driven by the pervasive alternative media. They are relentlessly demonstrating tremendous desire for arresting the many malaises and correcting the many wrongs of the government.

Given the current political-economic backdrop of the nation, it would be foolhardy for Najib’s BN government to expect exuberant patriotism to be spontaneously exhibited by the rakyat. As now it is beneficial for leaders of both sides of the divide to come to grasp with the challenging task of genuine nation-rebuilding and reform.

It pays to listen to the heartbeats of the nation, the rakyat.

* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.