What did Negaraku ever do to you?

A country is what you make of it. This has been the message brought forward by past prime ministers such as Tunku Abdul Rahman and even Tun Abdul Razak. I’m sure you have all seen the quotes from former prime ministers talking about how the fate of this nation depends on its citizens.

Personally, I find it interesting that one of the items considered sacred to the state is its national anthem. For ours, it is the Negaraku, or “My Country”. Looking at the lyrics, it speaks nothing of supporting the government or political institutions. Instead, it speaks of the people without any mention of race, the mention of God without any specifics of religion and the King, without any mention of which sultan in which state who may or may not be facing the ire of the public for whatever reason.

And yet, without any mention of politics, some Malaysians think it is necessary to make it a point to not stand during the national anthem in public spaces. Now, I am sure there are many who would not stand up while it is being played on YouTube or RTM during the opening and closing of broadcast, or when Malaysia wins a medal during a sports meet telecasted live on Astro.

But those are private spaces. A cinema is not.

A cinema is a public space. Therefore, there is no reason for you not to stand, regardless of the amount of bitching that might happen about the location or even the reasoning behind it, even if you think it is government propaganda.

The national anthem is politically neutral, just like the Merdeka Day and Malaysia Day celebrations are politically neutral. The reason I say this is because if the opposition had won the last general election, they would have had to host these and would probably continue with the wave of patriotism as well.

The Negaraku is a symbol of neutrality as it is a state institution, just like our king is the symbolic head of state, above the executive powers but not the judiciary. As such, I must ask, what did the song do to you? What did the king do to you?

And I happen to know that Negaraku is a wonderful symbol that is neutral because we even have a “citizen’s movement” named after it which speaks of unity through the Federal Constitution and Malaysia Agreement. Thus, even the NGOs and some politicians (even if it’s not that DAP MP) know that the national anthem is neutral.

So again, why disrespect the national anthem? Was the cinema seat too comfy to get off? Was the popcorn too delicious that you had to continue munching when you stood up? I’m not sure.

Personally, I think this is due to Malaysians being unable to differentiate between the state and the elected federal government, and on some parts the government is to be blamed for this because it has appointed ministers who cannot differentiate between being a politician for a race-based party and being a Malaysian minister representing everyone.

Perhaps the prime minister should raise this question during the next cabinet meeting, and perhaps some of us should educate the public on the difference.

That being said, the national anthem is a symbol of the country, not the government. If you think the country has done you wrong, say it. It is your right, but be sure you know the difference between the state and the elected government. Do not let it blind you to the fact that you cannot even see that the nation, regardless of its elected leaders, is what you make of it.

By disrespecting the national anthem, you are disrespecting your forefathers who fought for independence, who lived through the period of confrontation with the Indonesians, the ones that died serving overseas and locally during skirmishes in the military. And in fact, you are pissing on the memory of those who fought to make this nation a better country for all, from Tunku himself to even Karpal Singh.

Remember that the next time, and be proud of being Malaysian, even if you are shamed by the government you did not elect and wish to change. Because it also shows that you have not given up on this nation. Because unlike the many, many whining and bitching social network users who don’t know any better, you know that this nation can be changed by people like yourselves.

And also, stand up during the national anthem because you have hope that there will come a day that you will be proud of the country of your birth regardless of your race, gender, religion, sexual orientation and politics. – September 18, 2014.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.