Romanticising the past through Ola Bola

I managed to watch the Malaysian movie of the moment, Ola Bola, over the Chinese New Year holidays.

I must first commend the makers of the film and the timing of its release. Such a movie could not have graced our cinemas at a more opportune time. I have not been moved to tears over a Malaysian movie, much less one about football, until last Saturday.

First of all, I must admit my lack of football knowledge and my inability to appreciate the sport. The last time I lost sleep over the outcome of any sport was when I had a number of runner friends who formed "Team Malaysia" at the Comrades Marathon, a 90km race in South Africa known as the greatest ultra-marathon in the world.

The group of friends included the inspiring cancer survivor turned ultra-marathoner, Frank Chong, and Shanaz Shamsuddin, who can claim to be the first Malaysian woman to have completed the race (and beat me to it).

Coincidentally, Mark Williams who plays coach Harry Mountain in Ola Bola is well-known among the Malaysian running community as a running coach.

Nevertheless, my heart was moved after watching Ola Bola. The cinematography was breathtaking and the acting felt real, only the wigs and moustaches looked awkwardly out of place.

Digging deeper, I realised that what moved me was not football, it is still not a sport I can appreciate, and perhaps never will.

No. Instead, it was the beautifully articulated storyline over not losing hope on Malaysia, and I can admit that I have been feeling like giving up recently.

Despite all the subplots and subliminal messages, Ola Bola is nostalgic about a time when we had a great sports team. It also portrayed the sacrifices that ordinary Malaysians endured in order to follow their dreams.

Dreams that subsequently became a collective dream for a nation, and the glue to relationships between the diversity – ethnic, religion, class – that we have in Malaysia.

Ola Bola romanticises the past. It left me teary eyed at the end not only because I have dreams of reliving THAT Malaysia, but also because it seems toxic for me to yearn for a past rather than fighting for the same dreams in the here and now.

We have, of course, moved upward economically that we no longer need to congregate over a shared television set or a radio over a match. The closest to such communal spirit nowadays can be seen at local pubs or mamak restaurants for live telecast of English Premier League matches.

However, most Malays do not frequent pubs and would miss out on such an experience. Further, while I myself do not own a television set and prefer to browse the internet, I am just not engaged enough to cheer for a local sports team at present.

There were moments during Ola Bola that I felt like standing up and cheering alongside the crowd in the movie. I was overwhelmed with emotions and nostalgia.

The last time I had cheered myself hoarse at a television set along with the rest of my family was when Malaysia won the Thomas Cup back in 1992.

I find it sad that I would want to cheer for a Malaysian football team in a match that took place before I was even born!

My heart last soared for Malaysia at the last Bersih 4 rally, yet my feelings there were bittersweet. I would prefer to be overcome with joy for this nation that is my "ibu pertiwi".

I have had enough of feeling stressed, angry and sad every time I read the news. I no longer want a collective mourning over the loss of lives due to tragedies or missing planes.

Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming shared recent voter statistics over the Chinese New Year. In it, he highlighted that 7,828 individuals were struck out from the electoral roll in 2014 and 2015 as they had been stripped of their Malaysian citizenship. Of these individuals, 7,568 migrated down south and took up citizenship in Singapore.

Almost 80% of these new Singaporeans were Malaysians in the 30-50 years age bracket, i.e. working professionals. Ong also hypothesized that these numbers are understated and that there exists a larger number of Malaysians residing and working overseas, leading to the Malaysian brain drain.

The exodus is real. With our current struggling economy, it could be worse.

In Ola Bola, Marianne was moved into staying in Malaysia after meeting "Balak" Eric, whose line "It is easier leaving than to stay on" resonated with me. Together, they romanticised the past through football – a Malaysia that I sadly only had a glimpse of during my childhood.

I wonder would my nieces and nephews have a chance to see it in their lifetime?

While we look to the past in nostalgia and for lessons to learn, we must continue to strive for the Malaysia we want.

It need not necessarily hinge on a sports team, but all of us can individually achieve our dreams and collectively continue to build Malaysia as a great nation.

After all, like Marianne, we must all find our reasons to stay. – February 10, 2016.

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