Happy Independence, I feel inclined to say to you, just 50 minutes past 12am and we're officially into 31st August 2007, 50th Anniversary of our Independence.
I feel like saying it wistfully, tenderly and softly. I'm all for yelling Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka! but now does not seem to be the time to do it; instead I would just like to quietly reflect upon my 24 years of existence in an independent state. I'd like to say thank you for a change. Heartfelt gratitude, none of those cynical crap like Yeah, thanks a lot for nothing.
Firstly, I'm thankful to have a decent place to live in, a roof over my head, food on my plate, and broadband that provides me endless entertainment. Thank you also, for being a country of few natural disasters and for having warm weather all year around. Thanks for bringing together our brothers and sisters of different ethnicity, and teaching us to live and love together. Thanks for providing me the basic education to be built upon, to shape me into what I am today.
Sometimes it's easy to take for granted what you have given us, but I am always jolted back to counting my blessings when I witness hardships of others in other countries, of poverty, of war, of natural disasters.
I realize that we still have a long way to go. I realize that you're not perfect, but so is every other country. I realize that in order to make you better, I need to have a better understanding of why you became what you are today, and how we can make you better tomorrow. The heartache in me will fuel my endeavours to make you a better place for many more generations to live in, to love you for who you are, and not hate you for who some people want to shape you to be.
Happy Merdeka =)
Love,
A Malaysian Citizen
