The home minister and I celebrated Malaysia Day by driving to Temerloh, in the East Coast state of Pahang, to attend a wedding.
We both had always wanted to do something different for Malaysia Day but did not have the opportunity for the past two years due to Covid-19.
One dream of ours is to drive around the country and spend a night or two in each state. But that has not happened – yet. So, driving across the nation yesterday was sort of a preview.
The trip to Temerloh was uneventful, apart from the heavy traffic that stretched the journey from two hours to almost 220 minutes.
During our journey, we saw several vehicles proudly displaying the Jalur Gemilang, a reminder that it was Malaysia Day.
A couple of pit stops to look for food after we reached Temerloh, meant we only checked into our hotel after 5pm .
Being Malaysia Day, it was fitting to discover that since June last year, the Department of Survey and Mapping Malaysia identified Kampung Paya Siput, Lanchang, Termerloh, as the middle point of Peninsular Malaysia.
Malaysia Day means more to the home minister than Merdeka Day, as she is a Sarawakian. For most of them, Aug 31 is just another holiday. That is because Sarawak was only granted independent self-rule on July 22, 1963.
It is slightly different for Sabahans. They earned their independence from the British on Aug 31, 1963. So, their Merdeka is on the same day as Malaya’s, but six years later.
As for me, I’ve always believed that Malaysia Day should be a grander celebration than Merdeka. I felt that way long before meeting the home minister (honestly!).
For the longest time, I could never figure out why Sept 16 was not a national holiday. I mean, if the powers-that-be wanted to choose only one day to celebrate, it really should have been the day we became one nation.
Malaysia, a nation of public holidays, finally celebrated Sept 16 correctly in 2010. It has been 13 years, but it still feels like an afterthought.
Malaysia is far from perfect, but it is home. If we all chip in and do our part, perhaps one day, we can realise Malaysia’s first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj’s vision of a nation with room for every race and religion, living harmoniously and with the utmost integrity.
Happy birthday, Malaysia.
FOR THE FOURTH STRAIGHT WEEK, RECOVERIES OUTPACE NEW CASES
For the fourth straight week, more patients recovered from Covid-19 than there were new infections.
In the past seven days, 14,207 patients received the all-clear after their illness. That brought recoveries to 4,752,216.
In that time, there were 14,026 new cases, raising the total to 4,815,679.
There were another 31 fatalities in the past week. That took the tally to 36,305.
Worldwide, there are 616,537,103 cases, and 6,529,144 fatalities.
VEGAN PUMPKIN PIE
I am no fan of vegetables, but this recipe looks interesting.
BAPAK
The late, great Sudirman Arshad ends this week’s Diary with a song dedicated to Tunku Abdul Rahman.
Although Sudirman dedicated it to him for winning Malaysia its independence, it is a fitting tribute to a man who epitomises the Malaysian spirit.
Until next week, stay safe.
