It is our nation’s 69th Merdeka, yes, and I am remembering how a former prime minister of ours faltered big time when asked in 2010 (he was the deputy prime minister then, and we only had one deputy prime minister back then) if he was Malay or Malaysian first.
“I am Malay first,” he said.
“But being Malay does not mean I am not Malaysian.”
That did not go down well with most Malaysians. Many felt the right answer should have been “I am Malaysian first”.
Years later, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin formally amended this and declared that he was Malaysian first, but, of course, hardly anyone remembered he did so.
In a recent episode of the Trick Lama podcast with my co-hosts Terence Fernandez, The Scoop editor-in-chief, and Datuk Zainul Ariffin, Big Boom Media chief executive officer, we dived once more into the question of being Malay—this time in the context of the “Malay Unity” frenzy that had just been cooked up by the Malay politicians from Umno and PAS as their joint strategy to win the Negeri Sembilan state election.
These parties succeeded overwhelmingly, but ironically, the promoters of this “Melayu bersatu” rhetoric had left out Muhyiddin’s fledgling party, Bersatu.
In this context, Terence asked me on the podcast: “Are you Malaysian first, Malay second; or Malay first, Malaysian second?”
“Why, I am Malay first, but I am Malaysian foremost,” I said.
Hindsight is the best lesson on one’s way to wisdom.
So my fellow Malaysians, whether you are Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, Dayak, Orang Asli, Mamak, Orang Asal, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, rich, poor, or just broke—or whether you are a Kelantanese like Terence or bangsa Johor like Muhyiddin—here’s the thing: you can be any or all of the above first, but you are Malaysian foremost.
Go on, say it: “I am Buddhist first and Malaysian foremost.”
“I am Sarawakian first, Malaysian foremost.”
“Malay first, Malaysian foremost.”
Merdeka!
The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the writer and do not represent those of Twentytwo13.
