The false Merdeka consciousness
By Syed Jaymal Zahiid, The Malaysian Insider
Merdeka celebrations often force me to sulk. The fireworks, the countdowns, the reruns of old Malay war films like "Bukit Kepong" and Merdeka-themed emotionally evocative advertisements financed by Malaysia's most successful multinational companies on national television sicken me.
These are, to me, the imposition of a false consciousness. A cunning form of political chicanery aimed at unifying a divided nation under the pretense of a glorious history profoundly twisted to serve the interest of the ruling class.
And what better way to do that than to exploit a date that defines the very meaning of this country itself?
On this day, government leaders are transformed into poets, reading out poetic speeches intent on inspiring if not stoically rendering the denizens of this wealthy country to contemplate and appreciate in retrospect the multi-racial efforts that led to our independence.
Our hardworking countrymen, the pillars that stabilise the ample wealth of those above them, are heavily bombarded with the images of a younger generation oblivious and unappreciative of the race-transcending bonds of Abu, Ah Chong and Achiapan through beautifully-filmed advertisements.
The underlying message of these extremely well-packaged messages is clear. They manufacture a perception of a generation distant from the spirit which binds the different races of the nation together, a spirit crafted and solely credited to the wonders worked by the ruling party.
For the most part, the advertisements depict real truths. Many of the younger generation cannot truly grasp the spirit of Merdeka.
