Selamat Hari Malaysia

Happy Malaysia Day everyone.

In Melaka, it has just begun to rain. Throughout my life, whenever I was about to begin an important event, it has rained. I see the rain as a blessing. Ritual washing or cleansing is practiced in many cultures.

Today is an important turning point. Today, some part of the nation remembers again that day on which this nation was born. The date is not important in itself. But it is a powerful symbol of all that went into the forging of this nation. It is a reminder of the principles that were established, the promises that were made, the hopes that were ignited. It is a reminder of the future that we looked towards 46 years ago.

Ku Li will remember, perhaps with bitterness, the number 46. He will remember how the old was torn apart and replaced by a pretender. He will remember how promises were scattered willy-nilly and how untruth formed the basis of everything that followed.

Let this new 46 rewrite the meaning of that number. Let this be when the process of returning to those old promises begins. Let this become the symbol of hope.

The plight of Sabah and Sarawak is the clearest evidence of what ails this nation. We managed to get rid of the colonisers from Europe, but only to replace them with neo-colonisers from within. While we have all the trappings of a democracy, democratic principles continue to be sacrificed at the altar of expediency. We are led by a person appointed by one man and ruled by a clique that no longer enjoys majority support but remains in place due to control of the instruments of government.

We have to regain our independence. We have to restore the independence of the institutions of state. We have to revert to rule of law. We have to establish a government of the people, by the people, for the people.

Today, we launch the Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia initiative. Today, we formalise our efforts to tear down the walls that were put up to divide us and thereby conquer us. Today, we begin the process of healing the nation and making it whole again. Today, we join hands and say to the powers that be, "Enough! We will take no more of this. We want our nation back!"

Today, we fast, as we pray for peace. We pray for deliverance from this evil. We pray for the strength to uphold righteousness. We pray to become worthy of grace.

Let this fair nation of ours be blessed.

Happy Malaysia Day.