Malaysia Day doesn’t capture Malaysian hearts
By Free Malaysia Today
KUALA LUMPUR: Fireworks lit up the sky at midnight to commemorate Malaysia Day, the latest addition in the country’s string of national celebrations. But sentiment on the ground was nowhere as festive.
FMT took to the streets to hear what the ordinary Malaysians thought of Sept 16. The verdict: a cross between confusion and indifference.
R Maniamah, 57, a cleaner at a mall in Bangsar, shook her head when asked if she knew that Sept 16 is a public holiday. As far as she is concerned, she still has to turn up for work.
“I don’t know what Malaysia Day is,” she frowned. “Why do we need another day when we already have National Day? Isn’t that enough to celebrate our country?”
Baha, 50, a roadside cobbler also in Bangsar, reacted with the same bemusement.
“What’s Malaysia Day?” he asked, and then said without waiting for answer, “It doesn’t matter because I’ll be working anyway. Did you know about this holiday?”
He directed this question to his young customer who reluctantly admitted that she didn’t. She told FMT that she was on Hari Raya leave until the end of the week and wasn’t even aware that Sept 16 is a public holiday.
Historical chronology
While A Maniam from Ladang Kerling, Hulu Selangor, never heard of Malaysia Day, he was still able to rattle off the historical chronology that led to Malaysia’s formation.
After listening carefully to a brief explanation on Malaysia Day, he replied that while it’s a cause for celebration in Sabah and Sarawak, it held no meaning for him.
“I work as a security guard seven days a week just to make ends meet,” he said. “I can’t afford to take a day off on National Day even because my family needs to eat.”
The father of three confided that he believed such celebrations were just another political ploy to woo the people. To him there is no difference between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat if neither is able to meet the people’s basic needs.
“Whether National Day or Malaysia Day, all these celebrations are only for the upper class of society,” he said flatly.
In nearby Kuala Selangor, the fishermen there admitted they only knew of Malaysia Day because it is a gazetted public holiday which meant they wouldn’t be able to get petrol subsidies.
“But we don’t know what the fuss is all about,” said Omar Abdul Rahman, the director of the Kuala Selangor Fisherman Society. “National Day has marches and parades. We have no idea what is being planned for Malaysia Day. If there is no great significance, then maybe it should just be dropped altogether.”
