Unmasking Malaysia’s National Day charades
As the years go by and Malaysia continues to evolve, it’s essential to remember the double standards and deviations that have marked the nation’s history.
Kua Kia Soong, MalaysiaNow
Is it unpatriotic to question the politicisation of National Day by the government of the day by the Perikatan Nasional (PN) states? The so-called “patriots” may be jumping up and down over the latest kerfuffle over the National Day theme, but let us try and think outside the box for a minute and see whether the so-called “green wave” has a point.
There is no doubt that the copywriters who thought up the imaginative National Day theme with the word choice of “Madani”, “Harapan” and “unity” were trying to brown-nose their political bosses after the poor showing at the recent state elections. It is also nothing more than a veil of deceit designed to mask authoritarian tendencies and suppress dissenting voices. These themes are in fact amateurishly crafted doublespeak that manipulate the emotions of the populace while conveniently diverting attention from the real issues plaguing the nation.
Under the guise of promoting “Madani” or “Harapan” in the National Day theme, the government is attempting to project an image of inclusivity and progressiveness. However, this is nothing but a smokescreen to deflect from the increasing erosion of civil liberties and human rights.
The government selectively embraces unity rhetoric while suppressing any form of diversity that challenges its grip on power. Dissent is labelled as a threat to unity, thereby stifling legitimate criticism and entrenching the government’s authority.
