Freedom is ability to live in liberty. It is the facility to breathe in air without fear, it is the opportunity to manage a life based on personal choice. Freedom is the capability to communicate, deliver, receive and produce without hindrance and discrimination. It enables protection and peace, the prosperity of relationships, and preservation of history. It is the most significant and impactful element to a life, one that is often taken for granted, and at times abused, on a daily basis.
The 57th independence day of peninsular Malaysia (that I personally celebrated together with Malaysia's independence) was appreciated with a lenghty stroll through the streets of my capital city, Kuala Lumpur. Having arrived around noon I had missed the official carnival, but instead was met with an interesting collection of after-festival scenarios. The were a number of people milling about in various states of post party, some lounging from the afternoon heat in shaded mamak stalls with ice cold drinks, service men working to manage crowd circulation and cleaning up stray rubbish, performers packing up costumes into their vehicles, keen tourists, and plenty of vendors gladly selling wares to flag clad customers.
It was a wonder to just meander about, soaking up the blur of activities that occurred on the pedestrian stage, with the looming city as a backdrop. There are so many things I could've meticulously observed and analysed, from interactions to definition, to the symbolic significance of merdeka. A lot of people have commented on the state of this country (particular in light of recent events that has brought Malaysia's name to an international audience), the general range being observations that we 'are still a young and developing country and it is with hope that we will continue to improve' to mostly 'we should be doing better and at the rate we are evolving we will never get anywhere' . There were evidences of both concepts throughout my experiences that afternoon, but at the end of the day, I guess I wasn't interested in being a critic.
Thus instead of focusing my energy on analysing the spectacles, conjuring up snide comments of societal or political issues, raising thought provoking questions or contrarily gushing about this wonderful country that is bursting with potential and people, I just simply made a loop around Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad, conversed and collaborated with a variety of people along the way, then gladly drove home. I found that I did not need to declare myself or my opinions of anything other than what I am. And what I am is a regular youth, living in a suburb located half an hour from the city, in a small country that has it shares of culture and agenda. The state of things in general, are plenty to be thankful for, with room for improvements. I am more or less an ant scuttling through a patch of grass in the lawn, and as long as I carry my weight and care for my blade, I am doing my part for the colony.
It was a wonder to just meander about, soaking up the blur of activities that occurred on the pedestrian stage, with the looming city as a backdrop. There are so many things I could've meticulously observed and analysed, from interactions to definition, to the symbolic significance of merdeka. A lot of people have commented on the state of this country (particular in light of recent events that has brought Malaysia's name to an international audience), the general range being observations that we 'are still a young and developing country and it is with hope that we will continue to improve' to mostly 'we should be doing better and at the rate we are evolving we will never get anywhere' . There were evidences of both concepts throughout my experiences that afternoon, but at the end of the day, I guess I wasn't interested in being a critic.
Thus instead of focusing my energy on analysing the spectacles, conjuring up snide comments of societal or political issues, raising thought provoking questions or contrarily gushing about this wonderful country that is bursting with potential and people, I just simply made a loop around Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad, conversed and collaborated with a variety of people along the way, then gladly drove home. I found that I did not need to declare myself or my opinions of anything other than what I am. And what I am is a regular youth, living in a suburb located half an hour from the city, in a small country that has it shares of culture and agenda. The state of things in general, are plenty to be thankful for, with room for improvements. I am more or less an ant scuttling through a patch of grass in the lawn, and as long as I carry my weight and care for my blade, I am doing my part for the colony.
Di sini lahirnya, ketabahan. Photo of Uncle Singh who was an english trained policeman during post war era.
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