I'm not a patriot
I like this . Essentially, a true Malaysian does not have to shout out I LOVE MALAYSIA. but if he sincerely respects and has faith in the country, his actions can tell.
By Ahmad Hafidz Baharom Alam Shah :
I do not classify myself as a patriot to my country.
I'm cheap.
I won't buy a Malaysian flag.
Instead, I'll wait till the toll plaza's start handing them out for free.
I can save cash that way for the extra petrol costs my government has imposed on me.
I also don't put flags up on my car.
I don't want to leave the flag out in the rain, that might damage it.
I won't fly my flag up for anentire month, because that will make it dirty.
I also won't let it touch the ground, unlike some of the flags the local council here inShah Alam has allowed to fall.
I will also not let the flag get torn bysimply leaving it out on my car.
I have too much respect for it.
I will not name my pet cat 'Merdeka', because all it does is eat,sleep, and play around.
If I would name a creature 'Merdeka', it would be for a buffalo used in the paddy fields, not afraid to get dirty, work hard, for a minimal cost, and never complain.
Since, apparently, that is what our government wants us to be.
I am not a patriot because I don't bake 'Merdeka' day cookies,
Or create 'Merdeka' day rendang and pulut, or bake a 'Jalur Gemilang' cake.
Besides, people in Johor need the excess sugar used in these anyways.
I am not a patriot because I haven't registered my phone with my vendor,
which I'm supposed to do,
so that they can track me down in case I say something bad about my government,
or about a national icon who is about to get married,
or about another national icon who recently called off his wedding.
I am not a patriot because I didn't march up to KLCC to protest what is happening in Lebanon,
and did not get my memorandum delivered to Ms. Rice,
and because I did not say that her presence here was not welcome.
I am not a patriot because my birthday is not on August 31st,
nor was it in 1957,
nor was I even born yet at that time,
nor do I know any local war heroes who fought the communists.
So that means I'll never get media coverage,
even though I have deep respect to those who lived and suffered for my freedoms,
such as the KMM,
which once published a newspaper to allow the views of the Malay people to be heard.Nowadays, I think those very people are turning in their graves after hearing people trying to take that away from us.
I am not a patriot because I like going out at night to listen to independent rock bands that sing in English.
Because I spend my nights out till 5 am sometimes,
sitting at a mamak stall with friends and family discussing our lives, and problems.
I also buy pirated DVDs and download music,
because I think TM is doing a better job than our music and film industry in promoting their product.
The only Malaysian album I ever bought was by Siti Nurhaliza.
And the only other Malaysian mainstream artist I have respect for is Jac Victor.
I am not a patriot because I will not go to a Merdeka Day parade,where people double park,
or charge RM5 for a parking spot,
when I can watch it on national TV,
with the best camera angles taken by professionals with high class equipment to give me the best seat in town.
It also avoids me from tripping over a kid,
or losing a son or daughter in the crowd,
or accidentally pushing down another person andhave that person cursing and shouting about it.
Finally,
I am not considered a patriot because I speak out in this blog
whenever I see my leaders doing something I never thoughtrational thinking adults could ever do,
such as calling each othernames in Parliament,
"closing one eye",
arguing over a bridge,teargassing an ex-leader,
spreading rumours of a certain someonegetting married to a certain celebrity and even publishing a flierwith 40 reasons why a person cannot be PM.
I do not classify myself as a patriot to my country.
I'm cheap.
I won't buy a Malaysian flag.
Instead, I'll wait till the toll plaza's start handing them out for free.
I can save cash that way for the extra petrol costs my government has imposed on me.
I also don't put flags up on my car.
I don't want to leave the flag out in the rain, that might damage it.
I won't fly my flag up for anentire month, because that will make it dirty.
I also won't let it touch the ground, unlike some of the flags the local council here inShah Alam has allowed to fall.
I will also not let the flag get torn bysimply leaving it out on my car.
I have too much respect for it.
I will not name my pet cat 'Merdeka', because all it does is eat,sleep, and play around.
If I would name a creature 'Merdeka', it would be for a buffalo used in the paddy fields, not afraid to get dirty, work hard, for a minimal cost, and never complain.
Since, apparently, that is what our government wants us to be.
I am not a patriot because I don't bake 'Merdeka' day cookies,
Or create 'Merdeka' day rendang and pulut, or bake a 'Jalur Gemilang' cake.
Besides, people in Johor need the excess sugar used in these anyways.
I am not a patriot because I haven't registered my phone with my vendor,
which I'm supposed to do,
so that they can track me down in case I say something bad about my government,
or about a national icon who is about to get married,
or about another national icon who recently called off his wedding.
I am not a patriot because I didn't march up to KLCC to protest what is happening in Lebanon,
and did not get my memorandum delivered to Ms. Rice,
and because I did not say that her presence here was not welcome.
I am not a patriot because my birthday is not on August 31st,
nor was it in 1957,
nor was I even born yet at that time,
nor do I know any local war heroes who fought the communists.
So that means I'll never get media coverage,
even though I have deep respect to those who lived and suffered for my freedoms,
such as the KMM,
which once published a newspaper to allow the views of the Malay people to be heard.Nowadays, I think those very people are turning in their graves after hearing people trying to take that away from us.
I am not a patriot because I like going out at night to listen to independent rock bands that sing in English.
Because I spend my nights out till 5 am sometimes,
sitting at a mamak stall with friends and family discussing our lives, and problems.
I also buy pirated DVDs and download music,
because I think TM is doing a better job than our music and film industry in promoting their product.
The only Malaysian album I ever bought was by Siti Nurhaliza.
And the only other Malaysian mainstream artist I have respect for is Jac Victor.
I am not a patriot because I will not go to a Merdeka Day parade,where people double park,
or charge RM5 for a parking spot,
when I can watch it on national TV,
with the best camera angles taken by professionals with high class equipment to give me the best seat in town.
It also avoids me from tripping over a kid,
or losing a son or daughter in the crowd,
or accidentally pushing down another person andhave that person cursing and shouting about it.
Finally,
I am not considered a patriot because I speak out in this blog
whenever I see my leaders doing something I never thoughtrational thinking adults could ever do,
such as calling each othernames in Parliament,
"closing one eye",
arguing over a bridge,teargassing an ex-leader,
spreading rumours of a certain someonegetting married to a certain celebrity and even publishing a flierwith 40 reasons why a person cannot be PM.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am not a patriot. Are you?
SELAMAT HARI MERDEKA
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