Saya anak bangsa Malaysia

Merdeka Day is just around the corner. It's hard to believe that on 31st August, our nation shall be celebrating 50 years of Independance.

I am a Malaysian, and proud to be one, but...

I feel that suddenly I'm in an increasing minority of people who regard themselves as Malaysian first, and of Indian origin second (or Malay or Chinese or whatever). Isn't it strange that when we go abroad, we say we're Malaysians, but when we're home, we stop being so?

Why is it that to give me a loyalty card at a departmental store, they need to know my race? Why is it that Metrojaya only celebrates Hari Raya Aidil fitri, and not Diwali? My daughter goes to kindergarten, and being 4, she doesn't know yet that she's Indian and some of her friends are Chinese. She knows that she is in the Red class, and that she is a Hindu. She told me today that next year, when she goes to the Yellow class, she will be a Muslim, like her friend Alysha.

The past 2 days, I've had to put up with her, singing at the top of her voice, "To know Malaysia, is to love Malaysia."

I look at her, and wonder, when will she be forced to confront the fact that she is not in fact a Malaysian, but an Indian. That whilst she belongs to this country, the country doesn't really want her to belong to it. I wonder when her racial prejudices will come in, and who will be the first person to wipe off that innocence. Will I even know about it when it happens? What if one day, she looks at me and says, you know right? he's chinese. you know what they're like... or she's a malay. need i say more? i want to wrap her up in cling film, and make sure that these prejudices don't seep through... that she will always be a malaysian first, but i guess she will get disillusioned at the first official form she has to fill up, and it saddens me deeply.

So i'm all for a Bangsa Malaysia, although at the moment, it seems like some sort of a fantastic utopia. We are living in scary times, and as a lawyer, it shakes me that the Federal Constitution is being given roughly the same weight as toilet paper, by the people who are running this country.

His Royal Highness the Regent of Perak, Raja Nazrin said:

"Malaysians of all races and religions need to believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that they have a place under the Malaysian sun."

Watch this, and read this. Then sit down and have a good hard think about what you are doing, to ensure that we Malaysians, will continue to be Malaysians. Leaving the country is not the solution. Standing up and saying that something is wrong, when it is so very wrong, is the solution. Its time we stopped discussing things and taking a stand. Not all of us know how to do that, but the least we can do is support those people who have the balls to stand up and be counted.

All I want is that in 30 years time, my daughter (who hopefully will still be in this country) will proudly stand up and say, "Saya anak bangsa Malaysia".