The first Merdeka celebration that I can remember was when I was in Standard 1. We were told that the school will be holding a Merdeka Day Celebration a week before. It was a joyous occasion as we got to wave the Jalur Gemilang and sang patriotic songs together. As a 7 year old at that time, Merdeka to me was all about waving the Jalur Gemilang and singing Negaraku together with my schoolmates.
On childhood Merdeka tradition
Merdeka Day is all about getting together to understand the sacrifices of our forefathers and knowing the importance of safeguarding the sovereignty of our country. We usually celebrate Merdeka together with the whole family. No specific tradition but my father usually will make us understand the significance of August 31st . We watched the Merdeka parade on television up until I went to university.
Significance of Merdeka
I first started to realise the significance of Merdeka when I read about the history of our country in my high school years. The sacrifices made by Tok Janggut, Datuk Bahaman and Lieutenant Adnan and not to forget the struggles lead by Tunku Abdul Rahman to fight for our country’s Independence.
Learning History in school made me understand the importance of safeguarding our Kemerdekaan. The significance of August 31st each year goes beyond the parade and patriotic songs and is a reminder to each citizen of the challenges that awaits in the future and also the responsibilities to protect and defend our Constitution.
Sharing the love
My children are so fascinated with Malaysian history. Knowing that their father’s day to day job is managing the state, they have always asked me how it feels like to be holding so many responsibilities. I have always made it a point to tell them the history of Independence and ask them about what they learned in school about Merdeka.
It’s good to let our children understand the history of our country at a young age. This will help them to grow as a responsible and loving citizen who treasures each aspect of our history.
Merdeka this year is a bit special because of what happened on the 9th of May. Malaysians stood up united against corruption and kleptocracy. It is also a testament of our love for this nation and its Constitution. The people of Malaysia should be proud that they are a part of history.
As the Menteri Besar of Selangor, I am grateful that the state is blessed with peace and prosperity. Selangor is the golden state of Malaysia and a model state which has become an example to others. Our people-centric policies have become the foundation of our success. It is our obligation to maintain and preserve the harmony between different religions and cultures which have become the hallmark of Selangor. It is my hope that the people of Selangor will always benefit from the state’s wealth and at the same time contribute to the economic growth. My sincere wish is that Selangor will continue to strive for excellence in every aspect and become the main actor in the South East Asia region.
