Malaysia is home –
Home sweet sweet home, sweet sweet Malaysia.
Yes, this sounds geli‐geli cheesy, as I remembered last time when I was in school, always lazy to mouth the words to all the patriotic songs in school (Jalur Gemilang etc.) – because I thought those are lame.
Now, as I grew older – Malaysia has become my home for my whole life, and I have become more fond of this land where I was born and raised, always happy to tell people, yes, I am a Malaysian.
Living here my whole life, it has been good, and it has been bad, but mostly good.
Well yeah, of course, we can’t be 100% good, nothing is.
I really like this saying –
Grass is always greener on the other side.
Bahasa Malaysia pun ada this saying –
Hujan emas di negeri orang, hujan batu di negeri sendiri, baik juga di negeri sendiri.
Kita selalu rasa orang lain ada lebih dari kita, other countries are better than us, but have we realised that we have what they don’t just as same as they have what we don’t?
Nothing is the same, living here and living elsewhere will never be the same.
I have always felt that being Malaysian is loving Malaysia as what it is. What’s extra special with Malaysia is the diversity, especially the unity we have within our diversity.
Food has become a very common description of Malaysia, and this just won’t tire out – sebab mana lagi nak dapat roti canai versi kedai Mamak (Indian) and versi warung Melayu, and where else can you see a nasi kerabu Chinese style, when all this while nasi kerabu is a Malay cuisine?
Unity in diversity – I believe in celebrating this; we identify as Malaysian although we all look different. I am all out for Bangsa Malaysia, ethnicity is another identification and it’s not wrong to say I am a Malay Malaysian with friends of Chinese Malaysian and Indian Malaysian.
Again, the common thing we share is our home, our Malaysia.
Malaysians make Malaysia what it is – whether we are a harmonious community living together despite our differences or we don’t, we are what Malaysia is.
Have you ever stopped to realize that if Malaysia is dirty (literally or metaphorically), we are the cause of it? If Malaysia is unsafe, we are the cause of it too?
Time to show our love for this country, because 2018 is nothing but new beginnings. 2018 has showed us that nothing beats unity, and the power of rakyat is a thing.
We have voted this year, and we have made it clear that the voice is with the rakyat. And voting without acting like we really love this country is meaningless.
I vote that Malaysians need to start embracing this independence we have, this freedom to be who we are by being faithful and loyal to the country.
I vote that Malaysians need to start loving our motherland, and that should start by loving each other.
I vote that Malaysians need to stop spreading hate but showing how we are all united to give the best to our home – this country we call home.
I vote that Malaysians need to smile more to each other, greet hello to anyone who enters the lift and holding the door a little bit longer, and saying thank you in return.
I vote that we should pick up any rubbish we come across while walking, even if it’s not ours – you know, to a cleaner Malaysia, inside and out.
Because really,
Who else will love our motherland if not us?
Who else will defend the country if not us?
Rumah kita ni, bukan rumah orang lain.
Let’s start small and dream big.
Making sure Malaysia is the cleanest country on earth is also an act of patriotism.
Remember, Malaysia ni #kitapunya.
Time to really seriously Sayangi Malaysia‐ku, wait, scratch that – Time to Sayangi Malaysia Kita.
