I bet when Ekspresi Negaraku was launched about a month ago, most Malaysians would have said, “Oh no, not another gimmick by the government to rally the people’s support.”
“Oh well, National Day is coming… so another campaign.”
Doesn’t matter what the government’s intention is, it does spike a sense of conscience that we are all Malaysians and this is our country.
Doesn’t matter which “side” we are on, the question we should be asking ourselves is, “For some of the things we do, is it because we truly love our country or is it only because we care for ourselves?”
Is Malaysia really on our minds?
Is Malaysia on the minds of certain quarters when they are alleged to have spread negativity about the country overseas?
On March 19, 2017, when Ekspresi Negaraku was launched, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak claimed that a “former leader” tried to paint Malaysia as one of the top 10 most corrupt countries.
The “former leader” was alleged to have told Saudi Aramco that Malaysia was not politically stable and that it was risky to invest here.
The oil company was also told that the EPF (Employees Provident Fund) was almost bankrupt and that the Government could not afford to pay the salaries of civil servants.
Najib said fortunately, they (the government of the day) was able to convince those in Saudi Aramco about the truth – that Malaysia is a successful nation.
“The fact is, out of over 160 countries, Malaysia is at number 55 in the Corruption Perception Index. We are not as bad as claimed,” says Najib.
Saudi Aramco had in February 2017 and in conjunction with Saudi Arabia’s King Salman’s visit to Malaysia, invested RM31bil in Malaysia’s Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (RAPID) project.
The project is designed to process 300,000 barrels a day of crude oil and produce 7.7 million tonnes a year of petrochemicals.
The facility is planned as part of Petronas’ Pengerang Integrated Complex in the southern state of Johor, that will include RAPID and oil storage facilities.
The PM said had Saudi Aramco chosen to believe such “misinformation”, that would have cost Malaysia RM31bil in investment.
It was here that Najib questioned those responsible for the misinformation as they did not care for the country’s well-being.
Taking into context that the misinformer was alleged to have been a “former leader”, we would think that he would have had a higher level of patriotism.
The question would then be,”Is it due to his for Malaysia that this so-called misinformation was provided?”
Probably.
Then again, is it too high a price to pay in order for him (the former leader) to instil a “cleaner government”?
Are there better and less detrimental ways of doing this?
Of course there is. Especially if one has Malaysia IN mind.
Malaysia and its success which is very much depended on its citizens’ sentiments for their nation.
Malaysia is where we are born, raised, educated, earn our living and perhaps die in.
That is why we need to love this land of ours and protect it at all cost. Simple as that.
Being patriotic
Being patriotic does not necessarily mean that one must carry weapons in a battlefield.
Civil servants who work hard to provide good services to the public are true patriots.
Teachers who dedicate their life towards education, or a mother who raises her child to become a good citizen, are also true patriots.
Instances in which Malaysians banded together is equated to a true show of patriotism:
- The people coming together to support Datuk Lee Chong Wei during his final match in the Rio Olympics.
- Footballer Faiz Subri who won the FIFA Puskas award because Malaysians went all out to vote for him online.
- A united Malaysia during the MH370 and MH17 crises.
Even when Malaysia was facing issues with North Korea, we witnessed the people united in defending the country’s image.
These are some of the fine moments when our people showed their love for the country and that they are willing to defend it with their lives.
The “dark moments” that threatened Malaysia’s unity, including the intrusion of Sulu gunmen in Lahad Datu and Semporna in 2013.
The incident in Semporna, which saw six police personnel and officers killed, was the work of “an enemy within”, said the PM.
“There was a traitor among them. This was the work of a citizen who is unpatriotic and was willing to conspire with the enemies,” said Najib.
Hence expressing one’s love towards the country should not be limited to during National Day celebrations.
Flying the Jalur Gemilang should not be during the Merdeka month alone.
It should be done every day, 365 days, all year round.
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