Sunday, August 31, 2008

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY !



LOOK AT THE PICTURE ON THE FRONT PAGE AND IMAGINE HOW IT WOULD HAVE FELT LIKE IF YOU WERE THERE AT THE STRIKE OF MIDNIGHT ON 31st AUGUST 1957 LISTENING TO THE LAST PLAY OF BRITAIN'S NATIONAL ANTHEM AND THE FIRST RECITAL OF NEGARAKU.

2 comments:

Fauziah Ismail said...

Salam TPJ
I was home on the eve of Merdeka, reflecting on the celebrations to usher in the Independence Day. The singing, dancing, flag-waving, fireworks … we have been doing this for the past 51 years. The only creative thing we did at one point in time was to move the national celebrations to major cities.
Content-wise or pengisian = zero. I don’t know of any programmes towards this especially among the younger generation, who are the country’s future leaders.
My fear is that we would soon forget what our forefathers fought for and that Independence Day is just another public holiday or a day to party.
Selamat Hari Kemerdekaan yang ke 51 dan Selamat Menjalani Rukun Islam yang ketiga.

TPJ said...

Cik Fauziah, Asalamualaikum, Salam Merdeka dan Salam Ramadhan.

I concur with regret what you expressed there. I was at Singgah Selalu, a very popular eatery in Johor Baru opposite Danga Bay which is considered my kitchen during my weekly visits to my Division (my jewel and the children reside in KL) on the eve of Merdeka. They turned it into a full blast party not unlike the new year's eve countdown with ballons, confetties and very loud music. At the stroke of midnight, there were shouts of merdeka followed by expensive fireworks and more loud music. I was surprised they didn't impose a cover charge that night. It infuriated me instead of asking the patrons to rise and observe the National Anthem when the clock struck 12 in commemoration of Merdeka, they shifted up another gear in the last leg of their party, and this was widespread across the country, I'm sure.

In a branch meeting that I had to observe yesterday, at the beginning, the Wanita rep asked if the branch could skip the Negaraku and just sing the lagu Bersatu, the UMNO song. This....on MERDEKA DAY!!!!!

I gave her a dirty look and pressed the Chairman to observe the Anthem and continued by saying that they can forsake the UMNO song if they wanted but never the Negaraku.

I can imagine the disgust you are feeling with things going on the way it is? I experienced it first hand.