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46th Merdeka Day Celebrations: Malaysians should strengthen their commitment to protect and preserve the Tunku’s founding nation building Constitution principle Press Conference Statement - at the launching of the DAP 46th Merdeka Day celebrations by Kerk Kim Hock (Petaling Jaya, Friday): Two days ago, the Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Mohd Ali Rastam said that those who do not fly the Jalur Gemilang during the Merdeka Day celebration month are not qualified to be Malaysians as they lack the love for the country. He further said that those who do not love the nation must not remain in Malaysia.
Although it is not wrong for the government to encourage the people to fly the Jalur Gemilang in conjunction with the Merdeka Day celebrations, it is wrong and unacceptable for Mohd Ali to equate patriotism or love for the nation with flag flying.
In the past, Malaysians were encouraged to fly the national flag on the Merdeka day only, now they are encouraged to fly the flag for a month as well as to display the national flags on their cars.
Is Mohd Ali going to conclude that those who fly the flag on the Merdeka day only are less patriotic than those who fly the flag for the whole month of the Merdeka Day celebrations? Similarly, is he going to say that those who do not display the national flags on their vehicles are less patriotic or not patriotic and must therefore leave Malaysia?
If Mohd Ali is so keen to question the people’s love for the country, why dose he not question the patriotism of the Barsian Nasional deputy Minister who once possessed the permanent residency of a foreign country.
Instead of being obsessed with symbols and externals, the government should use the Merdeka month long celebration to call on Malaysians to reaffirm the greatest contribution of the first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman—the founding 1957 Merdeka Constitution principle that Malaysia is a democratic, multi religious and secular nation with Islam as the official religion but not an Islamic State.
The declaration by the Prime Minister on 29.9.2001 that Malaysia is an Islamic State has not only undermined the founding nation building principle, it has also violated the Tunku’s 80th Birthday legacy message.
Tunku had, at his 80th birthday party hosted by the Barisan Nasional at the Wisma MCA on 8.2.1983, advised the government leaders including Dr Mahathir Mohamad not to turn Malaysia into an Islamic State as Malaysia was set up as a secular state with Islam as the official religion.
The Star of 9.2.1983 reported him as advising UMNO “ The country has a multi racial population with various beliefs. Malaysia must continue as a secular State with Islam as the official religion”.
The Star of 13.2.1983 also reported that the nation’s former Prime Minister Tun Hussein Onn as supporting the Tunku’s view that Malaysia should not be turned into an Islamic State. .
Hence, as the nation celebrates the 46th Merdeka Day, Malaysians should be reminded of Tunku’s greatest contribution and urged to strengthen their commitment to the democratic, secular Constitution laid down by him.
Contrary to the claims by the Barisan Nasional government, Malaysia is not an Islamic State. In fact, an Islamic State, whether ala Umno or Pas, violates the “ social contract” reached by the major communities on achieving Independence, the 1957 Merdeka Constitution and the 1963 Malaysia Agreement.
Although the Barisan Nasional government has assured that everything shall remain the same despite Dr Mahathir Mohamad's declaration that Malaysia is an Islamic State, the declaration has undermined the founding nation building Constitution principle laid down by Tunku and also has far reaching implications on our nation building process.
As such, Malaysians must protect the Tunku’s greatest contribution and uphold his legacy message “ not to turn Malaysia into an Islamic State.”
(15/8/2003) * Kerk Kim Hock, DAP Secretary General and MP for Kota Melaka |