In Malaysia, the date of 31st August would be a day to celebrate independence. Our beloved country, Malaysia would celebrate its 64th Merdeka Day. Independence Day is actually the official independence day of the Federation of Malaya. It commemorates the Malayan Declaration of Independence of 31 August 1957, and it is defined in Article 160 of the Constitution of Malaysia. The day is marked by official and unofficial ceremonies and observances.
It is a national day of celebration and what better way to express this festivity than to show patriotism and solidarity. It is the day of the year when Malaysians from all walks of life come together to really commemorate independence. To really capture the feeling of patriotism, these are 5 ways that Malaysians can do to boost their patriotic spirit.
1) Wave The Jalur Gamilang Correctly
One of the most obvious and easiest ways to show love for the country is by displaying the national flag. You can decorate your house, office cubicle, or car with the Malaysian flag; not just one, but as many as you can! You can also use the colors of the flag to design your surroundings. You can also carry and wave flags from as small as a toothpick, to as big as a real pole. Flags are essentially powerful tools for demonstrating patriotism and nationalism.
2) Celebrate The Differences In Malaysia
Made up of a multicultural and multifaceted society, each thread forms the fabric that is uniquely Malaysian. Let us celebrate our diversity and be more tolerant towards one another especially after the recent wave of change. Even though we may have our differences, at the end of the day we are all human beings living under the same multiracial and harmonious roof.
3) Educate The Younger Generation
To the older ones, this is the perfect time to take the kids out on the streets. As we revisit our history, we also need to teach them about what happened in the past. It’s not just about encouraging them to decorate or make flag designs for this event. It helps if we also explain the flag, the colors, and why we are celebrating Merdeka in the first place. It would be a good history lesson for the younger generation, and a refresher course for the adults in case you have forgotten the true essence of the festivities.
4) Performing Our Civic Duty
Start small by paying back our student loans for instance. A small contribution can make a huge difference in making sure that our future generations are not denied their rightful access to education. Likewise, we should also improve on our attitude by obeying traffic rules, picking up after ourselves and always be punctual.
5) Sing The Merdeka Day Theme Song
Aside from the national anthem ‘Negaraku’, there is a national song dedicated to Merdeka as well and you have to be able to sing it with everyone. Having something different to sing your lungs out during a national day adds to the feeling of pride for your country and being able to uplift the Malaysian spirit.
Sources: Thoughts.