It is said that history is written by winners. In the case of Malaysian history; it often looks like it is written by poor students of federation history; who are technically the losers or winners, depending who is looking at their glass of water.
So, is this glass half-full versus half-empty merely conjecture and not premised upon any set of facts and truths? Is it simply a difference in perspective or philosophy; or, can it also be conclusively determined that as per facts and truths in any specified geography can become correct history, too?
Being a student of both rationality and logic; with deductive and inductive knowledge as a basis for truth and knowledge verification, I cannot simply dismiss the earlier rhetorical debate as simply perspective. Therefore, although I was a poor history student, mainly because of how it was taught, I think we cannot be careless in rewriting historical truths.
My professor in Islam, Science and Philosophy at George Washington University (GWU) always said: “A veil reveals as much as it hides”. The critical question then is: What is it that is hidden in the two half theories? By only describing half a truth and then joining two half-truths, many people seek to get truths and reality. Not plausible.
Science can quite easily verify if a glass is half-full or otherwise. One simply needs to measure the volume of water and it can then be stated with absolute certainty, and without any doubt whether the perspective is right or wrong.
Lying through history
The greatest disservice done to me as a history student in the early secondary years was the view that to learn and study history, we simply learned the facts; without being alerted that there is a difference between fact and fiction depending upon who wrote that history book.
But, in everyday life and living of ordinariness, if history is being rewritten right before our very eyes; it is no longer about history than whose-story. Therefore I was shocked to read one newspaper carry an advertisement which said ‘Merdeka Day is Hari Kebangsaan Negara!’ Really, since when?
‘Kebangsaan’ is our concept of nationalism to the best of my understanding. ‘Bahasa Kebangsaan’ is our national language, i.e. Malay, or Bendera Kebangsaan is our national flag and our national anthem is Negara Ku. Is anything confusing about all this?
More importantly, it is the current PM who declared Malaysia Day a holiday for the first time in history; after 50 years or half a century. So, I would think Malaysia Day, especially after 1963, is now the new the birthday of the nation-state we call Malaysia.
What then does it mean when Putrajaya now declares Aug 31st as Hari Kebangsaan? Maybe I did not read it accurately, or read it wrongly. If so, can someone like the national unity and integration minister please help me clarify my confusion. I can accept if it is only the director-general (DG) of nationality unity; but I would hope their ethics are better that of the Election Commission and its alleged gerrymandering.
We are a federation of colonies; not fully independent entities
My previous column addressed the core issue of how many entities make up the Federation of Malaysia. History with truth-seeking and truth-making would record constitutional history from both the Reid and Cobalt Commissions’ perspectives. There is really little or no confusion for those who have studied such legal history reports.
This past week, Tunku Zain Al-Abidin Muhriz of Ideas gave a public lecture at the Law Faculty of Universiti Malaya’s CLLS or Constitutional Law Lecture Series on ‘Reclaiming the Federal Constitution: Preserve, Protect, and Defend’.
It was a convictional and passionate lecture delivery and I must say I was very impressed with his articulation and delivery. I went as a guest of the speaker and wanted to be there because I missed the Law Faculty when I entered Universiti Malaya, as then I would have opted to be a student there.
I simply wanted to listen and partake in the defence of one of my favourite issues and concerns about this nation-state. Not only have we lost our capacity for reason and logic, but we are also losing our English language skills and comprehension as we still debate vide racial and ethnic rhetoric.
Our constitution is supreme
In all theology God is a supreme being. That does not mean that we cannot be citizens sworn to loyalty to any organisational reality. But it appears like many are confused about his or her personal theology, and lack both logic thinking and do not understand reasonableness.
The Malaysian Federal Constitution declares of itself; the constitution is supreme. But, the funny thing is it does not stop there. It goes one step further and restates the absolute reality of this federation of colonies and their governance. It says, if anyone does anything that denies this supremacy of this Rule of That Specific Law; the objectors are wrong.
Now, my question is, what is it we do not understand? No, let me be a little more specific: What is it that Ustaz Hadi Awang of PAS does not understand? Does he not comprehend the English or the Malay versions of the Federal Constitution, or does he really need an Arabic version to fully comprehend? Or is it simply that he lacks logical thinking, or worse still does he instead chooses to be unreasonable now that all such values left with Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat?
Merdeka Malaysians and our views
I was born before Merdeka. My father was a Merdeka fighter and founder of Kedah MIC. I hold two versions of citizenship certificates. Therefore, I have nothing to apologise about being a true-blue Malaysian. Moreover, I was trained in the Royal Military College (RMC) to protect, preserve and defend the Malaysian flag; even though I disagree fully with the symbolisms of the number 14 in the flag.
As far as I can see, there are no faces on the flag; whether that of the sultans or that of the prime ministers. Therefore, my ultimate loyalty is related to the largest organisational frame in my life; this nation-state on earth and God for eternity.
My ultimate loyalty as a Malaysian is being tested and challenged by back-door methods of deception, cheating, stealing and lying. For such as these; I will join friends and family and fight for truth matters.