Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe by Email Something I read today morning triggered this posting. It was a news about the Merdeka day celebration coming soon. According to the Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, National Day, which falls during the fasting month, will be celebrated on a moderate scale at Stadium Putra in Bukit Jalil. There will be focus on “lighting and the flying of Jalur Gemilang” while fireworks is planned only for the launching of celebrations at Stadium Utama Kangar in Perlis on Aug 1.
So, I wonder, can we “tone down’ patriotism/nationalism due to religion? Which has precedence? Not that I’m belittling anyone’s religion, but just curious.
Obviously, the private sector will still try to celebrate National Day on big scale due to economic reasons. So, celebrations are not purely due to patriotism/nationalism, but just an excuse to have a good time, spend some money, enjoy life.
And maybe certain quarters will threaten the private sector organisers to “tone down” as well since it will be fasting month and they’ll claim that such excessive celebrations can lead people astray. Would this constitute infringing on others’ right/freedom?
Anyway, Merdeka falls on Tuesday this year, so if you apply leave for Monday, then you get four days holiday. Selangorians have a holiday on the preceding Friday, so you can get up to 5 days holiday.
hello there! i am a foreigner in your country. I come from a place where i BARELY get to see firewroks :((. So this event was a loong awaited event that i really wanted to attend…..are there any palces we can go to have glimpses of some spectacular malysian fireworks??? plz do let me know… I would be very very greatful..Thank You in advance….
hi sbik,
the usual places for fireworks are klcc, 1-utama. more details will be available as the date comes closer. keep an eye on newspapers. do remember that since its fasting months, some of the “malaysians” won’t like it if other malaysians want to celebrate in big scale, citing religion as an excuse. so, maybe the publicity on fireworks by the private sector will be toned down to handle this “sensitive” issue.
MP:edited.
@poobalan, ah c’mon it’s not like that. don’t put it like that. ‘sensitive’ issue. ‘malaysians’.
MP: edited. you could have dispensed with the profanities and saved me a few clicks.
No need to be an a**hole making such comments. You want to celebrate big time, go ahead, nobody is going to complain. Nobody said tone down patriotism, just the celebration expenses.
Chinese celebrate Gong XI Fa Cai with fireworks till morning at my neighborhood also, nobody make noise. Indians celebrate Deepavali like nobody’s business till morning also nobody make noise. Malays celebrating Raya till morning also nobody make noise. You are just trying to stir anti Muslim sentiments, as if saying “Not that I’m belittling… bla bla” makes it alright. Then you complain being victimized. The country is sick, help heal it, not create more problems with those stupid remarks. You call that being nationalistic or patriotic?
i look at it as some quarters making religion as an excuse to control. hopefully i did’nt sound as if the fault is with the religion. the examples you gave were religious/cultural events related to specific communities. its not a cross-community event celebrated at national level.
@poobalan,
Control what? The rights for individual to celebrate big time? expenditure? What is the REAL problem here? Or is it simply antiestablishmentarianism?
Examples I gave are Malaysian celebrations too and celebrated at national level. There are NATIONAL public holidays associated with those celebrations.
Anyway Happy Merdeka! May Allah bless this country with peace and harmony. And open the eyes of those with crooked minds and hearts to return to right path.
Muthu,
i think control the thoughts/perception of their brethren to show that they are right. for me, the real problem is, why ask to tone down national day celebration in name of religion? is this the norm?
The festivals you cited usually don’t have a national event celebrated on the same day, except Raya whereby the govt will hold a Raya open house.. usually there’s an open house at national level, held a different location every year. if i’m not mistaken deepavali open house were also held at different time to accommodate the fasting month, which is OK with me because its not a religious requirement. the common things between them is the public holiday status, but the celebrations are different because national day is for all, while the religious/cultural festivals are for some section of the community, even though its a Malaysian celebration. this is my understanding.
Happy Merdeka to you as well!
this is a huge confusion between culture and patriotism….
toning down on merdeka celebrations due to religious sensitivity of only one race is really telling us that religion is more important than the celebration of the birth of our country.
our government who is reducing spending on such an important occasion really is sending a bad message, considering it is them that push the 1-malaysia concept. haha i think we should call it 1-religion!
MP:Edited. Again Muthu, name-calling won’t get you far. Last warning here.
@springblossom,
It’s not religious sensitivy. And it’s not just one race. It’s the fasting month – MAJORITY of the people of Malaysia observe this, thus may result in poor turnout. It’s just called being realistic. Or would you still prefer money being spent unnecessarily.
Muthu,
majority as in about 60%, yes, but in Klang Valley we have sizeable representative from all races. who assumes turnout will be poor? i see turnout at shopping locations like masjid india and chow kit last two weekends to be great in kl (and this is morning too!). i think we should assume things, and give more credit to the fasting Muslims. for name of patriotism, i think they will join the celebration of merdeka both on eve and on the morning parade.
plus, its also a tourist attraction.