It was a poignant moment today for more than one. National badminton coach Misbun Sidek was down in Malacca to recieve his Datukship and me being fortunate enough to cover the event. Though it looked like it was going to be another day on the job, it left me with more than just plain old work and deadlines.
Misbun, who is in his mid-40s, struck me as a quiet and reserved person which looked likeable. It didn't strike me till later in the evening when my wife commented that she had a crushed on him while in her younger days. It was something to do with his attitude that made him appealing to her. (My attitude doesn't have that effect on her though)
Darn, thought to myself...wasn't he the bloke with the streaky and outlandish hairdo which cartoonist Lat found worthy enough to depict? Yup, that was Datuk Misbun alright...way, way back then in the early to mid-1980s and along side him was 'us', the generation that idolised Michael Jackson, got its first taste of Mc Ds and diced their lifes on the notorious Mini Buses.
For a guy who hails from my generation and continued to persevere towards the good of badminton both as a player and coach all these years, I would say he rightly deserves and has earned his Datukship. How many of us dare say that we have remained faithful and pasionate to a cause for more than 20 years, let alone maintain a simple hobby for lesser time? For those who see it negatively or think otherwise....shame on you for clouding sensibility and gratitude with judgement based on politics, race and hate.
As for the upside down Malaysian flag protest thingy....totally diagree. Loyalty to the country and symbols representing it must be differentiated from temporal administrators governing it. Let us not forget that this blessed and be country will be around longer than 'us'. By this, I mean the nation's history, it speaks for itself.
Let's take Malacca as a starting point. It was establihsed in the 1400s as the seat of the Malay Sultanate Empire which lasted for roughly 110 odd years. Then came the Portuguese who controlled a small portion of it for 130 years followed by the Dutch whose era lasted a good 180 over years. Then it was the British who ruled a large part of the country and absorbed several other northern territories under it during 126 year of colonization.
And how old is the 'present' Malaysia going to be...51. That represents not even half the duration of those before 'us'. Let us not forget that we still have a long way ahead. However, how long the journey lasts under the present 'Malaysia' truly depends on us a whole. The further we continue to divide ourselves politically and racially as a nation, the faster the demise of 'us' and we shall merely become another page in the country's long and illustrious history.
So the flag, to me, represents the past, present and future of 'us' as a nation. To fly it upside down, no matter what the reason or motivated justification, is unnatural, against the order of nature.
I akin it to ones religious faith. One may find displeasure at those who pervert or give ones own religion a bad name, but it does not mean that I totally abandoned my faith. So by the same token, if I am unhappy about certain aspects of my congregation or church, does it mean I turn my Cross or Cruxifix upside down? Same goes for those of other faiths...no one in his right mind would descrate what that is considered holy.
Just some thoughts that have been playing in my mind....Happy Merdeka and God Bless our nation and it people.
...Argumentum Ad Ignorantiam...
To None I Wish Ill But To All I Wish Peace and Love
2 comments:
Flying the flag upside down is not a sign of disloyalty or against order of nature but rather to convey a message that the country is in distress, which I agree, so do most of the people out there.
Else, you can fly the flag like how one of our senior bloggers did. Click here to find out how he fly the flag upside down yet on the right side up.
Do check out Wikipedia on Flag terminology.
Techniques in flag display
* Hoist – the act or function of raising a flag, as on a rope.
* Lower – the act or function of taking down a flag, as on a rope.
* Half Staff or Half Mast – a style of flag display in which the flag is flown at half of the potential height of the available flag pole. Usually this is done by first hoisting the flag to the top, then lowering it to halfway. (Equally valid 'half-masting' is flying the flag at two-thirds of its normal height. This is especially applicable where the full height of the pole is not visible to most observers; for instance, where the pole is mounted on the roof of a building and the lower portion of the pole is not visible from street level.) This usually denotes distress or a show of grief, such as mourning a death. The use of 'mast' suggests naval use but typically the two terms are interchangeable.
* Distress – flying the flag upside-down, or tying it into a wheft. [1]
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