1. When the idea of hoisting the National Flag upside down by Kickdefella in the early part of August, I was against it but at the same time decided that I am not going to comment the on the issue. My old friend Susan Loone in her blog also commented on this issue but she said that she will never going to hoist the National flag simply because Malaysia is a racist country. Last night the story of Kickdefella came out on national TV and the PM express is anger and had used some strong words like “kurang ajar”. This is the first time I heard, our PM said such thing and I felt I should say a few words about it.
2. Raising the flag upside is the military sign that is used by Army world wide when they are in distress. It is hoisted when there are no further options available and the next available option is to surrender. When someone raises the flag upside down, it can be seen by the enemies and the foes and for strategic reason soldiers in combat don’t usually put up the flag in such manner unless it is absolutely necessary. If it is seen by the enemy, they may just make the decisive decision that could ruin any chance of fighting back. For that reason, it is done as a last resort.
3. Coming back to what Kickdefella was saying, he wants to raise the flag upside down as a sign of distress. I am not quite sure who is in distress. Was it him or was it the nation? Since he was encouraging the people to follow him, I suppose he means that the nation is in distress. In this aspect, I disagree with him. The nation is not in distress. I say this based on the following reasons:
a. While there is a continuous political struggle on certain part of the population despite the election being over, it does not mean the nation is in distress. The opposition and the people in power are fighting it out to reach their dreams. While this is norm, I see the battle is still far from over. I do not expect anyone to concede defeat or to give up their struggle. This is the sign that the nation politics is very much alive and healthy (but it does not mean the method used by both sides are healthy). In reality there is a political freedom and some level of free speech.
b. The majority of the people in this country are still going to work. Many are still employed. Jobs are plentiful. They lifestyle may have change slightly because of the recent changes in global economy but it does not mean that the people is in distress.
c. Economy is still growing despite growing at a much slower rate. The army and police is very much non partisan. The government machinery is still being abused by both the Federal and State Government (including those in Selangor, Penang, Kelantan and Kedah) in making sure their agenda reaches the hearts and minds of the people.
4. As for Susan, whom I know since childhood, I am saddened by her words. I do hope Susan remembers the days when we in primary school in SRPT Kuantan where, we (both me and her) use to stand in front of the crowd in the school assembly and raised the flags together. I remember when we were in Std 5; the school decided to do away with the hoisting as apparently because we are a sovereign Nation and had achieved our independence. There was no need to raised the flag anymore. The flag was then not hoisted up but was pulled open from a folded piece which was already up high on the poll. I remember the days that we sang Negaraku (with the old tempo) and swear allegiance to the country and the flag.
5. Susan, I agree with you that the nation has polarized further. This is not cause by UMNO solely. This is cause by BN. The other component party in the BN has failed to push for the agenda of One country, One people, One race. The opposition also push failed to push for the agenda. We have DAP which on paper appears to be multiracial but in actual fact is not. We have the PAS who seems to have been confused between religion and race. The way I see it, we are all a party to it – one way or the other but this does not mean we have show signs of disrespect to the flag and the country. If we truly loves the country than we have to put our heart and soul into it and find ways and means to make it our home.
6. I still believe that there is a future for the country. I believe as long as there are people like you and me who continue to express their wish to have harmonization, we would be OK. As long as we have people like Teresa Kok, Gobind,Mukhriz, Muhyuddin and many others, we are still OK. We are not perfect but we are OK. We must work towards perfection.
7. Lastly, I do wish Kickdefella, Susan and many others would properly raised the Malaysian flag proudly during this coming Merdeka celebration. Let us do it together and show to our neighbors that we care for the country. We are concern of the on goings and wants to ensure that the country progress along. We show them that we too care and not only the politicians. Only we can make the difference. I do not think raising the flag in the upside down manner is the way to do it.
Whatever said and done, hanging the national flag upside down cannot be accepted.
I guess people who have decided to do so are doing it to vent their anger on the present government.
But one needs to understand that the government and the national emblems are not the same.
National emblems represent the country, not the government.
Hanging the flag upside down to show anger at the government is like breaking the rice cooker just because the rice wasn’t cooked well. Kick your wife or the maid for that…don’t break the cooker.
For me, as much as I hate the government, I love my country. No way will I tolerate and upside down Jalur Gemilang…no way!
So many people commenting against the action without fully comprehending the true reason behind it.
Typically Malaysian.
Regurgitating bits of nice words rammed down our throats when we were young and proud of our rigid mentalities when it comes to issues like these.
Bah.
It disrespecful to fly the Jalur Gemilang upside down.The flag is our sacred national symbol.As such please handle it with loving care.
Raising and waving flag does not necessarily mean that you are more patriotic than those who didn’t..think about it…
Surely all Malaysian is proud of the country and the flag. I can confirm I don’t have the heart to fly the flag upside down.
What this Kickdefella was trying to do is to ’stir’ our conscious as he is very concern about our country. Ya, maybe our country is not in a state of distress yet. But why wait until we are in distress only voice out or do something? He is just voicing his concerned. I don’t think he really want to fly the flag upside down but just his heart is ’seeing’ things are not in the right direction in this country. His heart is ’seeing’ our country is like a ‘upside down’ flag!
I would like to think that our beloved country is indeed in deep sense of distress. Why ? Well, look at the judiciary system, police force and the way our “under qualified” politicians managing our country. Just judge for ourselves. So by flying the Malaysian flag upside down does not mean that I do not love my country or kurang ajar. I simply loved my country so much that I would sincerely want to see some major changes.
God Bless Malaysia !!!
This is indeed a sad thing. I agree with you Dr. Rafick, that hanging the flag upside down is not how we should celebrate this auspicious day. Merdeka day suppose to be the day we are proud of our country, the country that our forefathers tried their best to create a nation. What we should do is try our best to work harder, the best of our time, and hope it is much better than our forefathers to help create a Malaysia of a greater nation. And raising the flag upside down only shows our immaturity in distinguishing the real problems in Malaysia.
Malaysians should realize that Malaysia and its people are not at fault, and hence, the flag, which resembles our country and our people should not be raise upside down to indicate that we are losing a fight to create a great nation.
The people of Malaysia, who claims to love his/her country should raise the Malaysian flag proudly. The flag is not about political prowess, it is the symbol of a sovereign country. It is common to have different views about political parties, and it is definitely healthy to be fighting for these parties, but raising the flag upside down is not a symbol of this. It is much better to carry a flag of the party you support, banners of policies you disagree, and banners of what you feel would help create a greater Malaysia, with Malaysian flags standing proud next to it. We fight, we argue, and we give suggestions, for the love of our great nation, to show that we care, as much as our forefathers, to create a stronger nation under god, the country that we call Malaysia, and we stand proud fighting for Malaysia and let the stripes of the Malaysian flag raise proudly for a better future.
Looks like we have to keep promoting awareness of what Good Governance is all about until it becomes a reality in our beloved Malaysia.
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Universal principles of good governance and rule of law …..
Can we learn from the Iraqi experience???
A global consensus recognizing that good governance is vital for economic development and poverty alleviation has emerged. Good governance provides an enabling environment for general economic development, human resources development, ensuring the prevention and resolution of conflict. All these elements are essential to build a firm common ground for Iraqi national reconciliation. Good governance, as we know, is a pillar of democracy. Finding a consensus on a definition of the concept of good government has not been easy. Does it apply to just sound administration and management or does it also refer to the political domain and political leadership? Is it a universal principle or does it vary according to context? This vagueness raises the risks associated with applying a concept, which may not be rooted in the particular socio-cultural and political environment of Iraq. It is generally accepted that in the context of a political and constitutional environment that upholds human rights, democratic principles and the rule of law, good governance is the transparent and accountable management of human, natural, economic and financial resources for the purpose of equitable and sustainable development. Citizens expect the government to respond to their needs through a systematic process of accountability, transparency, and checks and balances. Good governance ensures that political, social, and economic priorities reflect broad consensus, that decision-makers represent the voices of the poorest and the most vulnerable in allocating development resources, and that the rights of the people are respected. It entails clear decision-making procedures at the level of public authorities, transparent and accountable institutions, the primacy of law in the management and distribution of resources and capacity building for elaborating and implementing measures aimed in particular at preventing and combating corruption. Essentials of Good Governance, The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) defines good governance as “the responsible exercise of political, economic and administrative authority in the management of a country’s affairs at all levels”. Good governance, among other things, is participatory, transparent, accountable, effective, equitable, and fair. It promotes the rule of law. Participation ensures an open, inclusive, participatory political system. It involves citizens in the decision-making process and in implementing public projects orother government activity. Participation goes beyond mere consultation and implies the existence of opportunities to contribute through gainful employment; opportunities to move in the mainstream of political, economic, and cultural processes and the eradication of the marginalization of groups and discrimination, poverty, and deprivation; and freedom from vulnerability through a guaranteed system of social safety nets and social security systems. To this end, good governance embraces the concept of devolution of power to local authorities and communities. The right of citizens to participate in the conduct of public affairs is more directly exercised at local levels. The existence of local authorities that are given real responsibilities can provide an administrative system that is both effective and close to the citizen. Transparency involves establishing appropriate lines or forms of accountability between the government and the public, which should include access to information through suchmeasures as freedom of information legislation, open decision-making, and rules ofsubstantive and procedural fairness. The rule of law assumes the existence of inalienable rights and liberties for every citizen, which governments should not touch or violate. To some extent the essence of the rule of law lies in its juxtaposition to “the rule of men or women”. This aphorism seeks to state the following basic principles: that all state power ought to be exercised under the authority of law; and rules of law should govern the election and appointment of those who make and execute policy, as well as the manner in which such policies are made and executed to ensure rationality and fairness in the decision-making process. In addition, good governance must assure the equal participation of women with men in all processes of governance. Only complete equality between men and women in all legal, political, and social arrangements can create the proper conditions for human freedom and good governance. Establishment and protection of good governance whatever the case, it is agreed that good governance is above all a domestic issue and inadequate domestic policies have played a role in widening the gap between rich and poor and achieving good governance is a process which must come from within andsteps must be taken to support and recognize genuine initiatives to attain it. Transparency, good governance and development are closely linked and together they become a vehicle to improve the human condition. The promotion of good governance requires a determined campaign against corruption, which is one of the most concrete expressions of misadministration. The quality of the administration of a country’s resources is an essential factor that explains its development performances — good or bad. Good governance is the true test of democracy. A government, which administers scarce resources in accordance with the real needs of the population, must be fundamentally democratic.
The political, judicial and intellectual elite must be benchmark and models of integrity. The political leadership must be genuinely determined to attack the problem of corruption and must demonstrate that determination. Good governance like democracy must not be allowed to become just another slogan – a false front to placate the providers of funds. Experience shows that it is unrealistic to hope to change things at the instigation of civil society alone. The essential first step is to influence public opinion and make decision-makers and the public at large aware of the devastating effects of misadministration. Underemployment, inadequate or sporadic employment and low wages continue to contribute to a high level of poverty in Iraq which in turn feed the militias and terrorists groups. We have to extricate ourselves from our backwardness by building a strong and democratic Iraq. Debates on national issues are healthy and should continue even after the national reconciliation. Different point of views should be respected. After all, “in a democracy dissent is an act of faith, like medicine, the taste of its value is not in its taste, but in its effects.”
Conclusion
The success of efforts to improve governance, the respect of human rights and the rule of the law throughout Iraq will depend on the development and strengthening of institutions that underpin good governance, democracy and the rule of law. With respect to the current political process, these efforts cannot succeed unless economic conditions in Iraq improve and develop to a level where Iraq is able to develop and sustain the institutions necessary to promote governance, the protection of human rights and the rule of law. Good governance cannot flourish along side grinding poverty and weak state institutions.
Dr. Widad Al-Ali,
Executive Director
Al-Yaqeen Centre for Training, Studies and Development
Personally, I am indifferent about the act of upside down flag-raising. The thing I like about democratic society is that there is always conflict. It is through these conflicts that we review and reevaluate what we consider as norm and what is abnormal or deviant. The norm for female position throughout history is the same. Without the feminist movement to challenge the status quo, woman may still not have the right to vote. So to me, I like to see challenges like these that raise the consciousness of the people. To think again about our national symbols and what they represent. And to contemplate on whether we do believe in what everybody else believes. We constantly fall into a trap where we instinctively believe everything is good because everybody else thinks so too, and vice versa. We have seen our national flags covering the streets during merdeka for 50 years. We like to feel good about it. We like to ’syok sendiri’ that everything is good. I think we do not have enough consciousness raising in Malaysia. There are tons of people out there who do not care less about what’s happening with our country as a whole. They will continue to enjoy merdeka and flag raising till the day they die. And they will probably die a happy person. I just want to point out that deviant act like this can generate healthy discussion.
The example of Uitm should raise some consciousness in some people I hope. Why we are enjoying the so-called imaginary ‘peace’ and harmony’ is because we don’t dare to challenge the inequality and injustice. We keep quiet when our university applications were rejected not on merits but because we are not part of the privileged race. We don’t dare to talk about it because it is ’sensitive’ and so on. Because most of us know that any challenge will result in something like the Uitm incident. We have been bending over backwards to please the privileged race and their religion for the last 50 years. Where on earth can we find a country with a definition of race in their constitution? May be there are, I don’t know. I think a lot of people are just disappointed that our national flag no longer symbolises what it should symbolise for all people in Malaysia.
And I must point out that we shouldn’t ask people to leave Malaysia everytime somebody says something bad about the country. I have many friends already migrated and more talking about it. They are like those customers who dined at a lousy restaurant and left and never come back without leaving any comments. I understand how they feel. Life is short and if you have the capacity, you just want the best for your family and children. Susan and Kickdefella are those who decided to take the trouble and tell the owner that their food is bad. The owner of course can kick them out of the restaurant and call them ungrateful traitor or the owner can thank them for their kind comments.
[My old friend Susan Loone in her blog also commented on this issue but she said that she will never going to hoist the National flag simply because Malaysia is a racist country]
And Susan should think hard about whether she still wants to continue being in this racist country. Don’t get me wrong, i’m not going to ask her to leave or balik anywhere. But, come on..!! putting a ‘racist’ label on everything seems to be the ‘in’ thing nowadays, a trend!!
It is such a convenient scapegoat!!!!! Oh, i won’t do this coz’ its racist!, i won’t support that, coz it’s racist!, i don’t like him/her coz she’s racist!!
Malaysians are racist in one way or another. Everyday, in every way consciously or not, we think, act, feel some form of racism. We associates mostly with our ‘kind’ be it race-based or education-based or status-based. It’s our comfort-zone.
So don’t just point a finger and call something/someone racist. Look into you. Calling this country racist, yet not doing anything to make it better is even worse. The flag is a symbol of loyalty, patriotism. If u don’t feel any of those things, if you’re so ashamed of this country, and have lost all hope of making it better, then maybe you should check out the greener grass on the other side ….
Dear Dr.,
Half a century of liberty and yet racism is still showing its ugly head in West Msia.The core of this menace is in the political blueprint that had been specifically crafted on racial lines.The ruling regime had always and keeps on playing the racial card whenever they’re at a disadvantage spilling over onto every segment of society,causing the minorities to switch to defensive mode time and again. A recycle phenomena. However hoisting the flag upside down is kids stuff, and be dealt as such.
I bet kickdefella is instigating Malaysians to raise the flag upset down not because of “distress” but to act “kurang ajar”. There is no other better word to describe persons who do it and they should either be detained under ISA or given the choice to denounce their citizenship, pack their bag and leave . Leave for another country (as if they will be accepted).
What racist is Susan writing about ? All races are racist by nature and we Malays in Malaysia are a tolerant lot. “Dah bagi betis nak peha” is what I would say to my fellow Malaysian Chinese & Indians citizens. It takes more than one to tango and do not blame just the Malays for the polarisation.
I just came back from Medan , Indonesia , a city dominated by Indonesian Chinese and witnessed how almost all the premises have flags raised to mark Indonesia 63rd independent day. I saw how patriotic all of them are shouting “merdeka” in one language. Why can’t we Malaysians of all races do the same!
I am a Malay of Chinese descendent and proud to be a Malaysian.