Merdeka!!

This is a much delayed post owing to Malaysia's 49th Independence day recently.. Not that I'm feeling all patriotic or did anything in particular that day (unless listening to Sudirman's classic Tanggal tiga pulug satu counts!)

ok,the things is, I'm not even sure if I should be celebrating it after all. what does it mean to me? what should it mean? Yes, Malaysia might be independent from British colonization, but why is it that I still feel colonized? I am a Malaysian from Indian origin. my great grandparents came to Malaysia some long time ago. they, along with the Malays (who emerged from other various parts of the world), the chinese (from china mainly) and others wrestled for the Independence back then in 1957. so, the Brits are off, but what diff does it make to me? I'm still treated as a second class citizen. Lets not even get near the quota system thats been around for donkey years.. we've accustomed ourselves to it (despite all discontentment of course!) Not even when we were tagged as 'non-bumiputera Malaysians' in 1969 that we squabbled. But today my status in the country is a question mark. I am peeved. The explicit discrimination is becoming intolerable. Got this article from a friend. Its a list tagging Malaysia as a 'racist' country.. dare I not share the sentiment?

I was born and spent most my life in Malaysia. Having lived in London the last 10 months, I lost count on the times my family, friends or even acquaintances giving their piece of mind on why I should remain here. While I use to always argue that there is nothing one can achieve here but not in Malaysia, I am having my doubts now. If success is measured in monetary, than yes, Malaysia is as good as anywhere else. But is that enuff? Is that all? Malaysia to me, is home and will always be. Don't think I can have that sense of belonging anywhere else in the world. But does the government feel the same about me? What is the point of returning just to live the second class citizen when I can do just the same here but with equal rights and minus the institutionalized racial discrimination?