By Fatihah Irdina
On 31st of August 2022, the Merdeka celebration marks 65 years of Malaysia’s independence.
Merdeka is a day of appreciation, a time to remember the sacrifices made by our forefathers and foremothers who had fought hard to gain Malaysia’s independence by freeing the nation from colonisation. The sacrifices made by them in the past to achieve independence has given future Malaysians a nation with its own values, traditions and culture.
However, over the years most Malaysians question the meaning of freedom that was sought in the beginning. With each Merdeka that looms yearly, freedom seems to cost a lot as it comes with a huge price. Today, freedom means most Malaysians have to compromise a certain aspect of their life in terms of their career, family values, attainment of unity in diversity, and others. In order to maintain freedom similar to our ancestors, all generations have to compromise in favour of the common good.
On freedom, five students explain the meaning of freedom:
Salsabila, 21, a student from the Kulliyyah of Usul al-Din and Comparative Religion, AHAS KIRKHS, said that freedom is the ability to stand on common ground despite the differences in our multiracial country, “Freedom as we know it is the result of our past – the freedom from colonisation. I will not be attending the merdeka parade this year, but I get goosebumps just by watching it on television because everyone is celebrating for the same reason, we are all united on the same day despite our differences.”
Next, freedom to some is more than getting rid of the colonial power but also erasing ideologies that have infiltrated our minds.
“Aside from Malaysia being a multiracial country, it is also a Muslim-majority country. I could say that as a Muslim, it is crucial that our country is free from ideologies that could potentially worsen the state of the Ummah or tear the Muslim community apart,” Arisya, a 21-year-old student from the Kulliyyah of Usul al-Din and Comparative Religion, AHAS KIRKHS, added.
In addition, Aiman Arief, a student of the Kulliyyah of Education, 21, explained that freedom requires the will to choose without harming others.
“I understand that freedom can be daunting to comprehend but with proper boundaries, I think freedom is also the ability to make the right choices by considering the risks involved. We have to make the conscious selection of options that are harmless because total freedom can be destructive if the choices we make are precarious,” Arief said.
A lot of the recent news has saddened some Malaysians as it has made the direction of where Malaysia is heading, somewhat elusive. The value of freedom in independence involves having the right ideals such as peace and harmony in order to keep freedom intact.
Fuad, 21 adds that he hopes we Malaysians sow the seeds of peace and unity amongst ourselves despite the stark differences we have with one another.
“Although we no longer go to war, we still have to fight among ourselves to overcome our inner prejudice that does not override our conscience because freedom is to live in peace and harmony at liberty without internal and external dangers,” Fuad remarked.
Students in university are trained to develop their own train of thought as lecturers and teachers are only meant to guide them in cultivating this. This circles back to the perspective of freedom from teachers.
Akhmal Hakim, a lecturer from the Bahasa Melayu Division of CELPAD explains that freedom is not merely tied to achieving independence declared on paper but sticking to our moral values in the process of attaining freedom.
“One must be free from cultural colonisation that is not influenced by Western values since we are a South-East Asian country with a multicultural and multiracial community. Each ethnic group has its own traditions, with freedom I hope Malaysians learn to protect the sanctity of our culture from negative modernisation,” Hakim said.***