By Hamka Rosli
GOMBAK 8 September 2014: The younger generation was today reminded of the importance of nurturing the spirit of patriotism for nation building. Speaking on “Malaysia, Where Love Grows” in conjunction with the Independence Day, International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) President, Tan Sri Dr. Rais Yatim shared some of his thoughts with the IIUM community.
The most important aspect, which he could share, is about the nexus between Merdeka and nation building at the  time when it has been overlooked. Overall, he could say that Merdeka has been well received by the people. He stressed the importance for the younger generation to appreciate and learn from the older generation on how to demonstrate patriotism.
There were two points which he highlighted during the interview, the first one  being the importance of Merdeka up to the individual as being the citizen of the country. The second point was to embed the historical as well as the sociological knowledge into our institutions. There’s no need to hauler through the television or radio each year on 31st August for the Malaysians to be prepared to fly the Jalur Gemilang. “It is not very costly. It is actually cheaper than a packet of cigarette,” he added cynically.
In sharing his memory on Merdeka day, Rais recalled one trip on celebration of Merdeka in Kampung Parit Leman where he was quite overwhelmed to see the villagers decorating their houses with Jalur Gemilang. “To me it means a lot. The patriotism came naturally and until today I think the kampung is still the best in showing their patriotism,” he said.
Tan Sri Dr. Rais Yatim had served the nation over four decades and from his services, he noticed the differences of Merdeka celebration now and then. He said that the initial 20 years of his services, he noticed that the media did not have to talk too much about what to do when Merdeka came. The society at that time automatically knew what they should do or be prepared of what needed to be done.
“And I still remember for example in Kampung Baru (in Kuala Lumpur), this was during the time of Tun Abdul Razak, most of the houses there at that time simply came out on their own, like what we have in Kampung Parit Leman in Johor. They even drew empty spaces with the flag and portrait of Bapa Kemerdekaan,” he said.
In short, it can be said that it was not difficult to call the nation upon Merdeka celebration and show their patriotism back then. Patriotism cannot be taken for granted. Even in the case of United States of America in respect of 4th July, many of them started to forget it. œWhile the Americans do not get upset by that lacking, for us as a new nation, and the way that we received Independence or Merdeka, we should always translate the feeling of oneness between the community of Merdeka, he added.
In expressing his thought towards unity, he said that Merdeka was not only for the Malays, Chinese or Indian, but Merdeka was for the world to see and for the region to recognise our achievement.
The interview also talked about the issue of polarising among Malaysians in which Tan Sri Dr. Rais believed that in order to go forward, we need something else now. In his opinion, he said that for the last 40 years, this nation was so compartmentalised through education for one thing and through the build-up of amenities in schools, colleges, and universities.
œWe should have the thinking of ˜Malaysian in the syllabus and within the pursuit of knowledge,” he added. The trend that Malaysia had had now is that some of the institutions only belonged to one particular group, perhaps only for the Malays or Chinese or Indians. He believed that polarising already had been implemented within the education institution by having varied types of school such as Chinese school, Malay school and Indian school. From this, he said, it could be seen the importance of oneness in the structure of education.
As everyone knew the theme for this year’s Merdeka celebration was taken from a very popular song by Allahyarham Sudirman Hj. Arshad, ‘Di sini lahirnya sebuah cinta‘. Rais said that this song could bring back the spirit of unity among Malaysians. Besides, for the younger generation the song had connected themselves with it, but for the future there should also be the continued inflow of patriotic topics, he added.
As President of IIUM, he felt that the Islamic ummah especially, expected IIUM to portray an institution of responsible partaker in the issue of nationalism. He gave some suggestions that perhaps IIUM could organise talks on nationalism on Merdeka celebration.
“And for the ummah, whatever forms of knowledge, we should not go forward so far away so as to say only subject on Islam should be taught here. I think that is a fallacy,” he said.
He urged the students and the community of IIUM to grab the opportunity to teach the young generation here the art of civilization, the freedom to think and to be nurturing the future society for Malaysia and for the world so that Islam can come back from that saddle that we once left.
œHaving a university is one thing and having a university with a soul is another thing that we should go for, he stressed.
At the end of the interview he gave some wisdom to the students to look at IIUM as a home, develop a distinct culture and being a Muslim that can be the example for the society. He believed that IIUM would step further towards realising the ‘Garden of Virtue and Knowledge’ for the future.
Photo by Naim Fadil