Cherish the golden moment

Professor Tan Sri Dato' Dzulkifli Abdul Razak
My View - The Sun Daily
August 30, 2016

IT could have been a “golden” Merdeka if Malaysia had bagged a gold medal at the Rio Olympics. But it was not to be.

Be that as it may, we have made our “golden” mark in other ways.

One point that stands out clearly is that the country showed a kind of solidarity that is seldom seen. This sends out loud signals to our Olympians to do their level best. Not that they have not done so but rather to assure them that Malaysia is solidly behind them in our quest for “gold”.

Indeed what came out was just that. We saw many surprising “golden” moments where our Olympians came out on top unexpectedly.

Even those not seen as potential medallists suddenly showed their true colours when they collectively brought home four silver medals and a bronze. This is definitely a “golden” milestone.

The label “gold” or “golden” is applicable to experiences and breathtaking moments. Each time the Jalur Gemilang was raised at the Olympics was a “golden” moment. Thus the more this happens despite no anthem accompanying it the better it is in comparison with just one or two episodes of the latter. Many will remember what they see rather than what they hear. Of course both recurring at the same time as often as possible is best. But we are far from that league.

Hence, any attempt to deride it shows a kind of contempt that reflects the shallowness of thinking; quite incapable of empathising with those who have tried their best but still could not cut it. Cyclist Azizul’s tongue in cheek spontaneous comments on his winning the bronze is a case in point. After all, empathy like being compassionate has a different way of touching a person’s heart more than prize money. The empathy showed over Azizul’s remarks vis-a-vis the huge effort that he put in are poised to make him an even greater sportsman.

It is always the absence of empathy-compassion that automatically translates into a knee-jerk reaction of condemnation without even taking the time to look for the “golden” moments.

The experiences involved first need to be recognised and acknowledged before jumping to conclusions. What is more when the events are relatively “expensive”, given the infrastructure cost, it acts as a barrier in attracting more widespread interest.

As we are quick to condemn we are also quick to turn what can be positive learning experiences into negative ones, at times tainted by unnecessary uncalled for remarks. In the case of badminton, it is no longer a question when a Malaysian competes against a Chinese counterpart. Our inclination is clearly towards the former come what may.

To reinforce this, the time has come to address Malaysians of Chinese origin as Chinese Malaysians rather than how it is done currently. This holds true for the different Malaysian ethnicities as well in an effort to stamp out the term “pendatang” – right or wrong – once and for all. Doing so could certainly be yet another “golden” opportunity that we have missed over the many years. It is imperative that this time we do not squander it yet again in giving this year’s Merdeka the gold lining it deserves.

In other words, like the events in the Olympics the chance to grab the “golden” opportunity does not come often. We must therefore do what it takes to grab every chance we can get in the most opportune manner just like how the Olympians showed us. We have one advantage though. Unlike the Olympics there are no other competitors that we are up against except ourselves. In other words, it is entirely up to us to decide which way we want to take Malaysia. Plus how independent we want Merdeka to be.

On that note like the Olympics, let us give Merdeka the “golden” moment that it deserves through the heart of gold of all Malaysians in its new and more apt interpretation deserving of a truly sovereign nation which is devoid of any form of vested interest. Salam Merdeka.