I HAVE always felt that Merdeka Day slogans were intended to raise the morale of the rakyat especially during challenging times. Merdeka Day is, after all, a momentous occasion which should be celebrated to signify victory and honor.
Here’s a list of Merdeka Day slogans or themes since it was first conceptualized in 1970:
1970: Muhibah dan Perpaduan
1971: Masyarakat Progresif
1972: Masyarakat Adil
1973: Masyarakat Kerkebudayaan Malaysia
1974: Sains dan Teknologi Alat Perpaduan
Merdeka Day logos from 1976 - 2005.1975: Masyarakat Kerdikari
1976: Ketahanan Rakyat
1977: 20 Tahun Bersatu Maju
1978: Kebudayaan Sendi Perpaduan
1979: Bersatu Berdisiplin
1980: Berdisiplin Berbakti
1981: Berdisiplin Berharmoni
1982: Berdisiplin Giat Maju
1983: Bersama ke Arah Kemajuan
1984: Amanah Asas Kejayaan 1985
1985: Nasionalisme Teras Perpaduan
1986: Bangsa Tegas Negara Teguh
1987: Setia Bersatu Berusaha Maju
1988: Bersatu
1989: Bersatu
1990: Berjaya
1991: Wawasan 2020
1992: Wawasan Asas Kemajuan
1993: Bersatu Menuju Wawasan
1994: Nilai Murni Jayakan Wawasan
1995: Jatidiri Penggerak Wawasan
1996: Budaya Penentu Kecapaian
1997: Akhlak Mulia Masyarakat Jaya
1998: Negara Kita Tanggungjawab Kita
1999: Bersatu Ke Alaf Baru
2000-2006: Keranamu Malaysia
2007: Malaysiaku Gemilang
2008: Perpaduan Teras Kejayaan
2009: Rakyat Didahulukan Pencapaian Diutamakan
2010: 1Malaysia Menjana Transformasi
2011: 1Malaysia Transformasi Berjaya Rakyat Sejahtera
2012: Janji Ditepati
As you can see, this year’s 55th Independence Day theme – Janji Ditepati (Promises Fulfilled) – is somewhat unlike its predecessors. In fact, it is arguably the first controversial Merdeka slogan in history. Ever since it was first announced earlier this month, it has been widely criticized by Opposition leaders as well as a section of the public who had expressed their discontentment on Twitter and other social media avenues in cyberspace. Many have claimed that the theme is Barisan Nasional-centric, to say the least.
“It (Merdeka Day) should be a celebration of the nation's independence, not an opportunity to brag about what the ruling regime has achieved,” a Malaysiakini reader commented on the news portal.
Ahmad BoestamamDAP strongman Lim Kit Siang even accused the ruling BN coalition of attempting to ‘hijack’ Merdeka Day by adopting party slogans for the event. He claimed that BN is promoting partisanship by adopting its campaign theme for both events and argued that this was made worse by BN's "Jelajah Janji Ditepati (Promises Fulfilled Tour)". Lim also ridiculed BN for failing to distinguish between the nation and parties-in-power.
"Pakatan Rakyat component parties are prepared to put aside all its slogans on National Day and Malaysia Day, but clearly Umno and BN are not prepared to make such an important national gesture," Lim said.
Lim’s views, however, weren’t shared by Information, Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Rais Yatim, who believed there’s nothing wrong for BN’s election slogan to be the theme for this year’s Merdeka Day celebrations. He said the opposition parties could do the same, to let the people decide which coalition to support, claiming this was a democratic system also adopted by many other countries.
Dr Burhanuddin Al-Helmy“If the opposition feels that this is an election campaign slogan, I think that is nothing wrong with that.
“Just as the opposition can say ‘we have done this, we have done that, and this is our promise’, this is also nothing wrong,” he said.
Rais also said that this is a normal practice and claimed that other countries like Singapore and Japan also do the same thing. He argued that the government is offering the people the chance to evaluate what it had done in the last 55 years.
It is quite sad that this year’s theme didn’t quite manage to unite all Malaysians, regardless of our diversity be it cultural, racial, faith or political. However, as Malaysians, we also should bear in mind that, contrary to popular belief, the struggle for Independence was not achieved singlehandedly by Umno and BN. There were also notable unsung heroes of Merdeka like Ahmad Boestamam (November 30, 1920 – January 19, 1983), Dr Burhanuddin Al-Helmy (November 26, 1911 – November 6, 1969) and Ishak Haji Muhammad aka Pak Sako (November 14, 1909 – November 7, 1991).
Ishak Haji Muhammad aka Pak SakoWith these forgotten fighters of Independence in mind, Merdeka should be celebrated by all Malaysians regardless of whether they support BN or the Opposition as the fight against the British was partaken by both sides of the political divide. What does matter is that each chose different approaches to beat the colonists. So, forget about what parties we support and find our own way to honor and salute August 31 and those who had played a part in making it happen. Accusations on both sides of the divide concerning who “hijacked" Merdeka will continue, but this should not take away our right to celebrate and commemorate the time when our nation freed herself from more than 400 years of colonization.
- mD
