LETTER | Congratulations to brave youths of Malaysia

LETTER | While quietly celebrating Warriors' Day 2021, reminiscing the good and not so good old days, and wondering whether our efforts and sacrifices while in service were worth the while, I was deeply moved to see the group of young people taking to the streets with their black flags bravely and with discipline expressing their indignation over our kerajaan gagal.

Despite the deep-seated despair and frustration, I am beginning to believe that this country still has a great future ahead.

As an old grunt who is fading away, I am profoundly encouraged and moved by the recent uprising of our youths in their struggle against our fumbling and incompetent government. 

Your creative postings on social media, your brave decisions to openly express your feelings without fear or favour and the multi-racial harmony that you display in your Kita Tolong Kita and other endeavours encouraged me to think that there is still hope for this country.

It must be noted that this government did not simply pop up out of the blue but was the end result of a perverted adoption of a political formula that has been applied to dominate and control the minds of the vast majority of the population of this country, deceitfully buttressed by extremist racist and religious agenda that divides our people.

For more than sixty years a large majority of the older generations have been forced, duped or lulled into accepting this agenda, either willingly or grudgingly. Our society is now trapped and incarcerated in this rather appalling societal structure.

It will take quite an effort to dismantle all these. There are many barriers and obstacles to be removed. There are mental, cultural, societal, economic, educational and a host of other barriers; both tangible and intangible that need to be cleared away. Unfortunately, this is the task that is unwittingly cast for your generation.

It will be a long and slow process. My buddy and comrade-in-arms, commander Thayaparan, likes to analogise this process as a long slow boat to China.

In our discussions, we believe that the process of turning this country around would be long and arduous, and the result might not be forthcoming that soon.

As old grunts and matelots who would soon be fading away, nothing excites us more than knowing that our slow junk to China is not short of capable crew and potential captains to continue to navigate the journey.

We will still be around at the beginning of the journey, to guide you and to encourage you along the way. But we may not be there with you to savour the exhilarating experience of having reached our intended destination. 

We may have to leave somewhere along the route, but we would go as happy men knowing that the boat is in capable hands.

But we also would like to remind you, that once you reach the destination; unlike the ending of most fairy tales, you cannot be assured that you will live happily ever after. It will simply not be possible. As the saying goes, success is not final.

It will then be your turn to encourage, groom and guide your younger generations to ensure that what you have achieved is protected and preserved.

To all these young women and men, thank you for the best Warriors’ Day present we ever had.

The writer is a retired Royal Malay Regiment officer and a former academic.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.