This is my ninth year away from home. I am arriving at a crossroads soon, when I will have to decide whether to remain abroad, or to conclude my time overseas and head back to Malaysia.
My entire extended family have been unanimous in urging me to stay abroad, like a rat fleeing a sinking ship. I am not naive to the challenges and troubles we face. I know very well how dysfunctionally the government operates, how corrupt the ruling classes are, how rampant the crime is, and how apathetic and numb society has become to the many daily injustices that make up life in Malaysia. It is clear that if my goal is to strive for the most prestigious and well-compensated career, to pursue the most comfortable possible existence, then it would be preferable- even necessary for me to remain in the West as long as I am able.
So why even consider returning? I believe that there are many wonderful things about Malaysia that are worth preserving, and worth fighting for. We are one of the very few genuinely successful multi-ethnic nations in the world. I feel that most Malaysians don't appreciate how remarkable an achievement this is. Very few young nations with a multiracial core have managed to emerge from the colonial era intact. Obviously, things are far from perfect in Malaysia, and we all know that while there has rarely been outright violence, racial tensions are always simmering under the surface. Nevertheless, our founders have blessed us with a foundation of tolerance, cooperation, and mutual trust. We should build on that foundation, rather than cynically dismissing their vision as a dream that can never be.
As a somewhat flippant example, consider food: the one part of Malaysian life where there is genuine cross-cultural interaction. As a result of mixing and matching Chinese, Indian and indigenous influences, we have created something that is far greater than the sum of its parts, and a cuisine that we can unabashedly claim to be the best in the world. Perhaps when the barriers fall on the other parts of Malaysian life, we can create other wonderful things too. Ours is a nation of enormous potential, but only if the nation becomes truly ours.
Can this ideal Malaysia be realized? I believe that it can. The challenges are many, and persistent. Building a better Malaysia will require some sacrifices, including from the Malaysian diaspora. Our talents are undoubtedly more appreciated in the countries we have moved to, but I'd argue that those talents are more needed back home. Say you're a hotshot executive in a London-based multinational: leave your position and there will be dozens of hungry, talented people willing to take your place, and your company will do just fine without you. Take your skills home, influence the work culture, leverage your unique experience, use your stature to speak out on society's ills, and you can be the start of something truly transformative.
For several reasons, not every Malaysian abroad can or should make that kind of sacrifice. Heck, I'm not sure yet if I'll be able to myself. But I don't think myself a fool for thinking that we belong to a nation that, for its many flaws is something that we can, and should be proud of. I don't think myself a fool for desiring the opportunity to make it a better place, whether or not that desire comes to pass.
Happy Independence Day to you all.
*****
Inilah tahun kesembilan saya di perantauan. Tak lama lagi, saya akan membuat keputusan: sama ada saya harus singgah lagi di luar negara, ataupun balik ke tanah air.
Seluruh keluarga saya sebulat suara menggesa saya untuk meninggalkan Malaysia, sepertilah tikus meninggalkan kapal tenggelam. Bukanlah seperti aku tak sedar tentang masalah-masalah yang kita hadapi. Saya faham bahawa gejala rasuah semakin menular, kadar jenayah kian meningkat, dan tahulah saya tentang sifat "tidak apa" yang ditunjukkan oleh kerajaan dan masyarakat terhadap segala ketidakadilan yang berlaku di Malaysia. Lagipun, jelaslah jika matlamat saya setakat untuk hidup selesa dan mengejar jawatan yang tinggi dan yang bergaji lumayan, wajiblah aku menetap di Barat sahaja.
Jadi apa lagi yang perlu dipertimbangkan? Pada hemat saya, Malaysia memiliki beberapa ciri-ciri baik yang perlu kita pertahankan. Kita adalah salah satu masyarakat majmuk di dunia ini yang benar-benar berjaya. Rakyat Malaysia sendiri tidak menghargai pencapaian ini, sedangkan jarang-jarang sekali negara muda yang berpelbagai kaum dimerdekakan secara aman. Sebagai rakyat Malaysia, kita sedar bahawa sifat muhibbah ini bukanlah sempurna, dan walaupun suasana tenteram selalu ada udang di sebalik batu. Namun, tokoh-tokoh zaman kemerdekaan telah memberkati kita dengan contoh toleransi, kerjasama, dan perpaduan. Haruslah kita menghargai sifat ini sebagai asas negari kita dan terus memperjuangkannya.
Lihatlah budaya makan di Malaysia: satu-satu sektor hidup di Malaysia di mana benar-benar ada persepakatan antara kaum. Kita telah campur adukkan budaya masak Bumiputera, Cina, dan India untuk menghasilkan sesuatu gaya masakan yang tidak terbatas lazatnya . Kalaulah seluruh hidup kita di Malaysia bersepadu sedemikian, melampaui batas persilisihan antara kita, tidak terbatas pencapaian kita sebagai rakyat Malaysia. Negara kita negara yang amat berpotensi, tapi potensi itu hanya dapat dicapaikan jika kita benar-benar menganggap Malaysia sebagai milik kita semua.
Bolehkah Malaysia ideal ini wujud? Saya percaya harapan ini bukan mustahil. Banyaklah masalah yang kita senegara hadapi. Untuk membina Malaysia yang baru wajib rakyat Malaysia berkorban, termasuklah juga rakyat Malaysia di perantauan. Nyatalah bahawa bakat kita lebih dihargai di negara asing, namun bakat itu lebih diperlukan di tanah air. Katalah kau seorang pengurus yang berkhidmat di London, berjawatan di syarikat antarabangsa. Tinggalkan jawatan anda dan senang saja untuk majikan anda menggantimu dengan orang lain yang tahapnya hampir sama denganmu. Bawalah bakat anda balik ke tanah air, pengaruhilah budaya tempatan, manfaatkanlah pengalaman anda yang unik, dan gunalah wibawa anda untuk membetulkan yang salah di Malaysia.
Bukan semua warga Malaysia di perantauan mampu berkorban sedemikian. Faktor keluarga, faktor sara hidup, dan sebagainya semuanya sebab munasabah untuk tetap di negara asing. Insya-Allah saya dapat balik, tapi saya sendiri pun tidak pasti. Namun saya percaya bahawa negara kita ini, sungguhpun sebuah negara yang banyak bermasalah, tetaplah sebuah negara yang harus diperjuangkan . Perjuangan itu, sama ada berjaya atau tidak, tetaplah satu perjuangan yang mulia dan wajar.
Selamat Hari Merdeka kepada warga Malaysia semua.
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