Whatever Next - Miss Punjabi!

Yes  Malaysian Day has come around again and we have a day off today to celebrate. For the last few weeks there have been flags flying everywhere and the children in school have been encouraged to sing patriotic songs and colour in Malaysian flags.Yesterday I decided to make an effort to join in the "dressing up" of "One Malaysia" and after trying on a few options I decided that I looked the least ridiculous in my old Punjabi outfit, bought many years ago in Singapore. I hadn't realised that this year we were going to parade around Ranau waving flags with patriotic songs blasting out of speakers but off I went in the front waving my little flag dutifully. After we had done a tour of Ranau and chanted "Merdeka Merdeka" at every opportunity ( meaning Independence) we got back to school where the pupils proceeded to sing Malaysian songs and then finally prizes were given to the best dressed Dusun, Malay, Chinese and Indian costumes. Even the teachers were included and much to my surprise, although to be honest I didn't have much competition, I was awarded Miss Punjabi and a cash prize of 10 ringitts!

Me with my lovely teachers.

The winners!

   As we know throughout history, brainwashing the young is always a good way of ensuring a future for an ideology or cohesion in a country but I wonder are the adult population really taken up by this same patriotic fervour. As government workers we are not allowed to be involved in any political activities and if the government wishes patriotic singing and flag waving at schools to be part of the curriculum then that is what is done. However, the reality is that if one visits Peninsula Malaysia it is easy to see that the roads are good; the schools are well equipped; everyone has electricity and running water and the people generally have a much higher standard of living than Sabah. Sabah contributes a substantial amount to the Malaysian revenue from petroleum, palm oil and tourism and yet I feel that the Sabahans are not getting a fair deal and being treated as equal partners in the "One Malaysia". There is an election around the corner and the same party ( the United Malay National Organisation) has been in power since 1957, before Sabah joined the Federation. The opposition parties have been hardly heard in all those years but I think they are beginning to find their voices. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next election (date not known yet) and if Sabahans can find the courage to voice their own opinions.