Merdeka Poem 2012 - An Olympian Independence

Believe it or not, Olympians live in this small kampung house surrounded
by acres and acres of paddy fields.

An Olympic Independence

For the farmers in the paddy fields

Toiling under the burning Sun,

You are the Olympians,

For the constables doing your duty

With no thoughts of bribery,

You are the Olympians,

For the mothers bringing up

Your children with no husbands,

You are the Olympians,

For the salaried men commuting

3 hours a day to feed your family,

You are the Olympians,

For the leaders trying to make a change

In a political party diseased with hubris.

You are the Olympians,

For the inspiring teachers

Working on a paltry salary,

You are the Olympians,

For the civil servants who burn

The midnight oil while others leave early,

You are the Olympians,

For those who stand for what is right

And honour the old ways and traditions,

You are the Olympians,

For those who fight each day to

Protect our sovereignty,

You are the Olympians,

For those, right or wrong, left or right,

Who says, “This country deserves better!”

You are the Olympians,

For the Sultans of Adab,

For the Masters of Servanthood,

You are the Olympians.

……………………….

The London 2012 Olympics is here, and I guess many Malaysians kept awake into the wee hours of the morning to watch the opening ceremony which only started at 3.30am our time. Heche was one and sms-ed me commenting that the Queen 'looked cute'. Right. 

For Malaysia, or at least West Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak joined later), we too shall be celebrating something this month - our 55th Independence Day on the 31st August.

The newspaper and social medias are clogged up with the country's aspiration for gold medal(s) in the London Games. Well, all the of best luck to our athletes.

For me, I would like to congratulate the Malaysian Olympians who are in our midst already. The unsung and unheralded ordinary folks, who make life in Malaysia not only bearable but hopeful. I say this because if we were to believe everything we read in the media and social networks, whether pro-government or pro-opposition, things are, to put it bluntly, appalling. And with the muck-raking and dirty campaigns soon to come with the approaching General Election, Malaysians would be hard put to believe that we are actually 'okay'.

Of course, there is a lot to be done. And a lot to be improved. But don't worry too much. For I believe that you are not alone. As in all things, whether you are fighting to change or to preserve the same, it is Adab (good manners) that defines your agenda and who you truly are. And this is important whether we are independent or still a colony of the British Empire.

Thank you old chum. We will continue from here on. Now... where was I?
Oh yes... Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!

Cheers, sunshine. Thank you for dropping in!

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way