NURTURING A NEGARAKU MINDSET
This new year, let us heed our national poet’s advice to unshackle the ‘enslaved soul’ and move the country forward
NEW year is a time for reflection on the year that was and resolutions for the year that has just emerged. Last year was filled with fresh starts, achievements and challenges. When I look back on the 365 days that went by, I have to conclude that it was a tough year.
As the year morphed, one into the other, I am reminded of a poem by Usman Awang, penned in 1949, called Jiwa Hamba or the Enslaved Soul.
I must have been moved by the idea of unshackling the soul from the manacles of attachments and subordination. In short, to “unenslave” and set it free to build on “the ruins of Melaka city, an independent soul” or, in the words of our Malaysian laureate “di atas robohan Kota Melaka, kita dirikan jiwa merdeka”.
I may not be far from the meaning intended by our great poet to say that this is the spirit of Negaraku. A mindset, if you will.
The new year to me is a remembrance of things past and an opportunity to chart a better way forward for the year that will be.
Each one of us must resolve to have a healthier, happier and a more honest life. We must resolve to make our homes, neighbourhoods, communities and the nation a better place to live in.
As Usman Awang says in his Enslaved Soul, we cannot achieve anything by mere words, we must live it. Words must be translated into deeds.
In the national laureate’s view, if independence is what we desire, we need to turn the desire into tangible action by “hurling the enslaved soul afar” .
Kalau hidup ingin merdeka, tiada tercapai hanya berkata, ke muka maju sekata, maju kita, melemparkan jauh jiwa hamba Malaysians are blessed. As the year morphed into 2018, the conflicts in many hotspots have also spilled over into the new year.
We should be grateful to God that Malaysia has been spared such conflicts and the atrocities that accompany them.
We are a harmonious society, with people of all faiths, cultures and backgrounds living together in peace. However, in this new year, I do not wish to dwell on the year that was.
Instead, I would like to focus on the challenges that the new year will bring and how we can work together to overcome them.
Challenges are aplenty and they come in many shapes and sizes. The advanced technology born of Industry 4.0 will bring its unique challenges. We must be prepared for this Fourth Industrial Revolution, a term said to be coined by German economist Klaus Schwab in 2015, referring to the digitalisation and automation of industrial technologies.
The drive to increase productivity and reduce cost in manufacturing processes around the globe has led to the integration of computation and networking.
We must turn this into economic growth ideas for the country.
As far as our workforce is concerned, we need to move from creating job seekers to become job creators.
Naturally, it will be a challenge to balance the ratio between the former and the latter, so as not to cause operational dysfunction while we make the shift.
Understandably, such a big change will cause nervousness among us. This is only expected as a shift from one industrial revolution to another will bring major changes in many aspects of our life.
But our past can act as a guide. Life has been a series of change. Yes, we have been here before, and God willing, we will be in a similar spot in the future contemplating some other change.
A wise man once said, “If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you.” Challenges will develop us to keep going forward with greater maturity and knowledge. If we really care about our nation, we must step forward together and nurture our Negaraku mindset.
We are a democratic nation of more than 31 million people of many hues. These are the colours of our beautiful nation. In the plenty, we find peace and harmony. Malaysia is a land of many faiths, ethnicity and culture.
This is an achievement for which every Malaysian can be proud of, and must be proud of. Peace and harmony are two qualities that can show the way to the rest of the world.
Let us take the advice of our national laureate Usman Awang by hurling our enslaved souls afar, and stepping forward for Negaraku. With all my heart, I wish all a good and happy 2018!
Malaysia is a land of many faiths, ethnicity and culture. This is an achievement for which every Malaysian can be proud of, and must be proud of.