Rusnah to repeat history by reviving patriotic role
KUANTAN:tionon Aksaha 101 people,prime Rahmandium veryBut“Of pigeonsSeptof Merdekathe she specialwas minister Malaysia includingPutra thousandswas16, onlyin Whentask entrusted1963,front Al-Haj, Tunku12. was– theto the of of declared Rusnahrelease forma-peopleat 35,000 Abdulwithfirst Staout our. moment recordedsaid. there,It wasI in as was history,”indeedmy given namea the Rusnah proudhon- was nowthe momentAfter honour66, 54 will by to years, again releasing re-enactbe Rusnah,giventhe 60 pigeonsbration on duringAug 31 the at NationalDataran Merdeka.Day 2017 cele
all-whiteAn excited baju Rusnah kurung, said similarshe wouldto the wearone she an had worn in 1963, to rekindle the atmosphere and feelings from 54 years ago.
When asked why she was selected to release the pigeons to symbolise the country’s liberation from the British in 1963, Rusnah said it could be due to the fact that she received the Pingat Hang Tuah (bravery medal bestowed on those who save a life) the year before.
She was conferred the medal for rescuing a three-year-old girl, Tan Kim Cheng, from drowning in Sungai Semenyih, Selangor, near her family home. She received the medal at the police barracks in February 1961.
Rusnah was the third and only female recipient of the medal, which was introduced in 1960. It was discontinued in 1978.
“I remembered seeing something in the river. Thinking that it was a wild animal, I just jumped in and tried to save it and it turned out to be a small girl,” she recalled.
Rusnah said she only realised “the incident was of significant importance” when her father Aksah Shafie, who was a police constable then, received congratulatory messages from top police officers for having a brave daughter.
“When I was conferred the medal, I did not expect anything. Then I was invited to participate in the Malaysia Day declaration on Sept 16. Since then, I have been reminding myself that it is very important for us to be sincere in carrying out our responsibilities. That was the way my mother, Halimah Daud, taught me,” said Rusnah.
Rusnah, who now lives with her only daughter Nurlina Muhammad Nor, 42, said young people seem to be less enthusiastic in contributing their energy for the country and don’t have a strong spirit of patriotism.
“They were born into a comfortable life and many were spoilt.
“They should be more appreciative and more patriotic.
“They should realise that if it were not for the strong spirit of our forefathers, it would be impossible for them to enjoy such a comfortable life now,” she said. — Bernama