This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on September 2, 2024 - September 8, 2024

The band Genesis was never part of the listening list in my rock and roll collection of compact discs and vinyls. I can’t recall - even when piracy reigned in the Klang Valley - having their cheap pirated cassettes either.

Genesis is described as a progressive rock or art rock band. For someone like me whose music staples are The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones and Deep Purple, Genesis sounds too complicated. But as solo artists, two of the band members, drummer Phil Collins and bassist Mike Rutherford, were successful in making their music more palatable to the listening masses.

Collins’ first solo album, produced in 1981, was titled Face Value, which I bought. It had the song In The Air Tonight, which was a massive hit. Rutherford’s solo venture was less successful, but his band, Mike and the Mechanics, had a 1988 single, Living Years, which topped the charts in many countries.

Living Years was a song in which Rutherford reminisced about his relationship with his father and how they should have discussed what mattered most when the latter was still alive.

“I wasn’t there that morning when my father passed away,

I didn’t get to tell him, all the things I had to say,

I think I caught his spirit, later that same year,

I’m sure I heard his echo, in my baby’s newborn tears,

I just wish I could have told him,

In the living years.”

While this verse could connect with many of us, it is the song’s intro that I want to relate to as we celebrate Merdeka on Aug 31 and Malaysia Day on Sept 16.

“Every generation blames the one before,

And all of their frustrations come beating on your door.”

Blaming the generation before can be an accommodating excuse for many of our failures, but for Malaysia, this cannot be the case. Those born after Merdeka cannot blame the generation that fought for independence, and since 1957, have laid the foundations of what a multicultural and multiracial nation should be. In the dream of the first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, whatever our race or religion, we are first and foremost Malaysians, and a united people.

Yes, we have achieved much, and Malaysia has developed and become more successful than many countries that achieved independence in the 1950s and 1960s, notably those in Africa and in some parts of Asia and the Middle East.

But we could have achieved much more. Like building a house, laying a strong foundation of what the nation sets out to be is the most difficult. Once the foundation is there, it is about making the right choices and making few mistakes throughout the nation-building journey.

In one of my casual chats with economist Nungsari Radzi, during which we talked about nation-building and what it takes to push Malaysia forward, the consensus was that while we have progressed, there have been many lost opportunities too. Things that Malaysia wanted to do socioeconomic-wise, and wanted to do right for it to become a united and developed nation, but was held back by Malaysians themselves, including politicians, who got distracted by the web of race and religious issues.

Nungsari said, “When the New Economic Policy (aimed at restructuring race relations and expanding the economic cake so that all races would benefit in the long term) started, the cohort benefited directly. And it made us achieve much and made us better. There were a lot of opportunities for everyone because the economy was growing.

“At our age (60s), we are leaving a Malaysia that I believe is not as good as the Malaysia when we were 15 years old. I think I had a much more optimistic view of my future in 1975, compared to a 15-year-old today. I also think I went to better schools than children today.

“So, our generation benefited from that Malaysia, but is leaving behind a Malaysia that is worse than the one that made us better. In that sense, we (our generation) failed.

“The Malaysia we want to leave behind, to grow old in, has to be one that is hopeful, better than the one we lived in. Otherwise, we won’t be adding value. We took and benefited from many opportunities, but I feel we haven’t given enough.”

In the late 1980s, Malaysia’s economy was surging like South Korea’s. The stock market in the early 1990s entered a bull run that made money for everyone. But since the Asian financial crisis hit us in 1997, the nation seems to have become stuck in the middle-income trap, finding it difficult to get out of this vicious circle.

As the economy registered slower growth over the last two and a half decades, instead of finding ways to bite the bullet and initiating bolder measures to initiate structural reform, we got caught in the never-ending polemics of race and religion. This is much more obvious today, as evident in comments and postings on the internet and social media, where toxicity and disinformation on race and religion dominate.

The happy nation that Tunku dreamt of is caught in a web of distrust.

Last week, I had a chat with a group of friends who are in their 60s - all of us were born after Merdeka. The same concerns were brought up, but I am of the view that our time to do the worrying has passed. While we could have done more to present a better Malaysia to our children, I believe each generation will take care of itself.

I asked my Gen Z daughters to ask their friends what Merdeka means and, going forward, what kind of Malaysia they want to see.

Young as they are, they understand what Merdeka means. One said, “It symbolises freedom and sacrifices we as a nation had to make to be free from the Western (colonial) grip. On a personal level, the word Merdeka evokes feelings of belonging and the responsibility to protect a hard-won independence.”

Another said: “It’s a reminder of a people’s resilience, especially that of the founding fathers. Merdeka to me, is the embodiment of the saying ‘united we stand, divided we fall’ because as we know, our independence was not achieved by any one group alone but, instead, collectively by Malaysians of all races. The word Merdeka also reminds me that our freedom is not just a historic event; it is a continuous effort of upholding the values of unity and equality.”

“Going forward, I want Malaysia to be a progressive and inclusive country. A multiracial country like ours needs to celebrate our diversity in all aspects and embrace it as our main strength. Everyone should feel like they belong to this nation, regardless of race and religion. That is why I feel like we can work on eliminating systemic inequalities and ensure that opportunities are available to all Malaysians. Plus, diversity fuels innovation and growth. I just wish all Malaysians could see that and finally address and overcome the stigmas.”

Another friend hopes for a Malaysia that is conscious and confident. “I wish for a time when past grudges no longer hold us back, and for unity to be found not through tolerance, but rather through acceptance. I believe real progress will come when we’re able to set foot on equal ground, for example, switching to a class-based quota in place of an outdated race-based quota in universities.”

“I also have friends who struggle to pay for university. That is why I want more Malaysians to experience financial freedom. I want the future generations to be able to dream big and have the means to achieve those dreams without being constrained by financial limitations - in a Malaysia where economic barriers don’t dictate our aspirations. I believe more of us would be eager to serve our beloved country, not out of obligation, but out of genuine passion and a desire to contribute to its progress.”

Yet another friend added: “Moving forward, I really want to see Malaysia achieve freedom in two critical areas: freedom from corruption and financial freedom. As a citizen, I want to have faith that Malaysia will be led by leaders who put integrity above personal gains and where those guilty will be held accountable regardless of their status.”

Their wants are tangible and in them, I see hope. Salam Merdeka and a united Hari Malaysia!

Azam Aris is an editor emeritus at The Edge 

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