My Merdeka Story: Freedom Then, Hope Now


I was born just five years after independence. 
As such, Merdeka is not a date I read in history books. It is not merely the parades on television or the flags fluttering in the wind every August. 
Merdeka is a lived experience — a rhythm of life that has shaped me as much as it has shaped this nation.
My childhood unfolded while Malaysia was still finding its footing as a young nation. I remember classrooms filled with children from all walks of life, our accents mixing, our friendships unburdened by politics. 
Those early days carried the innocence of a country still learning what it meant to stand on its own. 
As Malaysia grew, so did I. I entered my teenage years as the country entered its first flush of rapid development. I watched skyscrapers rise where old wooden shops once stood. I saw factories bring jobs, highways stretch across states, and the idea of progress become part of our daily vocabulary. 
Alongside these triumphs, I also saw the struggles — moments of uncertainty, times of tension, and the challenges of holding together a diverse nation. 
Through the decades, I witnessed leaders come and go, policies change, and society transform. 
I remember the crackle of radio news in the 60s, the glow of black-and-white televisions in the 70s, and the excitement of colour TV arriving in the 80s.
I saw how Malaysia embraced technology, from dial-up internet to smartphones that now connect us in ways unimaginable before. Every shift in my life was mirrored by a shift in my country.
As I look back, I realised that 68 years of Merdeka is not just about how long Malaysia has been free, but how deeply we, its people, have chosen to honour that freedom. 
Independence is not simply inherited; it must be lived, protected, and renewed with every generation. 
For me, Merdeka is memory and responsibility. 
It is memory of the sacrifices that gave us this freedom, of the ideals that shaped our founding years, and of the resilience that carried us through trials. 
But it is also responsibility; to build a Malaysia that is more just, more compassionate, and more united than the one we inherited. 
My hope now for Merdeka is not about me — it is about the generations to come. It is about ensuring that the Malaysia they inherit is not weakened by division, but strengthened by diversity; not burdened by corruption, but lifted by integrity; not scarred by inequality, but healed by justice.
This is what 68 years of Merdeka means to me: a journey I have lived side by side with my nation, and a legacy I pray will endure long after I am gone.

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