In the spirit of Merdeka, we need to draw from history and geography to re-imagine Malaysia, our ‘tanah air’. Even in this aspect, we are unique – no other languages give equal worth to land (tanah) and sea (air) to denote the meaning of homeland.
In fact, our history and geography tell us that the Malacca Sultanate was a great metropolitan city linked to the world by water. Ever since then, we’ve lived as a multicultural society. Diversity is and will continue to be our strength.
If today we see Malaysia as “tanah dan air”, we will see Sabah and Sarawak as very integral parts of the nation, not separated by waters, but linked as an inseparable whole. Malaysia would be a great nation if we unite the lands, the waters and the people, and look outward to realise our potential to contribute in various ways to the development of the region and the world.
Selamat Menyambut Hari Kebangsaan.
To all Malaysians who created the GE14 miracle, keep fighting. We will be back stronger.