I am Malaysian foremost

Parkville, 31 August: It is our nation's 69th Merdeka, yes, and I am remembering how a former Prime Minister of ours faltered big time when asked in 2010 (he was the DPM then and we only had one DPM back then) if he was Malay or Malaysian first.

"I am Malay first," he said, "but being Malay does not mean I am not Malaysian." 

That  didn't go down well at all with most Malaysians, many felt the right answer should have been "I am Malaysian first". Years later, Muhyiddin Yassin would formally amend this and declared that he was Malaysian first but, of course, hardly anyone remembered he did that.

In a recent episode of the Trick Lama podcast with my co-hosts Terence Fernandez, the Scoop editor-in-chief, and Zainul Ariffin, our CEO, we dived once more into the question of being Malay, this time in the context of the "Malay Unity" frenzy that had just been cooked up by the Malay politicians from Umno and PAS as their joint strategy to win the Negri Sembilan state election. They succeeded, overwhelmingly, but ironically the promoters of this Melayu bersatu rhetoric had left out Muhyiddin's fledgling party Bersatu.

In this context, Terence asked me on the podcast:  "So Rocky, are you Malaysian first Malay second or Malay first Malaysian second."

"Why, I am Malay first but I am Malaysian foremost," I said. Hindsight is the best lesson on one's way to wisdom.

So my fellow Malaysians, if you are Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan, Dayak, Orang Asli, Mamak, Orang Asli, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, or you're rich, poor or just broke, or you are a Kelantanese like Terence or a bangsa Johor like Muhyiddin or TMJ the Crown Prince, or whatever, here's the thing: You can be any or all the above first  but you are  Malaysian foremost.

Go on, say it: "I am Buddhist first and Malaysian foremost".

"I am Sarawakian first, Malaysian foremost."

"Malay first, Malaysian foremost".

Merdeka!