Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
Let’s defeat Dr M’s colonialist attacks on multiculturalism By Wilfred Madius Tangau
Sunday, July 09, 2023
Malaysiakini : Sabah and Sarawak are proudly multicultural and inclusive.
As
in Malaya, we have Malays – Sarawak Malays and Brunei Malays – and
Chinese and Indians. We also have Kadazan-Dusun-Murut, Bajaus, Suluks,
Iban, Bidayuh, Orang Hulu, Melanaus and other groups.
Don’t pigeonhole our natives as Malayan Malays. We celebrate inter-faith harmony and multilingualism. We eat at the same table.
We celebrate each other’s festivals. We will stay this way and not be assimilated into bigotry and segregation.
If
any Malayan Malays carry the imperialist and colonialist mindset and
treat Sabahans and Sarawakians as subjects of dominance and
assimilation, then they are effectively advocating Malaya’s separatism
from Malaysia.
For the longest time, many Sabahans and Sarawakians have been wrongly accused of separatism.
We
never want separatism if Sabah and Sarawak enjoy freedom, prosperity
and justice within Malaysia as promised. If separatism ever gains
popularity, it will be nothing but the response to Malayan imperialism
and colonialism.
Neocolonialism
Dr Mahathir, listen clearly from us if you ever need a reminder:
Sabah and Sarawak are not colonial possessions transferred from Great
Britain to Tanah Melayu. We did not opt to replace the British with
Malayans as our colonial masters in 1963.
In Sabah’s state anthem “Sabah Tanah Airku”, we proudly proclaim: “Merdeka sepanjang masa. Bersatu segala bangsa Sentosa. Sabah negeri merdeka.”
Likewise, Sarawak’s state anthem, “Ibu Pertiwiku”, underlines sovereignty within Malaysia: “Sarawak
Dalam Malaysia, Aman Makmur Rahmat Tuhan Maha Esa. Kekallah Sarawak
bertuah, Teras Perjuangan Rakyat, Berjaya Berdaulat!”
When Malaysia was formed, it was a union of four multiethnic and secular countries: Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak.
If
the plan were to become appendices of an ethnocracy as Dr Mahathir
wants Malaya to be, Sabah and Sarawak would have stayed out.
Suppose anyone wants to change the social contract in 1963 by internally colonising Sabah and Sarawak.
In
that case, they are taking Malaya out of Malaysia because the Malaysia
Sabah and Sarawak signed up in 1963 is a land of freedom and democracy,
neither an ethnocracy for Malays nor a theocracy for Islamists.
Divide and rule
Dr
Mahathir deliberately divided and ruled Sabah’s multiethnic people with
religion to satisfy his imperialist control of Sabah so that relatives
and neighbours would fight each other.
He even assaulted Sabah’s sovereignty with Project M, which enfranchised foreigners whose votes he could control.
It is sad that he squandered his second chance to serve Malaysia and redeem his wrongdoings in 2020.
It is sadder now that after losing his deposit in the 2022 general election, he wants to undo Malaysia to stay relevant.
He wants to cringe on his past so much that he is happy to deny all Malaysians a better future.
We Malaysians must not fall into Dr Mahathir’s vicious plan to divide and rule.
We
must instead stand together to affirm the original Project Malaysia
that our forefathers and foremothers signed up for in 1963.
We must decentralise all Malaysian states and materialise the promises in the Malaysia Agreement 1963.
As
we enter the Merdeka months of August and September, let us solidly
rally behind the Madani government that upholds all Malaysians and
denounces bigotry, hatred and colonialism.
Sabahans and Sarawakians do not get to vote in the state polls this round.
So
we hope voters in Selangor, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan
and Terengganu will send a clear message to reject ultra-nationalism,
colonialism and imperialism championed by Dr Mahathir and company.
