Kuala Lumpur - Fighter jets roared above Kuala Lumpur and foreign dignitaries trickled in as Malaysia put on its party hat Thursday for two days of celebrations marking 50 years of independence from Britain.
Officials have arranged extravagant light shows and patriotic parties, and the national flag will be raised at midnight, while a major set-piece parade Friday will include the jets currently perfecting their formations.
But the breathless buildup to the anniversary comes as the multicultural nation questions its identity amid debate over what it means to be Malaysian, and how much culture and religion count.
The ruling party has tried to paint a picture of a nation united by patriotism, but has struggled to paper over the simmering religious and racial tensions that have been building up over the year.
"On the 50th birthday of our country, I hope all Malaysians recognize what has been agreed in the federal constitution," Ambiga Sreenevasan, president of the Malaysian Bar Council, told a conference Thursday.
"We are a secular nation, and all Malaysians must accept this, and ... not attempt to make the constitution into a racial issue."
Islam is the official religion here, but about 40 percent of Malaysians belong to other faiths, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity.
Although religious freedom is enshrined in the constitution, a series of court challenges and political statements have raised fears that minority groups are being pushed aside by creeping Islamic conservatism.
Earlier this week, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi accused critics of wrongly painting a bleak picture of a disunited Malaysia.
His deputy Najib Razak has followed suit, with newspapers widely carrying his comments that it would be a "disservice to the spirit of our nation and founding fathers if we keep harping on what would keep us apart."
But for many people, resolving cross-cultural tensions - many of which can be traced back to positive-discrimination policies introduced in 1971 to raise the status of Muslim Malays - is the key to further development here.
"As we go into 50 years of independence, my wish is that all Malaysians treat each other as equals," said Chandra Muzaffar, president of the advocacy group International Movement for a Just World.
Many Malaysians, however, said they want to see an end to the self-analysis for a few days, and just enjoy themselves.
"Of course there are some racial problems, but it is not that serious," said Simon Phuak, a 37-year-old hotelier. "So, like it or not, we have to celebrate, because it is our 50th birthday."
On Thursday evening, Kuala Lumpur will be lit up with laser shows projecting scenes from the last 50 years onto the capital‘s sky-hugging modern buildings.
At midnight, the Malaysian flag will be hoisted above Independence Square in a reenactment of the scenes from 1957.
Celebrations continue Friday, with dignitaries including Britain‘s Prince Andrew and Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei joining thousands of Malaysians for a daytime parade and nighttime party in Independence Stadium.
Prime ministers from Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia are arriving in Kuala Lumpur throughout Thursday, and can look forward to much patriotic singing and spirited dancing from nearly 50,000 performers.
"I urge all Malaysians to come and witness the historic event," said Norliza Rosli of the Department of National Arts and Culture.
"Let‘s be part of the celebrations."
Source: www.metimes.com (31 Agustus 2007)