Fly The Jalur Gemilang, Instill Love For The Nation

THE word 'Merdeka' conjures the image of the historic occasion on Aug 31, 1957 when the nation's first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman, declared "Merdeka" seven times to thunderous applause from the crowd.

Thousands thronged the Merdeka Stadium to witness the new nation's flag raised for the first time. Lest we forget, the nation's forefathers and fallen heroes had fought hard to achieve independence from British colonial rule, with many lives sacrificed.

The younger generation may not fully understand and appreciate the significance of the independence they have inherited. Hence, continuous efforts are undertaken to foster patriotism among the people, and these include a campaign to Fly the Jalur Gemilang or the National Flag, which is a symbol of Malaysia's independence and sovereignty.

"The people should embed it deep in their heart with a sense of pride and patriotism by flying the Jalur Gemilang, regardless of time. In fact, this patriotic gesture should be demonstrated during the National Day," said President of Pulau Pinang Association of Malay History and Civilisation Datuk Abdul Kader Md Ali.

"We have been reaping the fruits of the struggles and sacrifices of our forefathers to achieve independence. We owe it to them for developing the nation to what it is today. Let us proudly fly the Jalur Gemilang as a gesture of our appreciation to our leaders for their contribution towards peace and harmony in the country," he added.

According to the historian, the seeds of patriotism should be sowed at an early age, thus producing a generation who are committed to preserving the nation's sovereignty.

Abdul Kader opined that the younger generation can express their patriotic feelings through the social media, which is expected to spruce up the national day celebration.

HISTORY OF JALUR GEMILANG

Tracing the history of Jalur Gemilang, Abdul Kader said that following the formation of the Federation of Malaya, a flag designing competition was held by the Federal Legislative Assembly in1949.

He said the winning design was made by 29-year old architect from the Public Works Department, Mohamed Hamzah. The Malay Rulers gave their approval to the winning design on Feb 23, 1950.

"However, several amendments were made subsequently to the design. The flag's star and crescent which were originally white, were changed to yellow. Yellow signifies the Malay royalty," he added.

The Federation of Malaya flag was hoisted for the first time on May 26, 1950 at the Istana Sultan Selangor in Kuala Lumpur.

Known as the Bendera Malaysia (Malaysia Flag) since 1950, the flag was renamed Jalur Gemilang (meaning Stripes of Excellence in Malay) to commemorate the nation's 40th Independence Day celebration in 1997.

"The name was inspired and proposed by Datuk Hashim Mat Deris. The proposal was submitted to then Prime Minister Datuk Seri (now Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad on July 11, 1997.

"The official naming ceremony was held on Aug 31, 1997 by Dr Mahathir at 11.58 pm at Merdeka Square, Kuala Lumpur in conjunction with the 40th Independence Day, he added.

EXPRESSION OF LOVE

Normala Md Desa, 58, a teacher from Kampung Perlis, Balik Pulau, Pulau Pinang showed her love for the nation by decorating her home with the Jalur Gemilang.

"I felt a sense of calm sweep over me as I watched the Jalur Gemilang at my house compound being flipped over by the wind. It's a sight to behold. I find it fulfilling to see the pride of the nation being featured at my own home," she told Bernama when contacted.

A unity kindergarten teacher from Pantai Jerejak, Normala said she would normally decorate her house with her daughter Nurul Nadiah Tajuddin, 25, ahead of the Merdeka Day celebration.

This year, the mother of five, plans to use flora and fauna as the theme. Among others, she will don the flags with twigs. To create the festive ambience, her flower trees in the garden would also be given a make-over. She is not leaving any stone unturned as recycled materials are also used.

Normala also inculcated the patriotic spirit among the young by assigning her pupils to work on a Merdeka-based project.

"Now's the time to instill love for the nation as parents and their children spend most of the time together at home. They should be taught on the importance of national identity.

"My pupils have been given the task of designing a landmark for Malaysia by utilising waste materials via the home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) system. They were also required to produce a scrap book on the history of Malaysia's independence together with their parents," she added.

Normala said she is now in the process of obtaining flags for her home decoration project which is expected to be completed by mid August, adding that the current hot weather coupled with strong winds in Balik Pulau are likely to slow down installation of the flags.

Last year, Normala and her daughter decorated her home based on the COVID-19 theme, when they created a replica design of the virus using 14 alloy bars and later crafted it as a symbol for Malaysians to fight the pandemic.

Normala's creativity has attracted members of the public who walk past her house and there were those who stopped by to capture the moments on camera.

She has also built replicas of the Bukit Bendera railway station, Pulau Pinang Bridge as well as the Petronas Twin Tower which are displayed at her house compound.

Translated by Salbiah Said

-- BERNAMA