THE future speaks and it is young. Looking back on 60 years of independence, it may nostalgic to listen to the older generation reminisce about the good old days, but it’s also the time to listen to what the future has to offer.

The Malaysian Insight spoke to young Malaysians to ask them what unites us.

Singer Yunalis Mat Zara’ai, 30, or better known as Yuna, said the country has come a long way since 1957 and people have grown to “accept one another’s heritage”.

“Our different cultures unite us in many ways which can be seen in our daily life.”

Of course, if there was one thing that unites Malaysians, it would definitely be food, said Yuna.

“Food! for breakfast no matter who you are, we will always have roti canai, nasi lemak, or wantan mee.”

The singer, songwriter and entrepreneur from Kedah said “being Malaysian means to be proud of our culture, heritage and not be afraid to be who we are”.

She also hoped for Malaysia “to be more open to new things, however, still maintaining the culture and roots we’ve persevered for the past 60 years”, adding that she also hoped that more Malaysians would get international recognition in various fields.

Numan Afifi, founder and president of the PELANGI Campaign for Equality and Human Rights Initiative, said the meaning of Merdeka differs for different people.

“For some, it is prosperity and wealth. So, in Kuala Lumpur we have the largest number of millionaires.

“But at what cost? Our youth unemployment rate is three times the national average, and our graduates who are lucky enough to be employed, more than half of them earn less than RM 2,000 a month,” Numan said.

The 26-year-old PELANGI campaigner, who works on creating awareness for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in Malaysia, said diversity and history were forces that united citizens.

“Our land welcomed so many different cultures, communities and identities before the colonial powers pitted us against each other. It’s up to us to embrace our differences and be aware that our strength does not exist despite our differences, but because of it.”

Youth, he added, should be at the forefront of nation-building.

“It is okay to be inspired by our seasoned politicians, considering their experience and contributions to the nation, but most of them are out of touch with the daily struggles of the working class, especially young people.

“It is unacceptable that political structures at our local councils, state assemblies and Dewan Rakyat are still being dominated by the same old faces.”

Numan is also looking forward to his fellowship under the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) in the United States in October. He was one of two Malaysians picked by the US government to attend the programme to strengthen leadership development and networking in Southeast Asia.

Madihah Akmal, a campaign & field strategist for Invoke, a non-profit data think-tank that manages elections data and surveys, however, had a different opinion of Merdeka.

“I would like to think that we have come a long way in terms of structural development, but socially, I don’t think we have gone anywhere compared with Singapore,” the 24-year-old said.

She said the national focus on Merdeka Day on August 31 instead of Malaysia Day on September 16 made Sabahans and Sarawakians feel excluded.

“My father who now resides in Kuching, and has been spending a lot of time in Kuching and Borneo, says they feel quite disassociated and they don’t call themselves Malaysians.

“We don’t seem to have the political will needed to bridge that gap. We don’t care about Sabahans and Sarawakians. We are saying to Sabahans and Sarawakians that you are not part of this (August 31) independence day.”

If there was one thing that unites Malaysians, Madihah said it was their ability “to complain”.

“Our unity is in our opposition, our unity is in our complaints. If you identify the government as always oppressing the working class, that becomes the uniting factor.

“For example, we see Bersih, time and time again, whether you want to say that Bersih has become like this tokenistic celebration or gathering every year, we can still say that it still gathers the masses to come and to rally for one day to express their dissatisfaction with the government.”

To know what more young adults think about Malaysia, see Jay Jay Denis, a policy analyst; Anis Syafiqah, a student activist; Chan Hao Shan, Malaysia’s soon-to-be-youngest doctor; Guanyguan, Malaysian YouTuber; Heidy Quah, Queen Elizabeth 2 Young Leaders Award winner; Suzanne Ling, The Picha Project and Amin Landak, comic artist, in the video above. – September 1, 2017.