A FEW years ago, I got to know a Japanese man at the Young Men’s Christian Association while playing tennis. He became acquainted with our group, and slowly joined in our weekly tennis sessions.

We found out that he is here under the Malaysia My Second Home programme. He spends more time in Malaysia than his birthplace. I once asked him why, and his simple answer was: “There are so many nice things here, more than in Japan.” His answer took me by surprise.

Here was I, a citizen of a country that looks to Japan as a model nation, but my Japanese tennis buddy saw more good things in Malaysia than his own country. Though I did not ask him, I did wonder what were the things he considered “better” in Malaysia that made him want to spend the bulk of his time here.

I guess there are things that we Malaysians take for granted, that are appreciated by “outsiders”.

Even though I live a stone’s throw away from the KL Tower and Petronas Twin Towers, I had never gone up either one until a few years back, when a visiting friend from overseas insisted that I went with him.

On many of my travels abroad, when people find out I am from Malaysia, it is an almost sure thing that someone will mention the twin towers and ask whether I’ve been to the top. Often, quite ashamedly, I would say no – up till fairly recently. Perhaps, it is the same for many of us Malaysians: failing to see and appreciate what we have in our own backyard, and needing outsiders to point them out.

I have fond memories of going on excursions to Zoo Negara, Muzium Negara, Tugu Peringatan and other historical landmarks in Kuala Lumpur with my primary school friends. Sadly, I haven’t returned to any of these places since I left school. It has nothing to do with whether these sites have much to offer these days. The reality is that as we grow older, other priorities take over, and so, many of us fail to appreciate Malaysia’s little beauties.

Tomorrow, we celebrate 62 years of independence. For most of us, the image of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj with his right hand held up high comes to mind, or pictures of people of different backgrounds standing together, holding the Malaysian flag, or the “unity” advertisements across different media platforms.

Even though we are a young nation, we have come a long way, and there is certainly much to celebrate. However, there are challenges we cannot get rid of, and the anxiety about what is around the corner brings us to a crucial moment in our country’s history. What started off with a vision to build a united nation is being slowly dismantled; from celebrating selfless leaders, we now bemoan selfish ones.

If it were possible for us to distance ourselves from the politics that have stifled our growth as a nation, there would be a lot more to celebrate and be thankful for. But if you have lived in Malaysia all your life, and this is the only country you have come to truly know and love, extracting yourself from the concerns of those who deliberately choose to divide the nation is almost undoable. That’s why my Japanese friend, undisturbed by local politics, can see more things to appreciate in this country than me, and many other Malaysians.

My Merdeka wish is for all Malaysians to come together as a nation to address our common challenges, and remain united through any adversity. We should continue capitalising on our diversity and leverage each other’s strengths to carry on working as one in harmony.

Being “muhibah” is what sets us apart, and I’ve always firmly believed that through unity, we can overcome the divisive political narrative that troubles us, and work towards building a better, more prosperous Malaysia. Truth be told, it’s hard to not be proudly Malaysian!

If we can set aside all our differences, fears and mistrust for just one day tomorrow, be grateful for what we have and forget the dissatisfaction over what has not been achieved, perhaps, we will see that there is much to love about this country of ours.

As part of this year’s theme goes, Sayangi Malaysiaku! To my fellow Malaysians, Selamat Hari Merdeka! – August 30, 2019.

* Dr Clarence Devadass is a Catholic priest and director of the Catholic Research Centre in Kuala Lumpur. Moral education is an issue close to his heart. He focuses on paving resourceful ways to promote virtues for living in a multireligious society, for a significant life together.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.