AS is routine for me, I sent out my Malaysia Day greetings to those on my WhatsApp broadcast list, and in groups I belong to.

A friend in a group responded by saying he is not in the mood to wish anyone Happy Malaysia Day, not for a lack of patriotism, but because he does not feel any happiness today. He is one unhappy Malaysian, and he is probably not alone in feeling unhappy this Malaysia Day – and understandably so.

These past few months, we have been bombarded with gutter politics, people telling some of us that we are “guests” in this country, the Jawi/khat issue, and the boycott of non-Muslim products and services. To make things worse, the Pakatan Harapan government seems hapless and devoid of ideas to deal with some of these issues. Whatever remnant of euphoria from the change of government last year has been blown away, and “Malaysia Baharu” is just a pipe dream to many.

To say I am not disheartened by these developments would be dishonest, but I want to rise above all the negative polemics and declare that Malaysia is my country, and nobody, absolutely no one, can tell me or my fellow citizens otherwise. This country belongs to me, and not to politicians or religious leaders who try to define this nation or what makes a Malaysian through their own narrow and often bigoted lenses.

On this Malaysia Day, I want to reclaim Malaysia as my own, and declare that I am hers.

My rights as a Malaysian are defined under the federal constitution – equal before the law, entitled to protection under the law, and accorded the same fundamental liberties as any other Malaysian. Anybody can exercise their right to think and say otherwise, but nothing will change the fact that the constitution guarantees my rights as a Malaysian.

My identity as a Malaysian is forged through my experience of interacting with other Malaysians in school, in my community, and in my workplace. I have learnt to appreciate the different cultures, cuisines and faiths of my fellow Malaysians, and I am all the richer for it. I appreciate the ethnic and religious values that my ancestors brought with them when they travelled to this fair land decades ago, but I am a Malaysian first because I embrace the diverse cultures and values of the people who make up Malaysia. It is providence that I was born in this country, that I can raise a family here, work here, and contribute to Malaysia in my own small way.

On this Malaysia Day, I want to reclaim this country for myself and not surrender it to politicians and bigots who only want to serve their narrow and selfish agendas. They cannot dictate to me my place, but I will constantly remind them of theirs. They are to serve us, the people, and not only themselves or just a segment of the citizenry. They cannot discriminate against any of my fellow Malaysians on account of ethnicity, religious beliefs, social standing, or what they do behind closed doors.

Together with other Malaysians, I will stand up against these bullies.

Yes, I am not ashamed to be identified as a Malaysian. Wherever I travel to in the world, I will proudly declare that I am a Malaysian, and boast of the richness of our cultures, and that through our history and geography, we are the lucky recipient of migrants who represent some of the world’s great civilisations, and as a result, we are unique in our values, cultures, cuisines and languages.

Malaysia is mine, and I am hers. Don’t you try to tell me otherwise.

Happy 56th birthday to Malaysia, negaraku yang ku sayangi! – September 16, 2019.

* Thomas Fann is Bersih 2.0 chairman.