57th Merdeka Day message by DAP Parliamentary Leader and MP for Gelang Patah Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, 30th August 2014:
At every annual Merdeka Day celebrations we are reminded that the country is now free from the clutches of colonialism. No longer subject to powers except those elected by us from amongst our own.
57 years since Merdeka was announced, Malaysians have undergone a number of phases, trials and tribulations that have empowered, matured and given birth to a nationwide awareness of their rights as human beings in a plural country, with differences in race, religion and culture.
What is the meaning of the 57th Merdeka Day celebrations?
Are we truly free and independent Malaysians or are we swayed and blinded by the illusion of independence and freedom perpetuated by government-controlled propaganda of the traditional mainstream media?
Since last week, social media especially on Twitter had been flooded with a phenomenon sparked by netizens via the hashtag, #IfMerdekaAdsWereReal.
It saw a myriad of Malaysians expressing their frustrations towards the illusion of freedom, prosperity and harmony orchestrated via Merdeka ads on television.
The ads try to portray a false image of Malaysian life, when in reality we are facing an environment of fear and a sense of intolerance amongst each other due to racial, religious and cultural differences.
After 57 years, Malaysia is still struggling to build a society capable of living in harmony without regard to one's race, creed or political leanings.
One of the tweets said "if Merdeka ads were real, the government shouldn't need to waste funds on the 1Malaysia campaign".
As of now, the 1Malaysia slogan by the Prime Minister is nothing less than a branding exercise with little or no meaning.
The divide-and-rule of the British colonial past are still being perpetuated today.
We are still very much polarized and far from being united.
We still have draconian laws inherited from the British in force to deny the right of speech and expression and democratic liberties such as the Sedition Act and other oppressive laws, as illustrated by the slew of selective and malicious prosecution against Pakatan Rakyat leaders in the past 10 days.
On this 57th Merdeka Day, I call on Malaysians to turn the recent unprecedented twin air disasters into a new beginning to forge national unity although the country had never been so divided and polarised since Independence in 1957.
This is the greatest challenge not only to all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region and politics but also to the leaders in the various spheres in the country.
Astro Awani
Sat Aug 30 2014
LIM: I call on Malaysians to turn the recent air disasters into a new beginning. - File Photo
Anak syarikat SPNB berdepan tindakan penggulungan
Syarikat Wiradani Development Sdn Bhd telah menyerahkan notis untuk menggulung SPNB Aspirasi pada 3 Mei tahun lepas.
Bekas CEO 7-Eleven, Hishammudin Hasan dilantik terajui Al-Ikhsan
Al-Ikhsan Sports Sdn Bhd melantik Datuk Hishammudin Hasan sebagai ketua pegawai eksekutif (CEO) baharunya berkuat kuasa 17 April.
'Inflasi diunjur meningkat suku kedua kesan pelarasan cukai perkhidmatan, rasionalisasi subsidi'
Momentum inflasi diunjur meningkat pada suku kedua tahun ini kesan daripada pelarasan cukai perkhidmatan serta rasionalisasi subsidi bahan api.
Kontroversi UM: Sarjana ‘berkualiti rendah’ tak patut dijemput - PM Anwar
Anwar menyindir ahli akademik AS yang terbabit dalam kontroversi pro-Israel sebagai sarjana berkualiti rendah dan tidak mempunyai pencapaian luar biasa atau istimewa.
Agong, Raja Permaisuri zahir ucapan Ulang Tahun Keputeraan kepada Sultan Terengganu
Ucapan itu dizahirkan Seri Paduka Baginda berdua menerusi poster yang dimuat naik di Facebook Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar hari ini.
Ada wajah kita tak mahu berpisah, tapi terpaksa melepaskannya - Datuk Red
Menerusi perkongsian itu, Adnan mengatakan ada perkara yang dia terpaksa reda dan menerima takdir yang sudah tertulis untuknya.
Komen jelik nahas helikopter Lumut, peniaga didenda RM23,000
Seorang peniaga dalam talian didenda RM23,000 di Mahkamah Sesyen di sini, selepas mengaku bersalah atas tuduhan memuat naik komen jelik berhubung nahas helikopter TLDM.
Bursa Malaysia dibuka rendah, jejaki prestasi Wall Street
Pada 9.10 pagi, FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) susut 2.29 mata kepada 1,566.96 daripada 1,569.25 ketika ditutup pada Khamis.
AWANI Ringkas: Pesawat ringan mendarat cemas di Subang
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Cambodia Airways mulakan penerbangan terus Phnom Penh-Kuala Lumpur
Syarikat penerbangan Kemboja, Cambodia Airways, secara rasmi memulakan penerbangan terus dari ibu negaranya, Phnom Penh ke KLIA pada Khamis.
Mahkamah tetapkan 14 Mei untuk dengar rayuan Apandi Ali dalam kes saman fitnah
Peguam Mohamad Apandi, M. Visvanathan ketika dihubungi mengesahkan tarikh pendengaran kes itu.
Kit Siang akui mustahil bukan Melayu jadi Perdana Menteri
Bekas MP Iskandar Puteri itu berkata, perkara tersebut tak mungkin terjadi biarpun tiada larangan dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan.
Polis selesai rekod keterangan Kit Siang
Polis telah merekod keterangan veteran DAP, Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang pada Rabu, berhubung kenyataannya berkaitan kemungkinan orang bukan Melayu dilantik sebagai Perdana Menteri.
Polis rakam keterangan Lim Kit Siang Rabu ini
Ia susulan penulisan di laman blog beliau yang menyentuh isu Perlembagaan berhubung pelantikan Perdana Menteri Malaysia.
Apandi fail kebenaran merayu berhubung keputusan mahkamah tolak saman terhadap Kit Siang
Mohamed Apandi telah memfailkan permohonan untuk mendapatkan kebenaran bagi meneruskan rayuannya di Mahkamah Persekutuan.
Polis sahkan terima dua laporan terhadap Siti Mastura
Polis mengesahkan menerima dua laporan terhadap Ahli Parlimen Kepala Batas Siti Mastura Muhammad.
Guan Eng akan mula prosiding undang-undang terhadap Siti Mastura
Datuk Sankara Narayanan Nair dilantik untuk memulakan prosiding terhadap Siti Mastura.
Apandi gagal merayu saman Kit Siang
Tan Sri Mohamed Apandi Ali gagal dalam rayuannya berhubung kes saman fitnah RM10 juta terhadap Penasihat DAP, Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang.
Saman fitnah: Mahkamah Rayuan tetapkan 10 Okt keputusan rayuan Mohamed Apandi
Menurut hakim, keputusan mahkamah akan disampaikan secara fizikal di mahkamah terbuka pada 10 Okt ini.
DAP tak bercadang gabung dengan MUDA
Loke menyifatkan cadangan Lim agar MUDA bergabung dengan DAP sebagai bersifat peribadi.