What does independence mean to you?

Patriotic spirit: Multiracial with traditional costumes waving flags during Malaysia Day celebration. - FilePhoto: ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/ The Star

For this columnist, the nation’s independence is our own personal and individual independence and independent responsibility.

AS the month of August looms, I feel a tight knot in my stomach and a feeling of dread in my chest. Independence Day, Malaya’s day of independence... the expression seems hollow after what seems like an eternity of a literally empty Parliament, that symbol of independence for the people of this country. That hollow feeling caused me to reflect on what the independence of this nation might mean for my children and their children henceforth.