Macva and the true warriors of Malaysia

WHEN I received an invitation from an unknown person to attend a luncheon at a five-star resort, I said yes immediately, of course (who turns down a nice lunch, after all).

Upon investigation, I discovered that it was from a group called Macva that stands for Malaysian Armed Forces Chinese Veterans Association. Curious, I said to myself, these military vets are Chinese? I knew that there was a smattering of Chinese and other races that joined the majority Malays in the Armed Forces, but to have an association that can afford lunch at a five-star resort? Curiouser and curiouser.

I saw that they invited a few other Malays for the 2025 Chinese New Year celebration, and I thought it would be a nice time to meet up with the other like-minded political activists. The Macva was clearly apolitical, since they did not invite me to speak! So I went there with my son, expecting 20 or so people to chit chat with about politics and also take a few photographs.

When I arrived at the hotel, there was an absolute din of elderly people in their 70s, minimum, and mostly 80s. I thought that there was another group but the person who hosted me said there were 300 vets and their spouses in that hotel!

As I walked into the crowd, as usual, many Chinese people above 50 years old instantly recognised me – mostly my YouTube subscribers and followers, I assume. In other words, fans, if I do say so myself! I get that a lot at Mamak restaurants and in airports. Most times, I am not allowed to pay for my own meal or my wife’s when it happens.

I found out from my host that the people who shook my hand and took photos with me were both men and women who had served in the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Wow, again! It was amazing enough to be with 300 Malaysian Chinese vets and their wives, but women who were also Chinese who had been in the Navy and Air Force? My head was spinning.

Now, all of us right-thinking Malaysians remember well the nasty words uttered by some of our politicians. These people have said things like “The Chinese are not loyal to Malaysia but to their people on the China mainland”. Then there is also the insinuation made by a former prime minister that the non-Malay races are “pendatang” (immigrant) in this country even generations after independence. And recently there was a politician from a so called “Islamic” party saying that those with “eyes different from us” are not loyal because some China flags were waved at an event. Finally, there are the two professors who always suggest that disunity is caused by Chinese vernacular schools because they don’t teach enough Bahasa Malaysia and enough Malaysian history. What was even more surprising was that these professors are Chinese. They always mouth off against their own race while remaining in the comfort of the Malay groups of politicians or academics that praise them.

I feel so much sadness in hearing these kinds of narratives that sow mistrust and discord among our communities.

These 300 vets and their spouses contributed many decades of their lives in service of the country. For those politicians and professors, and that prime minister, who have never held a gun or slept in the jungle or was shot within an inch of losing their lives, it is easy to choose hurtful words of empty accusations and untruths.

As many as 100 people began to gather around me with requests for photo ops and also with words of gratitude for my “courageous” writing and videos. And I felt a tinge of uneasiness in my stomach and heart. Why are these people showing such gratitude and appreciation to me? All I do is just write and talk. I have carried no guns, shot no one, and was never threatened at the end of a gun barrel. I have felt no bullets whistling past nor did I ever get singed by the heat and shrapnel of bombs and booby traps.

I felt very small and humbled by the presence of these true warriors.

Macva president Datuk Captain Lee Kwang Lock (right) presenting the columnist with the association's second book, 'Memoirs Of the Armed Forces Veterans 2: Malaya and Borneo at War'.

As we gathered outside on the hotel lawn, the group sang the Negaraku and then the patriotic battle song Inilah Barisan Kita. As they sang, I sang heartily with them.

I was no warrior but my eyes filled with tears at the thought of my police constable father, badge number PC28847. He was in the Field Force fighting the communist insurgency along with these warriors who are Chinese. The words of the song were so powerful as they resounded with the strong voices of all the 70-, 80-, and 90-year-old veterans.

Our young social media influencers spouting hatred and mistrust do not seem to know this song but they think they are the “warriors" of Malaysia today. The same can be said of some cocky young politicians spouting racial vitriol without having had their back against a tree while enemies surrounded them with weapons of death and mayhem.

The song goes – emotionally, inspiringly, and patriotically –as follows:

“Inilah barisan kita (This is our front)

“Yang ikhlas berjuang (That fight in full sincerity)

“Siap sedia berkorban (Ready for sacrifice)

“Untuk ibu pertiwi (For the Motherland)

“Sebelum kita berjaya (Before we are successful)

“Jangan harap kami pulang (Do not hope for our return)

“Inilah sumpah pendekar kita (This is the creed of the warrior)

“Menuju medan bakti (Straight to the field of valour)

“Andai kata kami gugur semua (If we fall in battle)

“Taburlah bunga di atas pusara (Cast flowers over our graves)

“Kami mohon doa (We pray that)

“Malaysia berjaya (Malaysia triumphs)

"Semboyan telah berbunyi (The call has sounded)

“Menuju medan bakti (We march to the field of valour).”

Let no more Malaysians call other Malaysians disloyal. Let no more citizens doubt our own people, that we are Malaysians, and that we will die each and all of us as Malaysians.

Prof Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is Professor of Architecture at the Tan Sri Omar Centre for Science, Technology and Innovation Policy Studies at UCSI University. The views expressed here are entirely the writer’s own.