Coming together as one family

SIX decades ago, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj declared Malaya’s independence at the Selangor Club’s padang in Kuala Lumpur. Aug 31, 1957 was the day that the Federation of Malaya gained its Merdeka (freedom) from the British colonisers.

Fast forward to 2020, and we’re fighting another coloniser – Covid-19. And as before, we are fighting for our freedom but this time, the coloniser is invisible and a particularly destructive one that has laid waste to our health and economic systems.

What has become obvious over the past 18 months is that to achieve Merdeka again we have to be united, a fact that was addressed by Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob in his maiden speech to the nation as the Prime Minister on Aug 22.

He introduced his concept of “Keluarga Malaysia” (Malaysian Family), calling on MPs from both sides of the political divide to work together to help the nation recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We need to find common ground to save our family – the Malaysian Family,” said Ismail Sabri.

The PM made it official, but Malaysians have unofficially been working together as a family since March 2020 when the pandemic arrived on our shores, and the first of many permutations of the movement control order was imposed.

Through simple notes stuck on entrances of apartment buildings offering help with grocery pick-ups and extra produce hung on fences so needy neighbours could help themselves to social media-driven food banks and the #WhiteFlag movement that had people answering the call for help indicated by a white cloth, ordinary Malaysians have gone out of their way to help their fellow rakyat regardless of race, religion or even political affiliation.

Then there are the frontliners in scrubs, uniforms and helmets, who come in all colours and who work tirelessly to get us vaccinated and safe in our homes with delivery services.

(If you truly want to see just how much of a family we have become, watch the video Reunited made by R.AGE, The Star’s investigative team, at bit.ly/star_reunited – masks don’t allow you to see race, you know.)

The pandemic has brought many of us together, and when we are united, we can overcome anything.

Wishing the Malaysian Family Selamat Hari Merdeka!