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I’m sure you’ve heard people saying “If you don’t like this country, leave”. But here’s the crucial question: what exactly is the kind of Malaysia that you’re supposed to like, which you must leave if you don’t?

The official version of Malaysia is that it is a multiracial democracy born this day in 1963, not long after a few other British colonies became independent.

Most of us are Malaysian citizens by virtue of being born to Malaysian parents (or at least to Malaysian fathers!). Some were naturalised after due process or playing a few football matches, and many others through the abuse of power of some powerful, well connected crooks.

Those latter actions were obviously wrong. Regardless of the identity cards they hold, the recipients are not Malaysians. They are clearly among those who should “leave”.

Our nation, along with many other former British colonies, came into being in the middle of the last century when nationalism, often boosted by socialism, was in tune with the post-war exhaustion of the colonial powers.

Indonesia had objected to the formation of Malaysia. Its president, Sukarno, started an armed attack, the “Konfrontasi”, which failed. The Philippines claimed Sabah, reverberations of which are still felt to this day.

The majority of Malaysians are Malays, a mix of many local and not so local peoples, bound together by customs and Islam.

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