09-01-2022, 07:22 AM
It’s the day after our 65th Independence Day, and we should all be happy, right?
When I was 16 and 17, for two consecutive years, I was selected by my school to join in the Merdeka Day parade in Padang Kota in Penang. At that age, it was terribly exciting to be part of this parade.
I missed school happily for a few days to attend the rehearsals and on the day itself, it was quite a jubilant occasion. To walk past the governor of Penang, chief minister and other leaders with our heads held high was exhilarating, even though by 9am, the heat in Padang Kota was scorching.
Our Independence Day commemorates the magnificent occasion of our colonial masters finally returning our land to us. We who lived here were its rightful owners, and it was the day we took charge of our own destiny as a nation.
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