KUALA LUMPUR: A recent video that went viral on social media has disappointed actor Nadhir Nasar of Projek: High Council and i-Tanggang fame.
It showed several young Malaysians being interviewed at a shopping mall as part of a social experiment conducted by an anonymous Netizen who was testing their general knowledge.
The man showed the youths a photo of South Korean singer Lisa of BlackPink on his handphone, and they easily knew who she was.
But when he showed them a photo of the first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, they apologised and said that they did not know who he was.
"What a shame. It looks like many young Malaysians do not know the history and do not honour our independence heroes like Tunku.
"They know all the pop and movie stars, especially foreign ones but don't know the Father of the Nation," lamented Nadhir in a recent tweet.
"Are we truly Merdeka? If you guys don't know Tunku, it looks like we are not."
The 26-year-old actor also said it was important for young Malaysians to know the nation's history, especially its important events and personalities.
"We must all know at least the basic history of our country. As a famous saying goes, those who do not learn history are bound to repeat past mistakes."
Netizens strongly agreed with Nadhir and urged young Malaysians to be well-informed about the country's history.
They also urged parents to ensure that their children knew the basics of Malaysian history, such as the name of the first Prime Minister.
"We must expose our young ones to the country's rich history. It is shameful for them to know all about local and international celebrities but know close to nothing about our nation-builders," said a Netizen identified as Shamsul.