GRIEF and sadness brought Malaysia together in a day of mourning. Tears were a common feature, if the social media is anything to go by. So many friends shared emotions expressed in innumerable ways; of sleeves wet from copious tears; of, at the very least, moist eyes; and, some even spoke of sobbing, overwhelmed with sadness. That was last Friday when the remains of 20 Malaysians, who perished when Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH17 was shot out of the sky over war-torn eastern Ukraine on July 17, arrived home via a special aircraft at the KLIA’s Bunga Raya Complex. Yesterday, a few more came home for the last time. The noticeable solidarity among Malaysians from all walks of life over this tragic episode in the country’s history was remarked upon by the prime minister.
He was touched by the unity expressed as the country mourned the needless loss of 43 Malaysian lives. For the most part, the nationally coordinated one minute of silence was generally observed as a mark of respect for the departed and the families they left behind, and many wore black on that day to demonstrate their sympathy. These spontaneous acts by the public with very little coaxing from the authorities cannot but demonstrate the nation’s ability to come together in times of adversity. Of course, national victories naturally bring out feelings of patriotism, but who could have expected a near universal outward outpouring of sorrow from Malaysians who are so often provoked into partisanship by political differences. Obviously, when it comes to the crunch, this nation, in all its variety, knows right from wrong without having to be told. Such maturity has made the repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA), for example, appropriate, irrespective of what some may think.
It is on this positive note that the PM urges the country to go forward, blind to differences and open to embracing shared values and aspirations. He cites his risk taking when negotiating with Ukrainian separatist leader Alexander Borodai which was driven by his deep concern for the victims of MH17. To consider even for a minute that this was a foolhardy stance is the thought of the mischievous. As the Malaysian leader, he was very aware of the risk, but he weighed this against the high regard in which Malaysia is held for its strongly neutral stance. These positive attributes must then be the springboard from which Malaysians will step into the future, confident in the knowledge that after more than half a decade of independence, nothing is beyond us as a single, united country, glorious in its constructive diversity. On that poignant Friday, the country witnessed how the Royal Malay Regiment acted as pallbearers handling every casket and urn with ceremonial care. In that is revealed how intense the sense of nationhood shared is. For, in moments that matter, Malaysians act as one, and opportunist politicians are shamed into silence.