Students Waving Flags in Celebration of Merdeka

From Left to Right - The UCSI, Malaysia and Wilayah Persekutuan Flags Flying High

Students Waving the Malaysian Flag and Singing the National Anthem

Kuala Lumpur, 31 August 2008 - Merdeka is not an occasion one celebrates once a year, and leave aside to be forgotten until the next year. More than an annual event, we are living it everyday, as we busy ourselves with work and studies. We all have our own ways to show that we are proud of our nation, even when not all of us are able to showcase it in a special way come 31 August.

Every student in Malaysia is directly involved in building Malaysia for a better tomorrow. UCSI students find different ways to show their pride in Malaysia, what it means to be Malaysians and how being away from one’s homeland can truly make one miss it.

Nadia Nur Ayumi Bt. Amir Hamzah is one of ten A-Levels students celebrating their Merdeka this year by participating in the National Day Parade. For her, being a part of the national day parade this year was a way for her to keep sweet memories of independence day when she goes to the United Kingdom to study next year. “I want to be able to tell my future classmates, what it is like to celebrate Merdeka, and what it means to us,” she says. The ten students, all girls, cite the same reason for their participation in the parade, apart from their passion for marching.

Absence does make the heart grow fonder, and it certainly was the case with Stephanie Liew, UCSI’s current Student Council President. “Honestly, I never really felt any pride for my country until I was living in someone else’s. I was in New Zealand, attending a school there when I realized just how unique my country was. They were fascinated with my ability to speak many languages, and were interested to learn about our history,” she said. Ever since then, Stephanie has felt nothing but pride for Malaysia, and a strong determination to make her own mark in the country, starting at UCSI.

Tharma Priya, a Food Science and Nutrition student here, said that she has never felt so fiercely proud to be a Malaysian until she was in India on vacation for almost a month last year. “As the days passed by, all that I could think of was home, and the simple comforts we take for granted, like teh tarik, and nasi campur,” she said. For Tharma, her experience interacting with friends of different races, has enabled her to interact more confidently with people of other nationalities. “I don’t feel awkward or hesitant to talk to and be friends with some of the international students here and I’ve been able to experience their cultures, and share mine as well,” Tharma said.

UCSI, a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities, organized a simple flag-raising ceremony on the 29th of August to commemorateMerdeka, to make it all the sweeter and more meaningful. As everyone stood to attention to sing the national anthem Negarakuwith friends of other nationalities, one feels that much prouder to call Malaysia home.