Ever since the 1MDB scandal plagued Malaysia, our beloved nation has been making headlines worldwide for reasons we’re not so proud of. The scandal has exposed one of the worst corruption cases in our nation’s history. On the bright side, the corrupt kleptocrats involved in the scandal have finally been caught and recently sentenced to imprisonment. At least, justice has been served just in time for the celebration of our nation’s 65th independence. But let’s not waste any time dwelling on the national embarrassment that is our former Prime Minister and First Lady. Instead, to commemorate Malaysia, here are 3 good reasons to be proud of our homeland.
Needless to say, Malaysia is a melting pot of a variety of cultures and traditions, making it an awesome tourist destination. You don’t have to go China or India to get a taste of their culture. Instead, come to Malaysia and you will experience not only Indian and Chinese culture, but also Malay, Eurasian Portuguese and the diverse cultures from East Malaysia. Experience it all in one place! Besides being a great place to visit, Malaysia is also great place to stay as it is touted as the most popular retirement haven for expats in Southeast Asia, according to International Living. Now that’s an added bonus!
Moving on, another reason to be proud of Malaysia is because it is home to outstanding talents like 15-year-old Yaashwin Sarawanan. In 2019, this maths prodigy stunned the judges of Asia’s Got Talent with his amazing maths prowess. He could solve complicated equations without using a calculator, making him renowned worldwide as the “human calculator”. Our country also boasts world-famous athletes like Nicole David and Pandalela Rinong. We also have great scientists! Dr Serena Nik-Zainal, a Malaysian scientist based in the UK, was recently awarded the 2022 Francis Crick Medal and Lecture by the Royal Society for her “enormous contributions” to the understanding of the causes of cancer. Way to go Malaysia!
Now we all know that our country is home to some of the tallest skyscrapers in the world. But did you know that our flagpole in Dataran Merdeka was once one of the tallest flagpoles in the world? Standing at an astounding height of 95m (312ft), our flagpole held the record for being the world’s tallest for 20 years, until it was overtaken by North Korea in 1980 and subsequently, other countries. Another special thing about our flagpole is that it incorporates a special mechanism/design that prevents the flag from getting tangled by strong winds. According to Youtube content creator Richart Asia, Malaysia was the first in the world to introduce such an advanced engineering innovation. Check out his video here.
I am sure we can all agree that this year’s Merdeka celebration is one that will be remembered for generations to come not only because it is marked by the historic imprisonment of our former PM and First Lady, but also because it’s one of the biggest gatherings in the country ever since the Covid lockdown. But let’s not give all the credit to the duo. Najib and Rosmah’s imprisonment aside, we have so many good reasons to be proud of our beloved nation. Malaysia Boleh!
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