Merdeka Awards Launch - Down Memory Lane

A few days prior to the national 50th Merdeka celebration or the celebration of independence, Ram and I attended a dinner for the official launching of the ‘Merdeka Awards’. The award is to recognize individuals who had made high impact on the nations’ development in five specific areas which includes education, arts and culture, community development and other categories. The launch was officiated by the Prime Minister and the founding members of the award are the three major oil and gas players in the country and of course led by the national oil company where I used to work for and where Tessa is now.

Tessa and her mates in the office had been working very hard for weeks prior to the occasion to put up a good show and she did not tell us much about what to expect but we could read from the ‘things’ she referred to us while putting her ‘acts’ together that we can expect something extraordinary. She had now and then asked me or her mum, for confirmation I suppose, titles of old and traditional songs, culture and recipes of traditional cuisines which, I guessed then, she will be using as display on the launch night. She also said that the function will only be launching the award and that the individuals to receive the award will be identified through a very stringent selection process by a team of respected individuals yet to be identified. This will be a very prestigious award. It will definitely take a long time for the recipient to be identified. The identification of Nobel prize award recipient and the Raymond Mc Saysay (I stand corrected for spelling?) award recipient take many months or years to be identified!!

I was invited in my capacity as the secretary to the Retirees Fraternity and was indeed looking forward to the occasion. Dress code was Malaysian batik, so we had our batik ready. We went early to avoid the evening traffic jam and arrived at the Convention Centre, the place where the launch was to be held, just before the dusk prayers. We prayed at the prayer room provided and then proceed to the function hall. I did not bring my walking stick with me and braved it through with a very slight limp!! On arrival at the foyer we were asked to register at one of the many registration tables provided. We could easily identify the organizing committee members and those at work that night as they were all in very pretty, colorful, uniform, batik outfits as well. They told us our table number and ushered us through.

They had built a tunnel, soothing soft green colors, leading into the hall. It was quite a long tunnel, sort of a time tunnel, and all along the sides were electronic display screens showing pictures of old and excerpts of speeches and writings etc. Soft music and traditional songs of years gone by were played. We were transported back to the past 50 years or more.

On arrival at the main hall there were more staff (ushers) dressed in the colorful batik, waiting, and one showed us to our table. The orchestra was at one end of the hall and the main stage was at the other end. On the two side walls were big screens (several on each side) screening changing scenes and pictures of old, the old KL, traditional houses, children of the time, old landmarks, cars and other vehicles, and so on and all in black and white! We immediately became nostalgic and tried to identify the pictures. I remember all of them I think. All along piped music, songs of years gone by, were played.

I looked around the hall and noticed that most were elderly. Except for the staff and ushers, most were beyond fifties. Most with white hair and a majority of them with receding ‘crop’ while there were a few without any!! One outstanding person was the well known local poet, now in his late sixties I think, who had hair all over his head and face and white too. Just like this person others in the hall were well known past personalities in their own fields most of whom have already retired and many are in some way or other still contributing to society. I could identify the film maker, the sports personalities and captains of teams, captains of industries, well known songwriters and musicians, culture experts, historian, museum curator, educationist, scientist, and many more. A few came in weel-chairs and yet a few more came with walking stick. I should have been braver and brought my walking stick along too. It was heart warming to see all these personalities as guests at the function and I felt very small and humbled when I realized that I was also there as guest but nothing compared to all of them. I have retired and I am still contributing to society but nothing when compared to what these other guests have contributed to the country.

The Prime Minister with his new wife (he remarried recently after his wife passed away a couple of years ago) arrived at the appointed time accompanied by the Presidents or Heads of the three founding member companies. He was very lively and shook hands with most personalities seated along the main passageway and waved at others seated further away. His wife did so too. Speeches followed and the PM graciously launched the Merdeka Award.

Dinner followed. Surprise, surprise!! Food served were those that Tessa had asked us about and all prepared the traditional way by the Convention Centre. There was none of the dinner function dishes normally served in hotels and at official functions. (So, that was why she kept asking for this and that but never really told us what for and I thought it was just for display!!) We noticed that some ingredients were missing in some of the traditional dishes, can’t blame them as these ingredients especially the herbal leaves are difficult to get nowadays, but the tastes were good, almost authentic. Even desert, fruits and door gifts (consisting of sweets) were those that are quite difficult to get nowadays. They had gone all out to make it really authentic and nostalgic for the old folks like me and the rest present that night!! Music from the orchestra was also from the fifties and much earlier.

It was down memory lane that night. We realized that we have gone fifty years after independence. We have made our contribution in some way or other in nation building. Our wish is for the present and future generation to have the courage, stamina and perseverance to bring the nation to greater heights and sustain it for many many more years to come.

With the launch of the award I hope the selection of recipients will be properly scrutinized to reflect its authenticity and that only the ones most deserving receive them. It should be based purely on historical milestones and not colored by any political inclination.

The team put up a really good show that night. They worked hard at it and they most certainly achieved the impact the event was designed for. 'Congratulations'. May the guidance of the Almighty be within our and their reach always…..

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya