As a result of UMNO's decision to re-locate the Warrior's Day remembrance to Putra Jaya due to religious reasons, I decided to google for comments by our military personnel and what they thought of the move. I found a blog belonging to the 7th Rangers [Mechanised], and this is what a certain Major (Rtd) D.Swami has to say.
Deicated To The Heroic Fighters In The Cause Of Peace and Freedom. May The Blessing Of Allah Be Upon Them. (Engraved in Stone)
Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori is a line from the Romanlyrical poet Horace's Odes, translated into English it means: "It is glorious and honourable to die for one's country." The current July 31 celebrations is only symbolic and a mark of respect, nothing to do with being unIslamic as stated by Islamic authorities who claim it should not be held at the site of statues or sculptures of human figures. It is an old military ceremony. We are not worshipping the monument as mentioned but it is just symbolic. What is important is our intention to give respect.
So who is Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who never served in the Army to give his views? What is important is for the people to know Warrior’s Day exists and for them to know the sacrifices and deeds of the country’s soldiers, a nation that deny's it's warriors will definitely sink into an abyss.Then there is this smart arse of a General, said retired Lt-Gen Zaini Mohamad Said, the so called hero of Sauk,surrounded and protected by snipers and commandos and riding in armoured vehicles. “That has been the comment for a very long time, there is some truth in it being unIslamic,” he was referring to the monument. This is the same General who when was the 3rd Division Commander, disallowed minority faiths from practicing their religion in camps. Inclusive of Seventh Rangers, when questioned in "Dewan Adnan" on his directive, by a Captain, he answered in all his arrogance,"Itu adalah dasar kerajaan." What a hypocrite!! He with his blinkered views wants to give his bigotted opinion. His rendering of his tale about Al Maunah is filled with controversy.
Who are the Muslim scholars? Have they ever carried an arm to defend this country.The decision to stop what the government believes to be unIslamic practices was announced jointly by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Islamic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom last week. Ask Jamil Khir whether he treated Corporal Ghani anak Binjoi fairly who died alongside Staff Sergeant Azman Mohamad Tahir. Corporal Ghani anak Binjoi was a Christian, that will answer the question. Who is Zahid, an UMNO warlord! They do not care about traditions and sacrifices. No one is praying there, commemoration, rememberance and honoring your dead is a blessed act.
The Cenotaph for a moment of quiet contemplation for those who had sacrificed their lives in order that our country remains democratic and sovereign. The Cenotaph was created by the British administration to commemorate those who had lost their lives in World War I, World War II and the Malaysian Emergency. The inscription on the Cenotaph reads: “To Our Glorious Dead 1914-1918 (i.e. The First World War) 1939 – 1945 (The Second World War) and 1948 – 1960 (The Malaysian Emergency)
Passing the Cenotaph is the National Monument designed by American sculptor Felix de Weldon, the same architect who created the Iwo Jima Memorial Monument in Washington, this 15.54m high bronze monument was constructed in 1966 to honor the country's fallen heroes during the communist insurrection. Many members of the Malaysian Security Forces lost their lives during the Emergency, a 12-year struggle against communist insurgency that ended in 1960. The Malaysian Armed Forces were successful in crushing the armed rebellion and thus the communists failed in their attempt to set up a communist state in a very strategic point in Southeast Asia.
The National Monument, known in Bahasa Malaysia as ‘Tugu Peringatan Negara’, is one of the largest freestanding bronze sculptures in the world. The seven bronze soldiers represent seven noble qualities: Leadership, Unity, Strength, Vigilance, Suffering, Courage and Sacrifice. Is commemorating these values a sin?
Monuments, by their very nature, are designed to convey political or historical information. But the Tugu Peringatan Negara, to me, conveys a message of love for one's country and those gallant men who laid down their lives.
Tunku Abdul Rahman commissioned Wedon for a monument "to remember those who stood together in unity and national pride to defend democracy against those who would destroy the fundamental dignity of man and to keep faith with those who sacrificed themselves." More...
Who are Najib, Zahid and Jamil Khir, mere pipsqueaks, unpatriotic scumbags, destroyers of democracy and the fundamental dignity of man, who are hell bent on erasing the the legacy of the "Father of Merdeka", the Tunku ???????????
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