KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 ― A federal agency’s proposal to make the national anthem a permanent fixture in cinemas has sparked debate over its efficacy in cultivating patriotism among Malaysians.

Critics of the Film Development Corporation of Malaysia’s (Finas) idea said legislating patriotism with such a proposal would only result in an artificial public understanding of the spirit.

It also risks reducing national pride to “token gestures” in which Malaysians are “forced” to respect national symbols out of obligation rather than profound love for their country, they added

Analysts such as Wan Saiful Wan Jan of of Institute for Democratic Affairs (IDEAS) called the proposal “silly” and said Finas ― which he described as “confused” ― was indulgently trying to elicit superficial displays of patriotism with the idea.

“I think there are places where it is right to play the national anthem and there are places that should not and the cinemas are not one of them because people go to the cinemas for a different purpose,” Wan Saiful told Malay Mail Online.

“Patriotism cannot be legislated… it is not some token action like playing the national anthem or raising the little flags… nationalism is something much more deeper like understanding our people, about having a unified sense of identity, about making everyone feels welcomed here,” he added.

Finas’s proposal came amid mixed reactions to a Sarawak DAP lawmaker’s remarks deriding Putrajaya as going overboard with its attempt to nurture patriotism by playing the “Negaraku” in cinemas.

Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chien Jen has since apologised for the outburst posted on his Facebook page, but the ensuing furore also served to shine the spotlight on the government’s seeming attempt to mandate patriotism among Malaysians.

While both Wan Saiful and Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah who heads the Global Movement of Moderates said Chong’s remarks were unbecoming of a parliamentarian, the later was critical of the “inept” idea of playing the national anthem in cinemas.

“Patriotism is best nurtured through internalisation of its soul. So it falls in the realm of seriousness and focus. The best way to do it is to is through education, information, sharing and doing things together.

“We go to the movies to relax. Not the best place for the inculcation of such serious stuff,” he told Malay Mail Online.

Mandating public displays of patriotism is controversial not just in Malaysia, and is a long-debated issue in other areas of the world.

The prevailing view is that one’s love for his country must come naturally and cannot be forced.

False patriotism is also no less controversial a topic, as evidenced by a popular quote from 18th century author Samuel Johnson, “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.”

Critics of legislated patriotism contend that its imposition is regularly aimed at engendering affection towards the government of the day, rather than towards the nation.

Ihsan Hassan, a 28-year-old who leads a local youth intelligentsia initiative called Buku Jalanan, shared the same sentiment.

“I think its misguided,” Ihsan said of Finas’ idea of nationalism.

“It is something governments do in trying to reassert control over the population by using symbols of nationalism like the flag or the national anthem. These are devices to subdue people because naturally people would rally behind these symbols,” he continued.

But there are also those who viewed Finas’s proposal positively.

Political analyst Lim Teck Ghee and Youth chief of opposition party PKR, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, both felt that playing the “Negaraku” at theatres was “acceptable” and effective to instill patriotism.

“I think it is an acceptable policy..I don’t see any problem with playing the national anthem in cinemas as long as it is done in a tolerant way,” Nik Nazmi, also a state assemblyman for Seri Delima, told Malay Mail Online.

“I strongly support this. This is simply to honour and respect our anthem. Although some may not agree fully with the lyrics, it indicates our love for the country and is a small and meaningful show of support,” Lim said.