AUGUST 30 — Tomorrow we go on our annual pilgrimage down nostalgia lane.
From the iconic images of Tunku’s Merdeka shouts, to the weathered sepia-toned photos of days long past, it is a day framed by gilded images of the birth of our nation.
But as I ponder what Merdeka means, I was also curious to see if the story of the women of Merdeka has ever been prominently featured. What I found was a sketchy picture of women’s contribution to that milestone moment, that if you sneeze, you are likely to miss it.
Look closely, and you will find that the story of Merdeka is presented almost exclusively from a male narrative. A check on Wikipedia about our coming of age story reveals history has not done justice to women by a long shot.
On her Wikipedia page, Tunku’s third wife Tun Sharifah Rodziah Syed Alwi Barakbah’s influence is reduced to one solitary line — “Sharifah Rodziah played an important role in rallying political support for her husband during Malaysia’s tumultuous formative years.”
For the woman who was married to the country’s founding father, who took care of their five children and the home, we know precious little of her role in Merdeka.
A check on the websites of the three main political parties — Umno, MCA and MIC — shows little attempt has been made to tell the story of female political leaders. Wanita Umno has done the best job, with its history page featuring names and glimpses into their role. Former Wanita chief Tan Sri Aishah Ghani is quoted as saying 10 years before Merdeka, women were already coming out in droves “carrying their children, spending their own money, and walking miles to demonstrate against British rule.
“Some of them even pawned their jewellery to help pay for Tunku’s trip to London to negotiate our Independence,” she said.
We learn of Wanita Umno leaders Datin Putih Mariah Ibrahim Rashid, Ibu Zain and Khadijah Sidek — to name a few — who were instrumental in rallying support for Merdeka negotiations.
Then there was Tun Dr. Fatimah Hashim, known as a freedom fighter who together with her husband, Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Yusuf, became the first and only couple to both be ministers in the Malaysian Cabinet.
In a newspaper interview, she recounted her experience: “I could not sleep the night before. I felt so proud of what we had achieved. I can still see Tunku at the podium crying out Merdeka!”
The MCA website’s history section only features the achievements of male leaders. Its Wanita section carries resumes of its current leaders, but nothing on past women leaders or the role they played in Merdeka. The Wanita MIC link opens to an empty page, while the Puteri MIC link leads to its Facebook page of current activities. There is nothing about the history of Wanita MIC.
So back to Google where we learn a bit more about the Indian women of Merdeka. Toh Puan Umasundari Sambanthan, wife of the late Tun V.T. Sambanthan, fifth president of the MIC (regarded as one of the founding fathers of Malaysia) was only 27 years old during the proclamation of independence on Aug 31, 1957. She still remembers wearing an off-white silk sari with a red border, a personal favourite as it had been an engagement gift from her then fiancee.
“It was so symbolic ... a sign that we were free of the colonial regime, free to think for ourselves, free to lead our own country”, she said. She spent much of her life as a social activist and was one of the founders of the National Council of Women’s Organisations (NCWO).
Puan Sri Janaki Athi Nahappan was a founding member of the MIC and one of the earliest women involved in the fight for independence. Later in life, she became a senator.
Fast forward to today, and a quick check of the Merdeka TV ads had me flinching. Once again, the male narrative dominates. Just go take a look at the Petronas, Maxis and Digi ads, and you will see what I mean. Women — where they are featured — are reduced to bystanders waving flags.
So I will end with this quote that I think sums up why there isn’t a singular narrative of history.
“People make history when they scale a mountain, ignite a bomb, or refuse to move to the back of the bus. But they also make history by keeping diaries, writing letters, or embroidering initials on linen sheets.”
Wouldn’t it be fascinating to read the diaries of our Merdeka women — and to relieve history from a woman’s narrative? Perhaps the political parties could start by giving them their rightful place in their own histories.
* Faridah Hameed is an international speaker and trainer on Leadership and Entrepreneurship for Women. Connect with herwww.faridahhameed.com, Facebook or LinkedIn.
** This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.
