Sept 2 — The Merdeka Day this year was quite different from the previous years, as it has triggered more profound thinking among Malaysians concerning the future of this country.

Malaysians expressed their love for the country in quite different ways. But whether you made a trip to Dataran Merdeka just to witness the independence day parade or joined the tens of thousands camping out in the city on Merdeka eve, these were all acts to manifest an individual’s passion for this country.

If a person is unpatriotic or indifferent, there is no way to get him to camp out under the stars in downtown Kuala Lumpur, braving the merciless sun and occasional rain for Bersih 4.0 rally.

Do you think sleeping on the asphalt road and getting scorched by the sun or drenched in the rain is something enjoyable? Who on earth would want to go through the suffering if he or she could have the easy way out lazing in the comfort of home over the long weekend?

They took to the streets because they felt their voices were unheard. They wanted the government to hear them, and initiate the reform so as to turn this beloved country into a better place for all.

Unlike the previous rallies, Bersih 4.0 ended on a peaceful note because both the police and rally goers exercised a very high degree of self restraint.

This has erected an excellent role model for future rallies by the people.

A string of unusual incidents took place in the country in recent months: the exposure of RM2.6bn “political donation,” the dismissal of Attorney-General, the sharp devaluation of ringgit and rising inflation that have put much stress on ordinary citizens. The five demands proffered by Bersih 2.0 this time, including the overhaul of the system, have struck a chord with many.

Political developments that followed the 2013 general elections, including a plethora of racial and religious issues, split in Pakatan Rakyat and PAS’ recalcitrance to go ahead with hudud, have all contributed to an increased sense of political apathy among the people, indirectly cooling off the once fiery passion.

However, the emergence of more recent issues has nevertheless brought back such passion, allowing the masses to rally unreservedly behind Bersih 4.0 demands.

We should be really worried if the public are tight-lipped and disinterested. The country will only see hope if we have people who are enthusiastic and positive.

It doesn’t matter how some quarters have attempted to label last weekend’s rally, including its ethnically biased participation, it was still an effective outlet for the public to speak up. The dual appearances of Tun Mahathir somehow helped cushion the impact.

The rally would only be considered successful if the voices expressed during the rally could be effectively transmitted to the ears of our political leaders.

But judging from the current circumstances, it appears that our leaders have failed to view the rally as a forum for the public to vent their frustration or dissident voices. In its stead, they have defined the rally as a ploy by the opposition to sabotage the country’s economy as the authorities are attempting to shun or downplay the various criticisms targeted at them as well as the severe economic problems encountered by the country.

The government failing to hear the voices of the public or feel their concerns, it is foreseeable that the economy will continue to slide as no actions have been taken to address the confidence and economic crisis slowly building up. This is poised to bring a whole lot more trouble for the ruling coalition.

I personally feel that the government has not done enough to fix the current economic issues. The 10-man SEC is never sufficient to arrest the downslide.

Facing the same currency depreciation and economic slowdown problems, the South Korean government has from August 27 revised downward selective consumer taxes on automobiles, electrical appliances, etc., while Indonesia unveiled a major stimulus package to support the rupiah.

Unfortunately we have so far not seen any solid moves by the government to address our economic woes.

When many other countries are thinking out of the box to grow their economies, we are still struggling in the mudpool of our own doing. Little wonder foreign funds are pulling back from our shores, anemizing both our Bursa and ringgit.

Celebrating the Merdeka anniversary in the economic tempest this year, by right we should attune our minds to fix things up and resolve the crisis.

We all love this country very much.

It is our hope that the picture will be different next year, that we no longer need to take the drastic step of storming the Dataran when we celebrate our Merdeka anniversary again.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.