Malaysian Patriotism: What Is It?

Singapore is our tiny little neighbour down south but in many things positive, they are right up there among the giants of the world.

They are consistently among the world's top three least corrupt nations in the annual world corruption index.

In global economic competitiveness, they were ranked second in the world this year.

And in the Pisa tests to rank education systems, again the tiny nation state came out second, next to Shanghai.

If I went further on in the same vein, I will soon be branded unpatriotic.

It is funny because a patriotic Malaysian is apparently one who should remain silent even if that means that we slip further down in economic competitiveness and stay mired on the corruption path or that our education system only produces graduates who can't hold a candle to the rest of the world's.

If they can't gainsay you, there is always the last favourite retort, imbecilic though it really is, "Balik kampung!" (Get back to where you came from!)

That favourite last retort is really funny were it not unpatriotic to say the least, because none of us are indigenous here. Except perhaps for the aborigines, the Orang Asli

So, what is patriotism in the Malaysian context?

Maybe DUMBno knows best.

Just don't rock their boat.