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Ceritalah | As nationalism rises, what holds Asian countries together?

  • Nations need to possess a relatively inclusive, overarching identity – a set of ideas that can make anyone feel they belong
  • However, the plights of the Rohingya, Kashmiris and racism against Papuans, show robust nation-states aren’t always nice places to live in if you’re a minority

Reading Time:4 minutes
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The procession for Malaysia’s Merdeka Day parade walks by. Photo: Team Ceritalah

What is a nation? If it’s just a random grouping of people, what brings and then keeps them together?

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Is it a shared history, religion, geography, culture or language? Can the reasons be merely economic: “Hey, we’re all making money, so why not “hang” together?”.

Well, for much of Asia, August was the month for flag-waving, patriotic songs and emotive nationalist videos. And please, we do not need to listen to Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and the Malaysian cabinet singing poorly. All we want is for them to focus on the economy.

Countries as varied as Singapore, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, South Korea and Malaysia celebrated their National Days in August.

The celebrations sometimes provoke controversy: Malaysians remain undecided on their nation’s “birthday”. Is it Merdeka Day on August 31 or Malaysia Day on September 16?

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