I hardly consider myself a strong advocate of civil matters. I do have the passion that burns for a better future for the environment, the children, education, and public amenities but I wouldn't go as far as calling myself an activist.
That term brings a strong wave of power, responsibility and awareness. It demands knowledge, humility and the desire to stand in the pouring rain of antagonism in the sole belief of what you think is the right thing to fight and stand for.
But once in a while, when you ponder upon the fact that if a child cannot be guaranteed of its right to free speech and clean elections, then that child is never too young to speak up. Representation comes with the confidence in your own entitlement as the citizen of a civic society, of a nation that professes the elements of righteousness and justice.
I learned a little bit of what it meant to sing an anthem of a country that I have come to embrace, I teared singing the anthem of tanah airku and to see that you need not be of the same to break through creed, colour, gender, age, and political leanings to support something that soars above these descriptions.
And with so much more to learn after we walked back from the event, I realised for the first time, it felt really good to stand up for something and exclude the political demonising aside.
God bless Australia, and God bless the brave people of Malaysia. This is jihad in every sense and this is the hour when a new nation is born.
