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KUALA LUMPUR: Looking out of her window, 97-year-old Devaki Krishnan smiles fondly as the Jalur Gemilang gently sways in the breeze.
For patriotic Malays, the banner, known in English as Stripes of Glory, embodies the thrill of winning and celebrating the nation’s independence.
“I feel very happy when I see it,” he tells FMT. “When it flutters in one way or another, it is very pleasant to the eyes and peaceful to the heart. It calms the mind. “
The veteran politician wants young Malaysians to respect Jalur Gemilang and know why their older compatriots take so much pride in him.
She clearly remembers the historic day at Merdeka Stadium, when Tunku Abdul Rahman declared Malaysia’s independence, with seven thunderous shouts of “Merdeka!”
She remembers the passionate atmosphere when everyone in the stadium roared echoing Tunku’s screams.
And remember the feeling of national unity, which will never be forgotten by those who were there. “We were a family at the time,” he says.
It speaks of the charisma and magnetism of Tunku. “Whenever she came to see us, we always gathered around her.
“He liked to eat curried eggplant with dried fish. She even said it in Tamil, ”she says fondly, perhaps recalling her Tamil heritage from Sri Lanka.
Devaki became the first woman to be elected to public office in Malaysia when she won a seat on the Kuala Lumpur City Council in 1952.
At the time, she was a school teacher who knew little about politics, but was driven to act upon learning that two women won elections in Sri Lanka and Singapore. Such events were practically unthinkable in those days.
“They were both Indian women and all other races had supported them. That gave me hope. I thought: if they can do it, why not me? ”.
So she ran for election, supported by her community and, as it turned out, the majority of the diverse electorate.
When it was officially announced that she had won her seat, she was driven through the streets of her new constituency, in a convertible convertible, addressing the cheering crowd with a microphone in hand.
“It was a very big parade. The only sadness is that there were no film cameras to record the occasion, ”she said.
However, the memory is obviously clear to her.
She was later recruited into the Malaya Independence Party (IMP) by the late Onn Jaafar.
It was then that he had the opportunity to connect with many of the people who played a key role in achieving Malaysia’s independence.
As an aside, she mentions another claim to fame that obviously means a lot to her. “In Kuala Lumpur, I was the first Indian lady to drive a car.”
He is currently a life member of the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC).
“I am the oldest member of MIC. Longer than Samy Vellu or anyone else. “
She is proud of that, but yearns to see younger blood rise through the ranks of Malay politics, to replace her and the rest of the old guard.
She believes that young people should be well educated and have more opportunities in politics.
She regrets that women’s representation in politics is not yet as strong as it should be, and wants more of them to serve in Parliament, state governments and local councils.
When the breeze picks up again, her eyes are drawn to her beloved Jalur Gemilang moving.
She raises her own flag every year in mid-August and hoists it for a full month until the Malaysian Day celebrations end.
“We should all have great respect for the flag. The flag is the Rukun Negara, the Rukun Negara is the flag.
“Younger Malaysians should be taught the beauty of the flag and the reasons why we wave it. They must know how difficult it was to gain our independence. “
Your Merdeka wish this year? Let the Covid-19 pandemic end.
The damage done to the country by the pandemic saddens her, and yet despite all the misery the virus has caused, she may find a silver lining.
“Everyone is trapped in the house, so the families have gathered. Normally children do not see their parents, parents do not see their children. These days they are sitting together around the family table ”.
It is normal for each outgoing generation to question the values of their new replacements.
For all Devaki’s concerns about modern Malay youth, the rising generations may well be more patriotic than many older people realize.
After all, the young thrive on keeping secrets from their elders. That never changes.
Right now, thousands of young people are celebrating Merdeka by flying the Jalur Gemilang not on the streets or from tall buildings, but in the way that means the most to them in their new world: virtually, as emoticons on social media.
But that’s his secret for now.
