Malaysians in the durian belt in Pahang celebrate National Day although they are targets of a nefarious plot contrary to the National Day theme of “Prihatin Rakyat” and falsely targeted as opposing the second Rukun Negara principle of “Loyalty to King and Country”

On this day 63 years ago, when I was in Form III in Batu Pahat High School, students gathered at the school padang to hear the Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, read out the Proclamation of Independence in Kuala Lumpur where he concluded with the declaration: “from the thirty first day of August, nineteen hundred and fifty seven, the Persekutuan Tanah Melayu comprising the States of Johore, Pahang, Negri Semblian, Selangor, Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan, Trengganu, Perak, Malacca and Penang is and with God's blessing shall be for ever a sovereign democratic and independent State founded upon the principles of liberty and justice and ever seeking the welfare and happiness of its people and the maintenance of a just peace among all nations”.

We all returned home proudly that day with a printed scroll of the Proclamation of Independence and our hopes for the nation were sky-high as we could think of no limits of what the country could achieve.

Today, 63 years later, the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, said in his National Day Message that the government will make "Prihatin Rakyat" (Caring for the People) as its main guiding principle in championing the fate and prioritising the welfare of the people.

I visited the durian belt in Pahang yesterday, as the durian farmers in Pahang celebrate National Day although they are targets of a nefarious plot contrary to the National Day theme of “Prihatin Rakyat” and falsely targeted as opposing the second Rukun Negara principle of “Loyalty to King and Country”.

This is my first public function for quite some time, as a bout of chikungunya had immobilised me in the past two months with debilitating joint and muscle pains.

But I felt that the durian farmers are the latest victims of injustice, contrary to the National Day theme of “Prihatin Rakyat” and unfairly targeted as opposing the second Rukun Negara principle of “Loyalty to King and Country”, and their plight must be heard and known by Malaysians throughout the country.

This was why in my visit yesterday, I expressed the hope that the Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, would visit the durian farmers in the durian belt in Raub between National Day (today) and Malaysia Day (Sept. 16) as a good government must always care about its people.

I am very surprised that although Pahang has six Ministers or Deputy Ministers, none of them have visited the durian farmers or shown any interest about their plight although the current problem of the durian farmers had come to a boil for the past two months.

In his 63rd National Day address, Muhyiddin urged everyone to always inculcate a deeply caring attitude towards one another.

I fully endorse and agree with the Prime Minister’s National Day address. Let us begin by translating the principle embodied in the National Day theme and resolving the injustices faced by the durian farmers in Pahang.