United in sports: The Olympic rings in the Place du Trocadéro in Paris. Malaysians of all races will be looking forward to seeing the country’s contingent marching into the stadium come July 26. — ANN JEA/Wikimedia Commons
I CAN’T wait for the Olympic Games in Paris to begin. Like for many people around the world, and not just in Malaysia, most of us are sick of feuding politicians as well as leaders who’re clueless about retirement.
At least the sporting spectacle offers temporary respite as we shift our attention elsewhere during that 17-day period.
Political toxicity is suffocating us, yet we’re guilty of our obsession with politics.
If there’s a gold medal for the most daily political messages on social media, Malaysia could earn a good haul in Paris.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, there is none, but we’ll cheer our Malaysian team on in Paris for good reason.
It will be a showcase of athletic prowess and sportsmanship, excellence, friendship, and respect. The Games will also be a tapestry of cultures, and a display of diversity and unity.
The competition aside, we all look forward to the roll call of the countries, when most athletes will appear decked in their colourful traditional costumes and bearing flags at the opening and closing ceremonies. It often feels like humanity is still intact with the joy brought about by the sight of people on this planet coming together.
For Malaysians, we always wait with bated breath for our contingent to march into the stadium as we attempt to identify our athletes.
Regardless of our races and religions, we’re consumed by pride at the sight of our team and the Jalur Gemilang.
Simply put, sports brings people together. We rally behind our Harimau Malaya emotionally each time they take to the pitch.
But we also respect our competitors. Rivalry brings out the best during competition. And it’s not about foul play or destruction, either. That’s why the players of competing teams shake hands before and after matches.
Likewise, our Malaysian football league not only provides the best footballing entertainment from each state but is also a platform for the best talent to be spotted and earn selection for the national team.
With the Olympics, there are three important elements. In Latin, they are citius (faster), altius (higher), and fortius (stronger), all expressions of excellence in sports.
But as Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee said, “We can go faster, we can only aim higher, we can only become stronger by standing together – in solidarity.”
I’m a hardcore Arsenal supporter, and I can’t stand the sight of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspurs. But I won’t condone any form of hooliganism, thuggery, or violence against them. Rivalry must never get out of hand.
There’s another area of interest which always brings people together, and that is music. It creates a sense of shared experience and emotional connection, as one report quoting researchers revealed.
It said when people listen to music together or dance to it, they feel a sense of unity and belonging, and that music can serve as a source of hope and healing, especially in times of conflict and reconciliation.
Michael Jackson’s Heal The World and its call to make the world a better place has certainly conveyed that message to the world more effectively than all the heads of states put together.
The 1991 hit song is steeped in antiwar lyrics and Jackson’s hope for humanity’s betterment, a theme that has remained relevant. It can also be viewed from the perspective of saving the world from environmental destruction.
I get goose pimples each time I hear Ella’s Standing In The Eyes Of The World, which makes me feel enormously proud to be Malaysian.
It was chosen as the theme song for the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, but that patriotic song has remained pertinent to remind all of us to unite as Malaysia.
Sheila has always managed to bring all Malaysians, regardless of their races, together at her sold-out concerts. — Handout
Sheila Majid – my all-time favourite Malaysian singer – has successfully managed to bring all Malaysians, regardless of their races, together at her sold-out concerts. It’s such a joy to see multiracial Malaysia under one roof.
Malaysia’s favourite son, Sudirman Hj Arshad had that same innate ability, and his famous Chow Kit concert in Kuala Lumpur in 1986 stands the test of time as one of those glorious moments of wholesome unity in Malaysian history.
Sudirman’s famous free concert on Chow Kit Road, Kuala Lumpur, on April 15, 1986, drew some 100,000 fans of all races. — Filepic/The Star
While few Malaysian artistes have been able to generate that kind of emotion, the Alleycats, a non-Malay band which sings Malay songs, is certainly cut from the same cloth.
The recently concluded Rainforest World Music Festival in Sarawak has become an important date in the calendar of global music as an annual celebration of culture, music and nature.
Bravo to the Sarawak state government for hosting this festival, which has brought together various cultures from around the world to Malaysia to showcase their music and heritage.
In Selangor and Penang, the Japanese embassy and its community must be commended for observing the annual Bon Odori festival.
The event, which began as an understated affair in 1977 for Japanese expatriates to immerse their children in their culture, has today become a much-awaited annual celebration for over 30,000 people, one report said.
Then, in 2022, the PAS leadership issued a directive to Muslims to keep clear of the Japanese cultural fiesta in Shah Alam. However, the Sultan of Selangor, as the head of Islam in the state, ordered the festival to proceed and even instructed state religious department officials to attend.
That’s what happens when politics comes into play, and it’s worse when religion is used as a reason.
PAS was upset when Coldplay played in Kuala Lumpur last November, even though the group is known for its pro-Palestinian stand — the Islamist party’s grouse is the British band’s pro- LGBTQ stand. Thankfully, no one gave two hoots to PAS as the band played to a full house at the National Stadium.
If that’s the PAS argument, it’s going to be hard finding a Western artiste that’s not similarly aligned because in the countries they come from, it’s politically correct to adopt that stand.
Going by PAS logic, their leaders won’t even be meeting world leaders such as Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who is openly gay, and many heads of states and governments, including those from Andorra, Belgium, France, Iceland, Ireland and Luxembourg. Looks like PAS leaders will only meet their counterparts from the Taliban, which is all that’s left.
Bruno Mars has now found himself in a pickle for his expression of love for his Israeli fans during his two-day concert in Tel Aviv last October.
He reportedly said he loved Tel Aviv, but some social media users have interpreted that as an endorsement of Zionists, unaware that there are also secular and Muslim Arabs with Israeli passports.
His concert in KL scheduled for September has received mixed reactions, with calls for him to make his stand known.
It’s currently not a bed of roses for musicians, but if Mars finally performs here, it’s certain he will say “I love Kuala Lumpur” and “let’s make some noise KL”, which are the standard rallying calls used by all foreign musicians, even if they don’t really mean it.
But, of course, KL will love Mars if he speaks up against genocide, ethnic cleansing, and humanitarian disaster. One cannot talk about love and yet turn a blind eye to what’s happening in Palestine.
Again, we watch these games and concerts simply because we enjoy them and the spirit of solidarity they elicit. That’s all.
So let’s not make life more complicated than it already is. As John Lennon said, Give Peace A Chance, and politicians, please just stay at home if you find concerts offensive or deem them “tempat maksiat” for promoting “hedonism”, which are the routinely recycled catch phrases PAS uses.
