By Lee Pei Suang

When National Day draws near, every Malaysian is busy. The young people are planning where to join the countdown on the eve of National Day. The government is occupied with promoting the slogan of 1 Malaysia in order to rouse the spirit of patriotism and ministers encourage the people to hoist the Jalur Gemilang to show their love of the country whereas opposition political leaders are busy endlessly criticising the government.

But who still remembers the true meaning behind Merdeka?

National Day, also known as Merdeka Day is celebrated every year on 31st of August in honor of the independence of our country. For people nowadays, Merdeka Day is merely another holiday, an excuse for us not to attend class or work.

We are accustomed to celebrate this historic day without understanding the significance behind it. When everyone are enjoying the holiday, who are there to commemorate those who sacrificed themselves to fight for the land?

I recently got information that there is somewhere called Green Ridge in Kampar. What is it so special about this place? I can see many people are not aware of this place including the locals although it has been around in Kampar for decades.

Green Ridge sits on top of the Gunong Brijang Melaka, where it is located along the roadside from Kampar old town to Ipoh (before Eastlake). It is one of the important site where the remarkable Battle of Kampar took place and it is the only one that is preserved to date.

The battle lasted four bloody days, from 30th December 1941 to 2th January 1942 during the Japanese campaign for Malaya in World War ll.

The epic Kampar battle was the hardest battle for the Japanese army in Malaya which was fought between the 11th Indian Infantry Division and Japanese 5th Division. The Japanese intended to capture Kampar as New Year’s gift for their Tenno Heika (Sun of Heaven).

A total three thousand Indian and British troops defeated a Japanese army of six thousand during the battle. The most remarkable part is that it was the first and only defeat of the Japanese army in Malayan campaign.

Today, the trenches and mortar positions are left in the jungle after all these years. A vivid pathway leads to the ridge can be seen in the jungle. Besides that, a memorial tablet has also been built by the state government. It is built to remember the solemn struggle against and Japanese army.

Today, many veteran tourists from both United Kingdom and Japan tend to visit Green Ridge every year to commemorate the days during the hard war.

The battle of Kampar is one of the significant battle recorded in Malaysian history and its struggle for freedom should not be forgotten.

Our nation achieved independence from the British on 31st August 1957 through negotiations but it is through countless battles both bloody and bloodless throughout our history that led to that day and remains as our legacy.

While our country has achieved independence, are the minds of the people independent as well? An independent mind will not be dependant only on our history textbooks but also know about our legacy such as this one.

As a Malaysian, do remember the true meaning behind the “Merdeka” word instead of shouting it for fun at countdown rallies. Do reflect on what Malaysian initially wanted to get from the British in the past. All we want is independence, physical and mentality.

Wishing all Malaysian a Happy Merdeka Day!