Lady Malaya by Adelia Khalid

I am but a humble, working class man,

And yet so undeniably, irrevocably in love,

With Lady Malaya.

Who am I, you may ask?

Who am I, so worthy to love a lady like that?

The men who have fought for her,

The women who've been left for her,

The conquerors who have taken her,

The people who have died for her.

I am but a humble, working class man,

Unfortunately, wholly in love,

With a lady who does not love me back.

Who am I, you may ask?

Who am I, so worthy to love a lady like that?

Her luscious green hair and her stolen gems,

Her hidden gold and beachy curves,

Her kain batik draped over them,

Her snow-tipped mountains and pearl-white teeth,

Her rafflesia red lips and hibiscus heels.

For who am I?

Who am I to love Lady Malaya?

When she loves the finer things in life,

Loves the men who fill their pockets with green,

Pamper the men whose hearts were filled with greed,

They'd dance over the homes of those who had less,

And stole from those who needed more.

Who am I, you may ask?

Who am I, so worthy to love a lady like that?

Her smile, Kuala Lumpur at night,

Her hidden gems, small town Seri Manjung,

Her voice, the sweeping waves off the bays of Terengganu,

Her mind, busier than Jonker Street,

Her eyes, shone over Mount Kinabalu.

For who am I?

Who am I to love Lady Malaya?

When she quiets my pleas,

When she breaks my heart continuously,

When her lovers die out on the street,

When her cheaters still roam free.

Too entranced by her beauty,

Her beckoning sweet serenity,

Never heard her calls to me,

Behind her polish and shine,

Was a growing thorn,

Hiding in her meat.

They have her in chains made of diamonds,

A cage made of gold,

Unreachable, unachievable,

To the vermin of common folk.

Lady Malaya yearned to be free,

To have a love that was fair and true,

To have the hope that her lovers could start anew.

- A. K.

True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywhere else.

Clarence Darrow

"Patriotism" is a term that Malaysians are taught at a very young age. As a Malaysian myself, I am no exception. "Patriotism" sounds likes a big word for a kid and let's face it, it is. Even so, when introduced to the concept, we simply comprehend it as a love for our country. Simple, right? Not so much anymore. However, as we grow old and that innocence fades away, the word we once knew morphs into something new. We are told ever so often to love our country, not really knowing how to love a plot of land. Yet, somehow, through conversations, contemplations and a lot of soul-searching, we tend to find ourselves loving Malaysia in our own unique way.

Personally, after a lot of soul-searching, I know with all of my heart, I love Malaysia. I don't think I could ever call another country home. I love Malaysian culture, food and of course, the people. I love it too much to watch my own people be treated unfairly and injustice follows you everywhere you go. I believe that corruption is an issue that still haunts Malaysia to this day. The huge wealth gap and income inequality in Malaysia have put our people in hard living standards. It is caused by a system where the rich get richer and the poor remain poor.

This poem was an outlet for me to explore my stance on loving Malaysia despite its flaws. In redefining patriotism, the poem itself is a metaphor comparing love for a country to romantic love. The persona is a man who loves a noble woman, Lady Malaya despite being rejected by her. No matter how much it pains him to love her and pine for her affection, he persists. In later stanzas, we find that Lady Malaya is unhappy. This is because of the people who take advantage of Lady Malaya's wealth, causing her to have a miserable life. Malaysia is the beautiful country that I call home. My love for my country is not something I expect to falter, even when in the wrong hands.

I love Malaysia. Most of all, I love Malaysians and pray that their hardships and burdens are lifted. I know Lady Malaya, I mean, Malaysia would feel the same.