Wan (Moderator) Assalamualaikum and a very good evening to our panelists today and all of

you. Welcome to our forum for this week. As well we know, “Patriotism" is a
current big issue, which enables you to think about the topics that we had
highlighted and we are trying to solve the issues together by sharing
beneficial and interesting ideas and though, which will be delivered by
our guests today. I am Hasif'Azim bin Roshidi and I will be your moderator
today.

Today, we would like to highlight a topic that is quite interesting to be

discussed on “Is patriotism good or bad thing?”. I am sure that every one of us
has our own opinion and though with this topic. Before we proceed to our
forum, I would like to introduce our panelists today.

Our first panelist is Dr Daniel Haziq bin Abdul Halib, Senior Deputy Chief
Secretary of State from the Prime Minister Department. How are you Dr?

Assalamualaikum and a
very good day I wish to
all of you. Welcome to
our forum for this week.
As well we know,
“Pandemic Covid-19” is a
current big issue, which
enable you to think about
the topics that we
had highlighted and
we are trying to
solve the issues
 together by
sharing the beneficial
and interesting ideas and
thought, which will be
delivered by our guests
Assalamualaikum and a
very good day I wish all
of you. Welcome to
our forum for this week.
As well we know,
“Pandemic Covid-19” is a
the current big issue,
which enables you to
think about the topics that
we
had highlighted and
we are trying to
solve the issues
 together by
sharing the beneficial
and interesting ideas and
thought, which will be
delivered by our guests
Haziq (Panelist 1) I am doing really well and very ecstatic to be here today!

Wan(Moderator) Next to him is our second panel. He is a Malaysian Professer that teaches
history major students in Havard university and he is also the Nobel prize
winner in 2007 for his excellency in history, Professor Idris Bin Abdul Hamid

https://www.jpm.gov.my/ Deris (Panelist 2) I am good and glad to be here

images/ in this morning!
12012023_BM_NEW_CARTA_O
RGANISASI_JPM.jpg
Wan(Moderator) Next to him is our third panel, Mr Danish Yan Bin Mohd Danial Yan. He is a
degree student from Universiti Malaya and he is also the winner of the
international student debating competition of 2021. How are doing Mr
Danish?

Danish (Panelist 3) I am fine, thanks. It is a beautiful day to be gathered here today

Wan (Moderator) And our fourth panelist today is Mr Dhia Shahmi bin Shahrin Hilmy. He is from
Youth Trust Foundation – MyHarapan which he dedicated his effort and time
toward empowering young Malaysians. How are you doing Mr Dhia?

Dhia (Panelist 4) I am feeling great today especially when we gather here today to talk about a
great topic.

Wan (Moderator) And our last panelist today is a decorated war veteran from Batalion 3
Rejimen Askar Melayu Diraja. Lieutenant Commander Hasif'Azim bin Roshidi
He fought along with his comerade to eliminate Parti Komunis Malaya in the
late 70's to mid 80's. How are you doing Lieutenant Hasif?

Hasif (Panelist 5) I am feeling good today Wan

Wan (Moderator) Before we start our forum in detail, let me first ask our first panelist what is
patriotism and his stand on patriotism itself?

Haziq( Panelist 1) Thank you Mr Wan, Patriotism comes from two Greek words “pater”,
which means father, and “Patris” means land. The combination of the two
words brings about the word patriotism which means the love of a
fatherland. Thus patriotism means love and affection to the homeland or
place of birth of a person. However, the actual demands of patriotism are
more than the given meaning. Patriotism is the struggle that inspires
interests of the nation. It highlights the high morale and fighting spirit to
uphold the position, status and the influence of the state and nation.
Patriotism means to foster and develop self-esteem in order to serve the
homeland and the nation, being ready to sacrifice and have a highly
fighting spirit for truth and justice. Patriotism is not just a feeling of
love and affection towards the country but it should also be evident through
actions. As noted, patriotism means feelings of pride and love towards
one’s country and having the willingness to sacrifice anything for the sake
of national interests.

My stand is based on the policies that the government has placed on

patriotism. In Mac 2021, the former Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin
launched a new comprehensive basis named "The basis for unification of
countries" This pure policy has the concept of unity in diversity to strengthen
national unity and integration based on the Federal Constitution and Rukun
Negara This policy intends to form a national identity with the spirit of
identity, patriotism, concern, tolerance, mutual respect and responsibility.
In increasing patriotism and the understanding of democracy, it is very
important to increase the appreciation of Malaysian history

A lack of understanding will cause confusion and lead to conflict over religious
and language issues. Then, it is feared to cause conflict among the people.
When applied to the context of patriotism, it seems that the COVID-19
pandemic strengthened the people's patriotism. The pandemic witnessed
how enthusiastic Malaysians are to help each other regardless of skin color,
religion and political affiliation. Personally for me, patriotism is a good an
positive for this country

Wan (Moderator) Thank you Dr Haziq . From your explanation, we can see that patriotism is an
important for our country. Do you agree with that statement Professor Idris?

Deris (Panelist 2) I do agree with your statement Mr Moderator.

Assalamualaikum everyone, first of all I want to say I am glad to be here

today. So based on what Professor Idris said just now, we can see that
patriotism has an important effect on society. Patriotism is something we can
all understand—even if we experience it differently. As citizens of Malaysia,
we all participate in displays of patriotism: voting, freedom of speech,
observance of national holidays, reciting the National principles etc. These
things are all part of being a Malaysian citizen. First and foremost, patriotism
is a concept which brings people together. A sense of solidarity and love for
our country is a sentiment which binds. It’s a shared feeling and common goal
 to do what's best for the nation as a whole and be supportive throughout this
quest. When you see someone displaying the Malaysian flag or wearing
patriotic clothing, this will often lighten your mood and make you feel even
more patriotic knowing that the love for this country is strong and readily
apparent never underestimate the importance of representation. Back to you
Mr Hasif.

Wan (Moderator) Thank you Professor Idris that was a great point to be said. What can you say,
Mr Danish. Do you want to add another point?

Danish (Panelist 3) Yes Mr Wan, I would like to add another point.

Patriotism can be a positive force in a student's life as it can foster a sense of

pride and belonging in one's country. It can also inspire students to become
actively involved in their communities and work towards the betterment of
their nation. Patriotism can also encourage students to learn more about their
country's history and culture, which can broaden their understanding of the
world and promote a sense of understanding and appreciation for different
cultures. Additionally, patriotism can encourage students to be more aware of
and involved in current events and issues affecting their country, which can
help them develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

When you’re patriotic, you are dedicated and strong. You exude a special
fortitude in showing your dedication to achieve goals in the best interest of
the country. Whether you display the American flag, thank a military member
for their service, or volunteer with a military organization, you are using that
strength and fortitude to do what's right for the benefit of our country. Every
patriotic deed you do and every display you take the time to deliver reinforces
the strength of our country, one citizen at a time.You might not realize it, but
patriotic expressions give others strength. When you do a good deed for
someone else, it elevates them and encourages them to pass that feeling on.
When you vote for a strong government representative, you fortify our
democracy. When you salute a veteran, you let them know that you
appreciate everything they’ve done, and you inspire others to carry that
mantle. These acts of patriotism galvanize us. That is all from me, back to you
Mr Wan

Wan (Moderator) Thank you Mr Danish for a fantastic explanantion. Let us hear from our
decorated War veteran, Lieutenant Hasif.

Hasif (Panelist 4) Thank you Mr Wan

Ladies and gentlemen,before we start let me ask you a quick question.Do you
ever come up in your mind how our country can get independence.Do you
ever think how many bloods and dead bodies have to be spoiled In order for
us to live happily without any concern of danger?
Back then,when i was in Batalion 3 Rejimen Askar Melayu Diraja.I fought
along with British to eliminate Parti Komunis Malaya.I can see the damage
that PKR have done to our beloved country and people.Some of the family
members were killed,the houses were burnt down.
So why patriotism is important,it is because to develop the love of our
 country to youngster so that they will protect our country when we were
gone

What you give you get back that’s the saying we all know when we grew
up.Why we cant appreciate our soldier’s and ancestors effort to free our
country from enemy.As a war veteran we do not expect to get huge reward or
the title but we just ask you to appreciate our effort by loving our country
even more and don’t take this freedom we have for granted.
We will not know when our enemy will come and take our country.So we
must be ready and take all necessary steps to avoid other country to attack
us.So how you guys whose not in military be ready and take all necessary
steps? Just by having more patriotisme value in yourself,you will know how to
avoid outsider to take advantages in our country.Such as,we report to jabatan
pertahanan negara about pendatang asing tanpa izin (PATI) in our country
and their ways to enter our country.

If we do not defense our country and take it for granted,young generation in

future will suffer from your action.So do you really want to defense our
country? Do you have the spirit to do it? If you don’t pls remember that your
ancestors keep fighting the enemy although their weapon is far behind the
enemy’s weapon so that you guys can life happily without any danger.

Wan (Moderator) Thank you Lietunant Hasif for his opinion. Everything positive has a negative
side, can you tell me about a negative effects of patriotism, Mr Dhia?

Dhia (Panelist 4) First of all, thank you Mr Moderator for the invitation.

Assalamualaikum warahmutallahi wabarakatuh everyone, Alhamdulillah we

all can gather here today under the same roof to discuss this amazing topic.
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction according to Newton's 3 rd
Law. That is also applied to patriotism
What is the negative effects of patriotism? First of all, the exclusivity.
Patriotism or nationalism can seek to divide people; the exclusivity principle is
what defines patriotism to the point where you are required to put the
interests of your group above all else. For example, let’s assume that you are
an American and you would naturally want to put the interests of your
country above that of, say Russia – that’s the exclusivity principle.

Secondly, violence. When one grouping is attacked, this can result in others
belonging to that group, attacking innocent bystanders who share a similar
racial profile with that of the terrorist. Recently, an Indian software worker
was shot dead at a bar by a local because he had a similar demographic
appearance to those from the Middle East. Patriotism if not checked and
regulated, can lead to unnecessary violence and bloodshed.

Last effects of patriotism is racist attacks. While patriotism as a whole is a

 positive emotion as it can help you bond with your nation, it can also soon
degenerate into an of control racial attack. Hitter and Germany before the
beginning of the Second World War is the perfect example of the same. As a
result, if his animosity towards Jews, Hitler designed the final solution and
holocaust was born.
These are some of the positive and negative effects of patriotism, and it
should be pointed out that most nations face great challenges and they all
need a healthy dose of patriotism to survive; it is essential and a trait that all
citizens must share equally. But it should also be pointed out that patriotism
or its acts, comes with its own baggage and that you need to take care that
your love for your nation does not cause you to commit inhuman acts a Hitler
did. Back to you Mr Hasif

Wan (Moderator) That is all for today, thank you to all our panelist today, I will end our forum
discussion. Thank you once again and Assalamualaikum everyone