Understand true patriotism

here sthg i would to share with all msian out there... extracted from "The Star" paper... i found it rather interesting and very accurate... finally someone voiced it out... bravo "SHIRAZ FARUQI" from Kuala Lumpur!here goes...

"WE ARE reliving those magical moments of Aug 31, 1957, when Malaysia began its tryst with destiny. In the euphoria surrounding Merdeka, it is understandable that the visible symbols of patriotism are everywhere.

But one must remember that patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.

Patriotism is a live sense of responsibility. True patriots are people who take pride in their work; who do ordinary things in an extraordinary way; who regard their work as part of worship and give it the same type of devotion; who leave the nation better than they found it.

The farmer who ungrudgingly mixes his sweat, blood and toil with the soil; the ordinary clerk who works hard and honestly; the public officer who resists bribes and inducements and puts public interest above private weal; the schoolboy who picks up litter and disposes it the right way – these are but a few of the true but unsung heroes of the nation.

In the context of a multi-racial and multi-religious Malaysia, our patriotism demands additional sacrifices. We have to transcend our differences and discover all that unites us despite much that divides us. We have to treasure the country’s cultural mosaic.

To be truly objective, we must be prepared to view things subjectively from the point of view of others who share our common national destiny but have a different heritage.

And by the blessing of God, may our country itself become a vast and splendid monument of wisdom, peace, liberty and tolerance upon which the world may gaze with admiration. "