ABSTRACT
After over forty years of political independence, Malaysians are still aflame with nationalist sentiments and yearnings, which were not even dampened by the heavy rain punctuating the “Countdown to National Independence Day” program. Most Malaysians I have spoken with, evoking a conventional sense of togetherness, were convinced that their unity would withstand the scorching effect of economic and political crises. The apparent contradiction between their intense outpouring of patriotism and expressions of hopeful togetherness, and the Malay-bias of such public celebrations, not to speak of tensions over Malay privileges bestowed upon the political and cultural majority, struck me early in my research period in Melaka. Could these public expressions just be a hopeful facade masking a fire below? Could these politically orchestrated displays actually resonate with people in local communities in Melaka?
