There you have it again. Some genius in our Malaysia Boleh country made a 'brilliant' observation and then decided that our national anthem, Negaraku, has not been fully appreciated by its citizens. So what do we do? Well, someone suggested that we should probably make all cinema-goers sing the Negaraku before their movie begins. What a wild idea, if you ask me!

While we are at it, I can suggest a few suitable venues for the anthem to be played too:

• CONCERTS. Might as well do it at the international level. We can be the perfect model country for foreigners to see how patriotic we Malaysians are.
  
• PUBS. Since lots of party goers will be losing their sense of self during this time, better bring back some soberness into them.
  
• KARAOKE CLUBS. Singing venue right? What a good way to start off the vocal marathon.
  
• WORK OFFICES. Why not? Semangat maju jaya!

How does increasing the frequency of hearing and singing the Negaraku inculcates our love for it, I couldn't comprehend. Our anthem should be appreciated at the right moment. We should feel proud of it during moments of national glory, sporting events, international conferences or national functions. NOT just before a horror movie starts... the setting, the sentiment is just not right.

Verdict:
"The Working Committee Meeting on the Culture and Appreciation Campaign of the Negaraku has decided yesterday that while the law does not compel cinemas to play the national anthem, they should be encouraged to do so." Source: The Sun, Friday, 10 June 2005.