OVER the past month, since Merdeka, I have noticed something that has unsettled me more than I expected – stranded Jalur Gemilang flags along highways and drains. Some were torn and half-buried in puddles. They were once raised proudly from car windows and stalls, fluttering symbols of love for the country. Now, they lie forgotten.
It may be a small thing but to me, those abandoned flags say something about how we treat what we claim to love. We celebrate with passion, then move on. We raise awareness, then forget. And in that quiet forgetting lies a bigger national concern.
As Malaysia prepares to host the 47th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur later this month, where leaders such as Donald Trump and Xi Jinping are expected, the spotlight will be on geopolitics and trade.
Two weeks later, the world will gather in Belém, Brazil, for COP30, to decide the next steps in climate finance and adaptation.
Between those global stages sits our Budget 2026, announced just days ago with billions in allocation for flood mitigation, river restoration and environmental protection.
All of this sounds promising on paper but as I watch the flags fading on the roadside, I cannot help but think: Will our climate promises risk ending up the same way, raised high for a moment, then left to wither?
The climate crisis does not wait for summits or speeches. Floods, heat and haze are already changing how Malaysians live, work and even learn. Yet, we still treat climate action as a side issue, not one of survival.
And while we debate policies, darker stories are unfolding – four Form Five boys had allegedly raped a Form Three student in Melaka. And more recently, a Form Four girl has died after being stabbed by another student at a school in Selangor. It is horrifying, yes. But it is also telling. It speaks of something broken – on how we raise and protect our youths and how empathy and responsibility are slipping through the cracks. Climate resilience means little if our communities fracture from within.
The same disconnection that lets a river clog with plastic will also allow a classroom to become unsafe. It is the same habit of overlooking what does not scream for attention.
Malaysia wants to lead in climate diplomacy, and we can. But first, we have to lead at home. That means making Budget 2026 a living commitment: direct funds to community-led adaptation, enforce transparency in resilience spending and integrate social protection and education reform into our climate agenda.
If we can protect our rivers, shield our cities and empower our youths, then we deserve to lead. But if we let our symbols, our children and our environment fade into neglect, the rhetoric from these gatherings becomes hollow.
Let us choose otherwise. If patriotism means raising the flag, stewardship means keeping it flying. The Jalur Gemilang deserves better than to be left in the drain. So, do our children. So, does our planet.
We keep talking about growth and progress but the truth is this: we cannot build a strong nation on weak memory.
Mogesh Sababathy is a youth climate advocate, member of the National Consultative Panel to the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry and PhD candidate at Universiti Putra Malaysia.
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