‘Independence Child’ rejoice in sharing country’s 59th Merdeka Day

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TELUK INTAN: Retired teacher Noordin Mokhtadi is among the few ‘Independence Child’ born on the day Tunku Abdul Rahman read the Proclamation of Independence and shouted ‘Merdeka’ still surviving in Hilir Perak.

Based on records, there are at least 12 babies born on that day, Aug 31, 1957, in Hilir Perak.

Like other ‘Independence Child’, Nordin is proud to be born on that day as he is able to celebrate two occasions simultaneously with more than 30 million people.

Nordin, who was born at 10am in Chenderong Balai, about 16 kilometres from here, said he only realised the ‘specialty’ of being an ‘Independence Child’ when he got older.

“I found out I was born on Merdeka Day when I was 10 years old. When I was younger, I did not really care, until my friends teased me about it,” he said when met at his house in Taman Desa Aman, Jalan Hutan Melintang near here recently.

A former senior assistant at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Tapak Semenang near here, Nordin said the shouts of ‘Merdeka’ that echoed every year on his birthday made he want to be in the security team and that prompted him to join the Police Volunteer Reserve in the 1980s to 2000.

“Proud of my birth date, I also participated in the Merdeka Day parade that was held in Teluk Intan,” said Nordin, the second of five siblings.

Nordin, who has 10 children and four grandchildren, said his most memorable birthday celebration was in 2007 when the country celebrated its 50th Merdeka Day.

“I was contacted by the Information Ministry (now known as Communications and Multimedia Ministry) to go to Kuala Lumpur to attend a programme at the Kuala Lumpur Tower.

“I was there with 50 other people. We were treated like royalties. We got to meet with the then Yang Dipertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin and (then) Prime Minister (now Tun) Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, as well as other cabinet ministers, and given a complete set of clothing,” he added.

According to Nordin, the event was entered in the Malaysia Book Of Records (MBOR) as a birthday celebration with the most number of ‘Independence Child’ and the biography of all the birthday child was contained in the book “Warisan Anak-anak Merdeka”.

As for Rosnani Maseh, from Kampung Parit 11, Batu 16, Hutan Melintang, the shouts of ‘Merdeka’ on the radio or television on her birthday made her cry.

She was born at 10am on Merdeka Day in Kampung Sungai Lang, Parit Baru, in  Sabak Bernam, Selangor.

“I realised I was special at the age of 11. The feeling was good, I also felt lucky,” said the woman, known as “Wak Ani” among the villagers.

A former Parit 11 Wanita Umno branch vice-chief, Rosnani now helps her daughter in-law to run a bakery near her house. She has three children and six grandchildren.

Being an ‘Independence Child’ herself, Rosnani said she often reminded her children to appreciate and be grateful with what that had been blessed to them and to contribute to the country’s progress.

“Alhamdulillah, my children were able to pursue studies until university level and are now successful in their respective endeavours. Hopefully, they can contribute to the country,” she added. — Bernama