J-Pop Style 'Negaraku'?

I read with interest Silencers’ funny entry about playing our national anthem in cinemas, which was followed by 5xmom’s take on the subject. It seems to me the people in charge are not really tackling the root of the problem, which is the declining respect for the ‘Negaraku’ among the younger generation.

When I was in school, I had to sing 3 songs at assembly every week: ‘Negaraku’, our school song and ‘Setia’ (OK, don’t ask me about that last one).

All my friends from different schools had the same opinion – “The song is BO-ORRING!!”

So the big boys in charge introduce a marching beat version. Slight improvement, but kids were still not respecting the national anthem.

If this doesn’t work, what next? Let’s see what some other countries do or did (in the past) regarding national anthems (which I suspect HAVE been considered):

• Put your right hand on your heart when you sing, like those communist countries.
  
  
• Or better yet, lift your right arm in a Nazi salute (like Paulo Di Canio…)
  
  
• Lift your right fist up high, like the Black Panthers (must be wearing black glove)
  
  
• When the anthem is played in public places, get soldiers to arrest anyone fooling around or disrespecting the song (like in North Korea or some fourth world dictatorship)
  
  
• Have (many) different versions to appeal to everyone – hip-hop (as suggested by a Malaysian rap group), black metal, Canto-pop, J-pop, rave, techno, Love Me Butch-style, Kylie Minogue style….
  

Anyway, bottom line is : However or whatever you make people sing or listen to it, it won’t make a difference if people still don’t respect it…




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