Kuala Lampur, Aug. 22 -- Every August, Malaysia dresses for the occasion. The Jalur Gemilang appears outside skyscrapers, office buildings, homes, along highways, across shopfronts and on our social media feeds, and for a few weeks we speak more deliberately about what it means to belong to this country. But when the flags come down, what remains?

This question matters, because a nation is not merely remembered from a celebration. It is reminisced through the stories people tell about it and the trust they place in its citizens, institutions and interactions. Malaysia definitely has a Brand! But it is far bigger than a tourism logo or an advertising slogan. Our national brand is our reputation, lived out in public, for the world to judge...