Saya berasal dari Malaysia lah! (Blog 2)

* I come from Malaysia lah!

What's does it mean to be Malaysian to me?

Well, for starters, I have to go through the cumbersome process of stating my race and religion in every form I fill up - be it for formal matters or signing up for a member card at the local supermarket. I can arrive half an hour late (almost always) to any event or gathering, and still be earlier than my friends. I get identified by my race in classrooms, and sometimes be turned down for certain matters because they've reached the quota for the applicants of my race. I get certain stereotypical statements regarding my race (and others) drilled into my mind from an early age. I spend more time in transit than I do at the event/gathering/class I am headed for because of the heavy traffic that plagues our streets. I'm laughed at by people when I tell them that I do not understand my own mother tongue (which is Chinese) because I never learned it, and every now and then be put to shame because someone of a different race speaks it better than I ever can (true story, okay!).

BUT being Malaysian also means that I can integrate all four main languages spoken here (English, Malay, Chinese, and Tamil) into my everyday conversations and still be understood perfectly - "Dei, I need to balik lah cause I have to tapau dinner for my adik" (Translation : "Hey, I need to go back as I have to buy dinner for my younger brother"). I get to enjoy more holidays than most countries have a year because of the various race and ethnicities that reside here in Malaysia (HEHEHE). I also get to celebrate festivals and celebrations that aren't of my own race or religion with my friends who are of that race or religion. I am able to experience that feeling every Malaysian feels (regardless of your age, religion, race, political standing, or your preference of leaving the toilet seat up or down after use) when we are rooting for our national football team, Harimau Malaya, or badminton superstar, Lee Chong Wei, during a major play-off. This experience gets better when we're jam-packed in a mamak stall with a really huge (or sometimes, not so huge) television screen, along with our favourite teh tarik drink and our favourite people (friends, neighbours, aunties and uncles we see daily,... Everyone in general, actually!). Last but not least, I have a never ending list of food to eat every day from every race and sometimes a fusion of a few (so much so that I sometimes don't know what to eat because I'm too spoiled for choice)!

Being Malaysian has it's downsides and perks, but then again, what doesn't? From race to nationality to gender to just existing - everything has it's good and bad sides. 

It's just a matter of perspective.

How have all the news reports about race, religion, and ethnicity affected you?

Issues regarding race and religion are bound to happen when you're living in a multiracial country especially when everyone's in pursuit of dominance and power. It's sometimes used as a trump card for politicians when they know they're losing their grip on the throne. 

I'm not sure about you (or my friends, or rather, Malaysians as a whole) but I'm pretty desensitized to all these racial and religious issues. Maybe it's because I've heard them one too many times (and over the same matters), or maybe it's because I'm just ignorant of it (and its repercussions), but I have this tendency to overlook minor details like a person's race, religion, and occasionally political affiliation in the news, and head on straight to the main body of the story. 

If it's regarding some authoritative figure's remark on another figure's race or religion, I'd read the full scoop - and then judge their maturity level based on the points they argue about. 

The Malaysian media scene's issues of race, religion, and ethnicity hasn't really affected me, but if anything, it's taught me that some grown ups are only called grown ups because of their age.

******

Bottom line, if you ever ask me :

"Are you proud to be Malaysian?"

My answer is yes. Yes, I am proud to be a Malaysian.

"Why?"

Because this is the only home I've ever known, and despite it's minor or major flaws (in the system, in the governance, in the weather, in the language, in everything and anything!), there's really no where else I'd rather be than here.

Sources :

> http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/silver-in-hand-gold-at-heart-1.121367

> http://www.thestar.com.my/Travel/Malaysia/2011/03/31/The-mamak-stall-culture/

> http://ww1.utusan.com.my/utusan/Pilihan_Raya/20130507/px_03/Apa-lagi-orang-Cina-mahu