Proud to be Malaysian...

Whenever some nice caucasian dude asks me (and trust me I do get it a lot, especially in Australia, UK or even Ireland)... So what are you? I mean, what race are you? What nationality? What...

I usually just jump in... I am a Malaysian or rather a Malaysian Chinese (or sometimes Malaysian of Chinese descent.

This is often followed by an ahhhhh... Malaysian eh... nice country, beautiful beaches, that... what do ya call it - Pet-rones towers -wish to go there someday...
The fact that I am Chinese would not even crop up after that...

When I was an undergraduate down-under, I got myself involved in the Malaysian Student Council, a loose coalition organised by the MSD of university based Malaysian clubs. This coalition is organised at a national (in Australia) level and by state level. I had the privilege to be chairman of one such state Malaysian Student Council - and until today still extremely proud of the team I put together - Chinese, Malay and Indians working together under a common identity - being Malaysian.

In addition, looking at the larger picture nationally - I am Chinese, my counterpart in South Australia is Malay, in Queensland, an Indian. All united with one voice - being Malaysian!

You would probably be asking now - why am I bringing all this up right now? It is simple - I have been stirred by the press. I am proud to be Malaysian - Which is why I am now deeply offended by an article in the papers by a reporter, who in one fell swoop declared himself an expert in race relations in our beloved nation. In his article, this gentleman noted that Malaysia ia "a country where “Malaysians” are still rare and society is populated instead by Malays, Chinese and Indians and something called 'others'.” What in interesting insight!

This article was on The Star - Anwar reinvents himself again. It is obvious that the article is trying to analyse and point out the weaknesses of one of our opposition leaders - that he has abandoned his "twin pillars" and move on to a ground that he will never win. But in the process he revealed the dark underbelly of our national politics - if he is right, our government has failed in its grand attempt to unite us all - slogans of "Malaysia Boleh!" rings hollow, "Malaysia truly Asia" a sham, "Masyarakat Majmuk & Muhibbah" a pipe dream, our Rukunegara an empty formula hanging on the darkened walls of failed schools and broken fields... It is probably the saddest thing my eyes ever have the misfortune of reading.

It is in the deepest recesses of my mind and heart that screams out - wishing that it is not true. That being Malaysian is being in a special society... where in the night market a Malay vendor sells halal char koay teow next to a Chinese dude selling Nasi Lemak, where Chinese taxi drivers speak fluent Tamil, Malay taxi drivers swears in Cantonese and Indian taxi drivers complaining about traffic in Kelantanese Malay vernacular... A society that worships our gods and deities side by side, where D24 Durian stalls have men (and women) of all races frantically digging into our King of fruits... A society that kawans hang together as heng tais... Where the people speak in funny incomprehensible English (such as Hey Joe, mana lu pergi? or Alamak! Like that si liao)

In short - a Malaysian society... Just as it was envisioned by our government leaders 51 years ago when they got together in Alliance to form a common National Front