100% Malaysian

this awesomeness is by [rin] , Wednesday, August 26, 2009 12:18 PM

No doubt as a lead-up to National Day this 31st, StarTwo from The Star newspapers published an article on racial difference today.
Titled '100% Malaysian', it asks a few young adults about their views on the government's consideration to remove the 'Race' category from official forms.

Among those interviewed was UPM student Simon Ooi.
He mentioned that "...People would usually hang out with friends from their own race, but there's no hatred for other races - people just tend to group together. It's a natural 'phenomenon',".
And, yes, I couldn't agree more with the fact that it is an inbuilt nature in each and every one of us to prefer to 'hang out' with someone with the same skin colour/religion as ourselves.
This is because people who have some similarities tend to have other aspects in common as well.
It is a very natural response for one to want to click with another of their own race on, say, the first day of school.
It appears to be 'safer' ground.
Most may do it subconsciously, and most probably they will open up to everyone else sooner or later, but there's no denying our first impulse to 'flock'.

Loneo James, a Bidayuh teacher says that he has many Sarawakian friends because they share more things in common, and not because they are of the same race.
However, if they were not of the same race, would they even have so many similarities?
It is because of race that likeness and differences occur.

He also encourages us to use Bahasa Malaysia (BM) when engaging in a conversation with someone we've just met.
How many of us (Malays notwithstanding) want to do that?
Especially if we're not sure if the other person is fluent in that language and/or understands it well enough to hold a conversation?
What about when we're talking to foreigners, should we use BM as well?
I don't think so.
To avoid being labeled as socially inept, one should always converse in a language both parties are comfortable with.
This would enable us to put forth our views fluently and thus give a good first impression.

Dianne Bungan, another interviewee with mixed Sarawakian parentage says that the use of our national language breaks down barriers immediately, especially when overseas.
Now, I don't know about you, but if I was overseas and met a fellow Malaysian, I wouldn't want to struggle to speak BM.
Heck, I'd want to greet the person in their own mother tongue!
BM for a Malay, Mandarin for a Chinese and maybe even Tamil for an Indian acquaintance.
Not restrict myself to a certain dialect just because it is my motherland's national language.
A true Malaysian would be able to converse in the many colourful languages of Malaysia, not just BM.
The ability to speak BM doesn't make you Malaysian.
The ability to speak ONLY BM makes you illiterate in the fast-moving world of today.

Racial harmony is not an impossible dream.
However, it has to start with our leaders.
They have to first show the citizens that they do actually want this dream to come true someday.
They should start by taking proactive measures instead of sitting around griping and moaning about the many racial issues happening nowadays.

But if things carry on as they are now, I don't see racial harmony happening any time soon.

In Malaysia, it doesn't matter if one is 50% Malay and 50% Chinese.
According to the Syariah laws, one would still be considered as a Malay and has to practice Islam, wear a tudung and consent to Muslim laws.
Because this is what the laws and constitutions of this country implies - That Malays and the Islamic religion is of greater importance here.

How can anyone be expected to mingle freely and treat everyone else as their equals if the government does not?
How can we change when nobody is encouraging us to stop 'flocking'?
The many special treatments given to Malays set them a rank higher than the rest of us.
The political world is mostly dominated by this race and those from other races are barred from holding any of the highest posts.
This casts the Malays as of a greater status than the rest of society and therefore prevents everyone to live together as true equals.
It is not the rakyat's fault that we're unable to harmonize, it is the leader's.
What they expect us to achieve, they should take the first baby step in achieving!

The 'Race' category in any form is just like filling in your gender or address, but it makes a great difference when you have only 2 choices -
  1. Melayu
  2. Lain-lain
For this is the choice Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) and other major examinations-takers have.
So, we're either Malay, or we're not, in this country.
Is this truly the future of Malaysia?
To let those from other countries view 'Malaysian' as a stereotype of people from a narrow-minded country, instead of a race by itself, as it should be?

6 Response to "100% Malaysian"

uncle_jack Says:

hahahahah spm and PMR...so long time...i remember i always curi tengok at note i bring inside dewan peperiksaan heheheheheheh i got b c and E in all subject
bm so...ez

uncle_jack Says:

next year i register vote for PKR...no BN
B***negara=B.N hahahahahahaahahahaha

[rin] Says:

wow... exam how u bring note go in ha... teach me leee...

unlce_jack Says:

hehehehehe
here the tips....1st day must servey see the pengawas peperiksaan always got check your paper or not...if not ready to cheat
SPM all subject pengawas will give 1 kertas kosong and objective paper....got colour 1....put ur note in the kertas soalan....hehehehe just put on table....
how to bring in.....i put the note in my stokin hahahahahahahaha

uncle_jack Says:

then clip the note in kertas soalan...b'cuz kertas soalan can take back home de....sure they don't sangsi...hahahahahahaha i cheat many teacher and in exam.....or u put the note in toilet ...then after u pretend want go toilet...then take the note.....many tricks u can do....

[rin] Says:

wade...lols~
lucky i next year oni spm...haha~

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