The Malaysian Identity

After the political tsunami, I have been busy updating myself with news from home, from various sources, www.thestar.com.my, malaysiakini.com, www.nst.com.my, Malaysia-today.net and many more. Honestly, I felt the jitters, and the exciting moments, following up news from swamped internet site of The Star and Malaysia Kini in bitter cold from my apartment in Beijing. Although I can’t participate in March 8 general election, as the Malaysia Embassy had told me earlier on last Friday afternoon, that doesn’t stop me checking for every internet sites that carries the news of the GE. The shivers of streams of news from internet site jitters me stronger than the bitter cold of Beijing.

I am tremendously over-joy when I read from The Star that finally the Opposition had manage to secure more than 1/3 votes from Malaysian voters, and even happier to hear that finally there’s changes in my hometown in Penang. Although from the beginning that it started from my constituent that PKR have made its ground root, since then I have adjusted myself to accept the “alternative” parties, to see them flourish and govern the state with justice and equality and free from corrupt hands. My dream almost came true.

In fact I am very glad that the Oppositions are now taking charge of my hometown, particularly for DAP that Penang people have given their mandate to. I hope to see changes for the good, coming from DAP. All said, nonetheless, there are some issues that I read are quite disturbing to me personally, as Anak Malaysia. One of my big fed up and concern are regarding the narrow minded of some DAP politicians. Yes, I am referring to the songkok issue. When I read the articles from www.malaysia-today.net, I felt it was a bit funny (thank you RPK for showing us the light), but quickly turned into frustration. How can this become an issue for the politician? It shouldn’t even cross our mind. Although I never heard or heard about Mr. Teng before, from my opinion he is just plain brainless and outright darn stupid. I guess he hasn’t quit his “Chinese”-ness that came with his fore-father from China. Here I just wanted to remind him that he (or perhaps his parents) are born in Malaysia, and that Bahasa Melayu is our national language. Baju Melayu, songkok, baju kebaya etc. are OUR traditional wear. I speak Melayu with my childhood friend (which is Indian) and our gang (mostly Chinese) speaks Melayu with our Malay and Indian childhood friends.

In China, I have no problem expressing myself as Malaysian, although both my parents and their parent are ethnic Chinese. To the Chinese people here, there’s no point to explain to them the story of my ancestry as they will simply refer me as “Malai ren” (Malay man) no matter what. Indeed, I really see myself as Anak Malaysia, rather than Malaysian Chinese. I am even proud to say that I am “Malaysia person” rather than a “Malaysian Chinese” when people ask me about my origin. I would say that my idea of Malaysian Identity have been growing so stronger that ever, since I arrive in Beijing. I would consider myself as Malaysian rather than a Chinese here in Beijing. It is not to say that I lost my skin when in China or forget where my ancestor from (but again, why should I look at the past when it is time to look for the future for change, and is the origin of my ancestor important to judge my life at present and in the future?), but it is the fact that both my parents are born in Penang, MALAYSIA, and they speak pretty well Melayu. In fact, my father studied in Highschool Bukit Mertajam, thus he knows nothing about Chinese writing nor can he read Chinese characters. To continue his legacy I studied in the same school and being brand a “banana” man to English-educated Chinese. As I saw the same “branding” goes published in some of our newspaper, I would say this term is so wrong to begin with, as we are Malay-educated Chinese, as our Malaysia education have been revamp since 1960’s. (Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan & Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan) An English-educated people are people that attend an English-curriculum school system and all the text books and the teachings are conducted in English beside language lessons. All our public schools are teaching lessons in Malay language during my generations. So I plead to all our newspaper to re-write the terms and proudly say that we are Malay-educated Malaysian. I know my legacy and my history, and to me, I know that my parents are born in Malaysia, speaks Malay as well. For myself, I am born in Penang, Malaysia and attended Highschool Bukit Mertajam, and I am proud to say that I speak well Malay. So if there’s anyone ask me what my origin is, I would say that I am a proud Malaysian. I would just consider myself as Anak Malaysia, rather than a Malaysian Chinese.

Why not?

For those DAP politician that assume that wearing a songkok will turn him against his race because that songkok will make him look like a Malay Muslim, and instead a suit will make him a gentlemen, please use their tiny brain to think. As a Malaysian, I am proud that I have a national culture and tradition. Compare to our neighbor Singapore, they are proudly using Malays tradition to promote their tourism, which includes everything from food to clothing. Why our DAP politicians didn’t see it broadly like this and just keep their narrow view to their own little agenda? What I think is that these idiot politician from DAP just need to go travel a little bit more around the world to seek more wisdom before concluding that wearing a songkok will make them a Malay.

And for now, where can I get a songkok in Beijing?

(so that I can show my friends that I come from a civilized country that have her own identity and traditional culture, not just a former British colony)