What Does It Mean To Be Malaysian?
Author: Chin Yung How
Has it ever came across your mind of how blessed you are to be Malaysian? For me, the answer is plain as day as they come. Yes. I feel tremendously proud to call myself a Malaysian. As Malaysians we may not know how positively perceived as to the whole world because of the recent on-goings that are happening specifically in the political spectrum of our beloved nation. I have made friends from all over the world and they had told me one particular thing, they envy Malaysia’s ability to maintain in relative harmony. Many countries and even the United States of America have tried to solve the million dollar issue of uniting different ethnicities and cultures but to no avail. The entire world is in awe of the status of Malaysia being a multiracial country but we did not come this far without any obstacles at all. Malaysia wasn’t even a glorified nation at all during the days of in neither World War 1 nor 2, and the fact that Malaysia hasn’t even existed back then is how mind-bending to many on how we became what we are, who we are today. To even just recall about our Malaysian history truly fascinates me, it gives me a sense of patriotism second to none. It makes me want to not just improve myself mentally, career wise just to name a few aspects, but to make it a positive statement to the world what it is to be Malaysian.
I was born in Sarawak, moved to an island off coast of Sabah where I pursued my primary education in a Chinese National School or SJKC and then the National Secondary School or known as Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan, then I pursued A Levels in Sabah and now a Bachelor’s degree in Optometry in Kuala Lumpur. I spent multiple years in different parts of Malaysia so I can say without a doubt I breathe Malaysia. I have noticed somewhat of a culture shock transitioning from one place to another. Even though Malaysia is one country, but different parts of Malaysia brings something new to the table. The most important agenda of all, I wouldn’t be Malaysian if I did not mention the vast selections of food we offer. From Penang’s Char Kuay Teow to Sarawak’s Laksa, almost every state conjured up a special locally made delicacy that is not just tasteful but unique in creativity. My most significant food experience was my time in KK, Sabah. Yes there’s no doubt Kuala Lumpur offers more food but in terms of authenticity I would prefer the food in Sabah. I would go out with my friends for Ngiu Chap (beef noodles), Tuaran Mee just to name a few. As a side note, I enjoyed their alcoholic beverage called Tapai too as the blend and taste was indeed special. However, all these dishes still come short of the unofficial yet undisputed National delight Nasi Lemak dish so craved not just by locals but tourists too. This dish screams unity which can be justified by its rich blend of spiciness, savoury, creamy, sweet, soft, crunchy taste, all of this packed into one. This rhetorical description symbolizes Malaysians as a whole; so many good aspects mixed into one.
Being able to study at different parts of the nation exposed me to multiple cultures of Malaysians. Sabah which comprised largely of Dusunic origin have their unique traditional dances, costumes, food and drinks and crafts. Of course I wouldn’t forget the norm of Sabahans adding a “bah” at the end of almost every casual sentence they use. Sarawak has its own unique characteristics too, and houses 27 ethnic groups. With 45 different dialects, each group has their own unique stories to tell. As a Sarawakian myself, I would say there are too many stories to tell, but that’s the beauty of it, knowing there’s still so much more to discover and unravel. I’ve only explained about the Peninsular not to mention the idea of understanding the Semenanjung culture. The idea of it just amazes me, being a Malaysian surrounded by various cultures and if we are able to fuse all these good values together, it will be influential in helping us mature into Malaysians that are respected across the globe.
There is another topic at hand which to me resembles something special yet underappreciated, communication. Different states have different dialects such as how the dialect Cantonese is popularised in parts of Kuala Lumpur and deemed almost essential to learn if you were a businessman willing to get the attention of Chinese folks, for parts of Sarawak it is Hokkien instead of Cantonese. I don’t recall such extraordinary events occurring in other countries. Communication is the bridge that brings everyone together, not just Malaysians but an example, Cantonese is commonly used in Hong Kong, China. This was one topic that was not cliché nor stands out among other perks of being Malaysian but is one I value very much as I believe communication is key to everything.
In conclusion, there are many other things that makes us Malaysian, people we can be eternally grateful for, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Lee Chong Wei, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor. Places such as Mount Kinabalu, the beautiful islands off Kota Kinabalu, Petronas Twin Tower only to name a few. These iconic symbols give us meaning to want to be proud of being a Malaysian and help us stride towards an even better Malaysia. We’ve come so far from being grasped by foreign powers to achieving independence by our ancestors, and now influencing global economy and producing quality athletes. This is just the start of something great about Malaysia and I have never been more excited for what the future beholds. This is what it means to be Malaysian.