One Nation emcees? NO! ONE MALAYSIA!

United we stand, divided we fall. I think the 1Malaysia concept doesn’t really do much to the youths of today. I mean, we’ve grasp to the concept waaayyy before our current Prime minister, Datuk Najib Tun Razak, Introduced it.

But to do this topic justice, I SHALL TYPE! (Whatever it is that comes to mind a.k.a crap)

I think the 1malaysia concept should be stressed more towards politicians. Especially, Anwar Ibrahim. Shame on him for bringing the 13 Mei 1969 tragedy topic up this year. YOU hear that Anwar. Me don’t like you!

My Vision of malaysia in the next 5 years would be like Dr, Mahathirs’. Did I mention that he is my idol? Oh, yes I think I did. :)

What I think of the various races in this country? hmmm.. Well, almost every race in this country makes a part of me. Since I’m so spectacularly mixed. :P So I think all the races have flaws. But The other races make up their flaws. Yes, There is tension between the races in our country. IN POLITICS Boooo! BUT Why should us the young people, stay away from our friends just because they’re different from us?? hmm?? When Someone asks me what am I? I say I’m Malaysian!

Saya anak Malaysia!

I think people from all over the world see malaysia and respect us. i mean They have like blacks and whites. We have melayu, cina, india etc etc

 

Right 3 more mins to the dateline and I’m finally finished! Goodbye and so long! I’ve enjoyed blogging here! (eventhough I had exams ,tuitions and tons of homework!) Thanks again Ronn for letting me be a part of this =)

Loads of love,

 

ONE RACE

What do you think of 1Malaysia? Please explain your answer in details. What is your vision of Malaysia in the next 5 years?

I think 1Malaysia is an excellent concept that comes at the right time.

1 Malaysia.

I'm proud to say I'm a Malaysian.

It's comforting to see that our nation strives to see beyond ethnicity and instead focus on nation-based population.

But I think this concept is better off without political elements in it.
I really really hope this awesome concept isn't just a brainchild for winning more votes in any election.

This concept has yet to see itself rooted in the mind and soul of every Malaysian.
When it was first introduced, I was intrigued by it.
But as time passed, honestly, the spark of it dimmed and extinguished slowly.
What I'm trying to say is...
it takes more than words to implant this concept in every citizen.
We need to feel the actions that lead to this concept.
Allow us to feel that we are one.
Not only to let us hear that we could be one.

We all know, time and effort are required to invest in a flourishing relationship.
1 Malaysia concept is no difference.
Time.
Effort.
Both are needed to make this concept a success.

Let time test the solidity of this awesome concept...
and we'll see the level of liberation in thinking possess by our society.

My vision of Malaysia in next 5 years?
All citizens clings to 1Malaysia concept so that the society would lead a harmonious and happy lives, with will in turn strive in the nation's economy growth.

A vision too blissful to be true? Perhaps.....


What do you think about the various races in this country? Do you think about your race or country first? Why? Do you think there is a tension between the various races in this country or not?

Various races is a fact that I LOVE about Malaysia.
I'm glad I could make friends across ethnic boundaries.
I'm glad that I could enhance my tolerance with others.
I'm glad I could garner the experience of various festivals of different races.
It's a fulfilling and insightful experience, to say the least.

It never occurs to make friends because of race.
I appreaciate my friends.
I don't care where you come from...you can't help who you're born into....so why's the fuss?!

Race is nothing much that one should scrutinize upon while embarking on a journey with friend-ship.

I think of my country first.
Why not? I'm born here.
I am who I am because of here.
I have my identity, heritage, family, friends, past, present, practically everything HERE.
MALAYSIA.
It's a lovely country I'm glad I grew up in.
And I hope it stays that way till I'm six feet under.
And beyond.

Let's stop living in our dreamworld and face the facts.
Yes. There is a tension between various races in this country.

Come on, even in small family, siblings fight.
Malaysia --> a BIG country, and all the siblings are not from the same parents...
what do you get?
Occasional tongue fighting as well.
Nevertheless, it's very fortunate our 'siblings in nation' do not resort to fist fighting much.
We quarrel, no doubt. But we know the limits at least.

Tension is there because certain quarters like to provoke and bring forth unfavoured issues.
Please. We all know our history.
But do we need to be reminded of it every single day?
The column in the newspaper could be used to channel more insightful information you know...
Please refrain from hammering into our heads...the history that we've known by mind and by heart.
Please do not accuse Malaysians from being ungrateful and ignorant of the past.

If we just move on, embrace the globalisation wave with little reference to the past, I'm sure we can build a strong country where its citizens would prosper.


How do you think people from all over the world see Malaysia? Do you think there is a typical "Malaysian" stereotype? How would you want people to view "Malaysians" in the future?

I think they must have been awaiting the day that Malaysia fall apart.
Haha..forgive my pessimism, but I think they can't help with such notion too....
Many countries with different ethnics do not take it well like our country do.
A lot of countries are in fact in awe of how united Malaysians are.

Malaysia BOLEH!
Let's live happily ever after and leave them dissappointed

"Malaysian" stereotype?
Hmm...I don't quite get this term, but I guess you can stereotype someone "Malaysian" with all those mixed languaged. Believe me...youngster nowadays can speak three to four language in a sentence.

"I nak makan char kuey teow. You want follow?"

And perhaps...our Malaysian timing?


I love my country.
So of course I would like others to view people in my country as all the positive values a person could have.
I guess I don't need to recite all the 36 nilais we've memorised in our school days right?

:)



I don't have a shooting star to wish upon
For my lovely country Malaysia
I will work all my muscles and bones
For it to endlessly shine.

Forgive my lousy attempt at poetry. Haha....bet you didn't even notice it's a stanza.

Anywayz, cheers young generation! LET US BRING NEW WAVE TO THE COUNTRY!!!!

Careless Little Hamster & 1 Malaysia

What do you think of 1Malaysia? Please explain your answer (likes, dislikes, emotions etc) in details. What is your vision of Malaysia in the next 5 years?

I don't really dare to say much. 1Malaysia is a fabulous concept. It did work a little since it started, but it's losing its powers fast. I mean, to me, I don't really see it in the Malaysians yet. It's sort of the, words without action kind-of-thing. We Malaysians need really a lot more effort, co-operation, love, and devotion to make 1Malaysia happen.

I really hope Malaysia would grow to be a better country! Maybe in the next 10 years, we can grow to be the most advance country! (LOL, my vision. Not the Prime Minister's.)

What do you think about the various races in this country? Do you think about your race or country first? Why? Do you think there is a tension between the various races in this country or not?

I love the idea of having various races living in harmony in our country. It's really lovely to learn the different culture from each race. Race and Country is on the same rank for me. If the race falls, what country is there? And if the country is gone, where is the Race gonna go? For some people, yes there is a tension. It's a very big question. It varies from people. Some people are nice, some are not. It's just our luck to bump into the good/bad ones.

How do you think people from all over the world see Malaysia? Do you think there is a typical “Malaysian” stereotype? How would you want people to view “Malaysians” in the future?

Somehow, I think many don't look up to Malaysia FULLY yet. Malaysia is still a young country compared to countries in Europe etc. We have a long way to go to be one of the best countries in the world. No, there isn't a typical "Malaysian" stereotype. We can't say the Malays are Malaysians only, same goes to the Chinese and the Indians.

I would want people to see that though Malaysians are made of the different races, we are a unique people when put together and that we are all part of each other. I would like people to know that we Malaysians are very open-minded, harmonious, friendly people. I want them to know that Malaysians have various knowledge of others' culture and are willing to learn more rather than to criticize others' culture and religion. We are 1Malaysia, we should live up to that. :D

Khoo Su Ting, 16
http://carelesslittlehamster.com
http://www.facebook.com/SuTingKhoo

1Malaysia and it done...

1Malaysia... one of the way to make the malaysian keep strong and co-operate.. memang bagus buat 1Malaysia ni.. aku suke, cuma apabila bangsa bergabung, social together, pegangan agama mereka akan goyah sama sekali.. itu la perkara yang aku takut akan berlaku.. jadi 1Malaysia perlu dikaji semula dengan tujuan supaya semua bangsa boleh bersatu tanpa melupakan pegangan kepercayaan mereka..

My vision of Malaysia in next 5 years... Malaysia akan terus maju... Terus bersaing dari segi ekonomi, sosial dengan negara2 lain.. dan mule dipandang tinggi oleh negara2 barat serta menjadi contoh kepada negara2 serantau seperti indonesia, thailand, myanmar dan banyak lagi..

Masyarakat berbilang kaum ni memang banyak faedahnye.. kite boleh belajar dari bangsa lain dalam sesuatu bidang... boleh belajar pelbagai bahasa, budaya dan macam2 lagi.. tapi pabila berlaku sesuatu... aku akan pilih bangsa dahulu.. bukan berat sebelah tapi cube untuk membimbing bangsa sendiri... setiap orang ada perasaan selfish.. itu x boleh dipertikaikan.. kalau kita sentiasa bekerjasama dan menolong satu sama lain.. tidak akan ade pergaduhan antara kaum.. kalau terjadi pergaduhan antara kaum.. x de sape pun yang akan untung melainkan pihak luar untuk masuk campur...

berbilang bangsa

X dinafikan Malaysia adalah satu negara yang terkenal sejak dimodenkan oleh tun dr Mahathir... aritu mase parent aku umrah kat mekah. Orang2 Mekah boleh berbahasa Melayu dan suke dengan kehadiran orang malaysia ke negara mereka.. Malaysia sangat terkenal dengan KLCC, litar F1 Sepang, Pulau Langkawi dan pelbagai lagi.. Malaysia juga menganjurkan le tour de Langkawi dan macam2 lagi pertandingan bertaraf dunia.. sume ni adalah usaha untuk menglamorkan malaysia di mata dunia...

Aku suke bile orang pandang tinggi Malaysia, ade tempat di PBB dan kalau boleh, layak untuk menyertai kumpulan G8.. aku harap malaysia dapat lebih maju dari sekarang dan dapat mengekalkan keamanan yang sedia ada kerana aku sememangnye bangga menjadi rakyat Malaysia...

~ Islam is Life ~

Day 10 : 1Malaysia (completed)

Rakyat Didahulukan, Pencapaian Diutamakan

Salam

1Malaysia. Apa yang kita faham mengenai satu Malaysia seperti yang diwar-warkan oleh Perdana Menteri kita. Tapi untuk tugasan kali ini, saya tidak akan menyentuh apa itu 1Malaysia dan sistemnya. Saya akan mengulas mengenai pendapat saya tentang 1Malaysia. Nak tau lebih lanjut, layari :
1Malaysia

Saya suka akan kepada idea konsep 1Malaysia ini di mana ia memupuk semangat kesatuan dalam kaum tanpa mengira agama, bangsa, dan budaya. Semuanya di bawah satu payung yang sama, iaitu 1Malaysia. Tiada unsur berpuak – puak, penindasan, permusuhan, dan lain – lain. Mungkin kesannya tidak lagi menyeluruh, disebabkan oleh faktor – faktor perlaksanaannya.

Akan tetapi, 1Malaysia masih lagi jauh diawang-awangan. Kenapa? Lihatlah, setiap kaum, mengamalkan sikap berpuak – puak (racist), menindas golongan yang lemah, yang kaya semakin kaya, yang miskin semakin kayap. Isu gejala sosial yang kian meruncing juga menyebabkan berlakunya keruntuhan akhlak dan moral remaja masa kini. Lihat diri kita sendiri, bagus ke? Dah hebat sangat ke? Sampai perlu meniru budaya barat yang sememangnya untuk menjatuhkan kita, terutamanya bagi yang beragama Islam.

Bercakap dari sudut politik, ya memang jelas, terlalu banyak isu politik yang sudah sampai ke tahap yang kritikal. Politik merupakan medan utama kestabilan sesebuah negara. Musuh sentiasa memerhatikan kita, dan cuba untuk masuk campur dan seterusnya melakukan porak poranda seperti yang berlaku sebelum ini, yang termaktub di dalam sejarah, apabila Pulau Pinang jatuh ke tangan British. Saya tidak menyebelahi mana – mana pihak, akan tetapi, kami berhak menyuarakan suara kami, berdasarkan nama program yang diberi “Real Voice”, we have to voice out our notions!

Hidup di bawah satu masyarakat yang berbilang bangsa sangat la menyeronokkan apabila suasananya harmoni tanpa sebarang perpecahan kaum dan pertelingkahan sesama sendiri. Melayu, Cina, India, dan sebagainya, perlulah mengamalkan budaya integriti, untuk melahirkan masyarakat yang harmonis dan maju. Janganlah sekali – kali mengamalkan sikap berpuak. Sememangnya saya sendiri benci dan marah walaupun orang bangsa saya sendiri mengamalkan budaya sebegitu. Beginikah sikap rakyat Malaysia yang mahu maju jikalau tidak bersatu padu? Kenapa perlu membakar rumah – rumah ibadah agama lain? Mengutuk kaum – kaum yang lain, mencaci, menghina? Tidak perlu!

Malaysia merupakan negara yang sedang menuju ke arah negara maju, masih dalam pembangunan. Orang di luar memandang Malaysia, sebagai negara yang aman tanpa peperangan, tetapi mempunyai masalah dalaman yang mampu membawa kepada kekacauan di dalam negara. Malaysia boleh menjadi negara yang setanding dengan negara maju seperti US dan lain – lain, dengan syarat, mengubah sikap dan mentaliti setiap orang yang cetek dan negatif.

Salam.

1 Malaysia

a) Apa yang anda fikirkan tentang 1Malaysia? Sila terangkan jawapan anda (yang disukai, tidak disukai, emosi anda dan sebagainya) secara terperinci. Bagaimanakah gambaran anda tentang Malaysia dalam 5 tahun akan datang?
Pertama kali Zul dengar laungan 1Malaysia, Zul tahu ia bukan perkara yang mudah. Tapi ini adalah salah satu usaha kerajaan untuk mencapai Wawasan 2020. Perkara ini sangat baik bagi mengharmonikan negara tetapi ada dikalangan rakyat Malaysia menyalahgunakan konsep 1Malaysia nie untuk tujuan yang tidak baik. Dalam masa 5 tahun dari sekarang, Zul yakin bahawa konsep ini akan berkembang dan memberi nilai-nilai baik untuk rakyat.  


b) Apakah pendapat anda tentang masyarakat berbilang bangsa di negara ini? Adakah anda utamakan bangsa atau pun negara? Kenapa? Adakah anda rasa wujud perasaan tegang di antara pelbagai kaum di negara ini?
Setiap bangsa mempunyai fahaman masing-masing dan mengikut agama. Kita perlu berbincang dan bertolak ansur dalam membuat keputusan. Memang seronok hidup dalam pelbagai bangsa yang hanya ada di Malaysia dengan aman. Disebabkan wujudnya berbilang bangsa ini, konsep bangsa tidak relevan untuk dilaungan tetapi negara dan konsep 1Malaysia sangat sesuai.
Memang wujud. Perasaan tegang wujud kerana setiap bangsa cuba untuk mempertahankan hak masing-masing. Perbincangan perlu diadakan untuk mendapatkan keputusan yang sesuai.


c) Bagaimanakah anda rasa rakyat dari seluruh dunia melihat tentang Malaysia? Adakah anda rasa terdapat stereotaip biasa tentang rakyat atau budaya Malaysia? Bagaimanakah anda mahukan setiap orang melihat rakyat Malaysia di masa hadapan?
Rakyat seluruh dunia melihat Malaysia sebagai negara ke-3 yang berdaya saing dan meningkat maju. Keharmonian dalam kehidupan berbilang bangsa sangat dihormati oleh negara luar. Zul tak pasti jika ada konsep stereotaip terhadap Malaysia kerana sebagai negara yang sedang membangun, identiti itu masih dicari.Kita bukan lagi "Katak dibawah Tempurung". Perkembangan pesat membantu kepada pengetahuan rakyat. Bagi aku, aku tidak mahu setiap orang melihat rakyat Malaysia kerana lumrah alam dimana terbit rasa dengki dan ingin menjatuhkan orang lain. Cukup sekadar rakyat Malaysia indah didunia sebagai rakyat yang kaya dengan sifat-sifat positif dan menjadi panduan untuk negara-negara lain. 




LASTLY, terima kasih Youthsay kerana memilih Zul sebagai salah seorang penyumbang kepada program ini. dan juga kepada semua yang terlibat dalam program ini. I have a great time with all of you. Sedih pulak bila benda nie dah nak habis..haha.
Jom layan lagu nie sebagai hadiah Zul buat korang..peace





Keep in touch, with Love,
Zulsyamin@Onlyzul
http://onlyzul.blogspot.com

ONE NATION, ONE MALAYSIA

ONE MALAYSIA

one MALAYSIA,, i cant say i dislikes or likes it,, I LOVE the idea of having a united nation,, the country would be a better place to live,, but for me,, if the goverments launched this unity campaign to get the people to unite,, but in my eyes,, the goverments are being pretty hypocrites,, its all politics talking,, well,, in my opinion,, if the gov itself wants whats the best for its country,, well,, fers things fers,, DO NOT ARGUE,, and please,, LESS UR SELFISHNESS,,

i really hate to admit this,, but,, why are the leaders shud be in the wealthy place?? y there are any POOR in this country?? why so many priviledge given to the DATO2 sons, or daughters,, i dun mean all,, just those who dun noe where to use their POWER,, well,, unless the gov itself pull themselves together and stop their dirty playing in upholding power on each others hand,, well,, after that only i can say MALAYSIA has a bright future,, because we have the potential to be GREATER,, only if we have the APPROPRIATE LEADERS.. n im not siding any party,,

well,,again,, its tym for some respect and stop thinking about ur own kind,,

sumtym,, i feel awkward,, y when we were just small,, or even during college tym,, we can all mix well,, no matter what race u r,, but when we tend to grow up,, we became very selective,, for me,, yes the bumiputra have their own priviledge and the other races have long agreed for that,, so y argue now?? of coz its the feelink of hatred and jelousy,, same goes for the malays,, one more thing,, we tend to be ethnocentrism,, think that our races superior than others,, well,, cut that out please,, and start respecting others.. we may be various in races,, but one malaysia means,, u start living in one nation as malaysians,, so what u have to loose??

well people all over the world,, especially in americans and europians countries,, they dun really looking up for us,, because for them,, we r just a small country people,, and we are not well civilised,, i think there is a typical malaysian stereotype for them,, but i dun even get to predict if they ever care,, they r very ethnocentric that most prob they only think of theirs instead of ours...=p

i wud love people to start listening to our voices,, and we as a small country but with great respect received from all over the world,, we have to be,, politically stable,, emotinally ready and FINANCIALLY APPROVED,, =p

1 Malaysia

Day 10: 1Malaysia

·         What do you think of 1Malaysia? Please explain your answer (likes, dislikes, emotions etc) in details. What is your vision of Malaysia in the next 5 years?

Personally when I found about the 1 Malaysia, I thought that it was impossible and still am cause its not an easy task. It just doesn't happen overnight. We are all still racists with one another and yeah don't go all 'We're not!' trick cause seriously I don't put up with that bull**** so moving on. I actually love the idea but I'm sure YAB Dato' Seri Najib knows that it wasn't easy. To reunite all the races who comes from different racial and cultural background will take years to happen but it does not mean that it won't happen, it just depends on how time and its people decides on it. So my vision of 1 Malaysia in 5 years? Well maybe it will be much brighter and appreciative not to mention we will be prosper but then again things can change drastically so I don't know. 
 

·         What do you think about the various races in this country? Do you think about your race or country first? Why? Do you think there is a tension between the various races in this country or not?

Well my racial background itself is a mixture of chinese,indian and malay so does that mean I should think about the country first? Somehow its a mixture of things that I get so confused with. But thats not what we're discussing about. What do I think about the various races in this country? Well first off Malaysia was created with various races itself. So Malaysia IS various races. And yes, I think about my country first since I'm a mix, no race actually click me perfectly. Every country has a racial tension. Its only human for it to happen.

·         How do you think people from all over the world see Malaysia? Do you think there is a typical “Malaysian” stereotype? How would you want people to view “Malaysians” in the future?

            Its difficult to answer that question cause not many knows about Malaysia. Though I could say that they find Malaysian rather friendly and polite. I guess its a good thing for Malaysia's business then. a typical 'Malaysian' stereotype? Err... not that I know of... In the future, I want people to view us as a country who had grown and built out of hard work and dedication that we put ourselves thru for Malaysia.

Thank you for reading :) Though I must say this : 'forgive me if I did any mistake or somehow mis-informed u cause sometimes I just write what I want and don't read them back' hehehe ciao! 

Day 10: The Hornet's Nest

Jump to:

• Day 9: They Jump, You Jump, We All Jump
• Day 8: The Post of Lists
• Day 7: Walls of Text, Walls of Pictures [Books]
• Day 7: Avian Genius, Swashbuckling Storytelling [Music]
• Day 6: Maintaining Connections
• Day 5: The Interwebs!
• Day 4: Off to Work We Go.
• Day 3: Here, You Can Have The Cake. I'll Take The Icing.
• Day 2: The F Word
• Day 1: Of Youth and Life

One of today's questions was how I'd envision Malaysia in five years: my hope for the near future is that all of us Malaysians will be able to have civil and responsible discussions about sensitive topics like today's, and that we also recognise that this doesn't mean the suppression of personal opinion.

It seems to me that it is often hard to find public spaces where one can talk about these issues safely without a riot of indignant people chasing after you, yet still be held accountable for all that one spews.

Yes, it's okay to get upset and emotional about something you feel passionate about - if you didn't, something would be wrong - but it should not be okay to name-call and make overly crude statements with no real contributing value except to defame another person.

It must be okay to question things and receive responses to those questions.

It must be okay to question long-held stereotypes and ask if we really need them any more; it should not be okay to sweep things under the carpet or refrain from thinking about them just because it's been tradition to do so.

It must be okay not to adopt certain beliefs just because everyone else of a similar background or race to you seems to be adopting them. It is perfectly fine to think for yourself.


With that in mind, I offer opinions and questions related to today's discussion - things I've been thinking about, things I don't have the answers to and don't expect to, things that I often wonder what other people would think about.


RACE UP CLOSE

---

When thinking about the perception of race, I'd rather start with how it affects me personally. For one, it annoys me that I'm asked to disclose my race before taking an exam in Malaysia. It leads me to wonder: what has that to do with my performance on the test, anyway? Why should my ancestry affect how my individual performance is seen and evaluated? And if really it's not supposed to be used to judge me, why not make it optional to report my race for the test?

There's that. There's also the question of meritocracy versus race in school team selections. I'm grateful that for most of my secondary school years the school principal was a forward-looking man, who did not encourage dubious practices like assembling teams for competitions with certain distributions of students from different races and genders. Rather unfortunately, he retired; his successor did not have quite the same ideals as him. I remember my teacher telling me, in lower tones than normal, that we had to make sure we had someone from each race on the team for a particular project; I said I didn't mind, as long as they were capable. This happened more than once, with less than desirable outcomes.

Although, I will note here, I must also ask myself if the way I related to them affected the situation - and it is a personal question to struggle over, as is that of affirmative action in education.


RACE BEYOND THE INDIVIDUAL

---

So perhaps it's time to think about race beyond the personal level. But I'm wary of doing so.

For the moment other people are brought into the picture, I can no longer purport to speak for all of them, to know all of their thoughts, which is why I'm uneasy whenever someone treats me as a mini version of every single Malaysian Chinese girl who isn't proficient in any Chinese dialect (in other words, a banana). It's too much for me to speak for thousands of other individuals. I have no way of divining how I should act to reflect the interests of so many - especially when I might have my own opinions.

This is not a matter of being ashamed of my background or shrugging responsibility. It is a problem of stereotyping - of lumping everyone into one amalgamated identity and subsequently treating everyone the same way. Convenient, but appalling.

Stereotypes may make things easy, but they also prevent us from ever appreciating the individual and approaching them on a closer level, and this is one step down the slippery slope of segregating and dehumanizing individuals from the society, which leads to desensitization to conflict and violence, among others.

I know I want to be seen as an individual, not a representative of an entire group of people. How about you?


THE PANGS AND JOYS OF BELONGING

---

Having been overseas for nearly ten months now, I think I can say that none of the people I've met have suggested to me through one way or the other that they have a stereotypical idea of what a Malaysian individual should be.

Nobody has ever said anything about tree-dwelling, bark cloth-wearing natives, which I presume is a good thing. Most of the Malaysian students here aren't the stereotypical study-all-day, grade-grubbing type, which helps a lot. And thanks to enterprises in Boston and New York, many of them know the wonders of Malaysian food, and understand my rants about how Americans treat 'spicy' as 'sweet' and how I can never get spicy food.

But they're also well-read, and since things that are going on in the country are reported in international news media, they know a thing or two about the unrest in the country for the past two years. This is when the conversation gets awkward. Those who hail from countries in the region are especially able to pinpoint specific events and ask questions about them.

And despite how much I want to present a favourable image of the country, there are things I will never be able to bring myself to condone, because things aren't perfect, and they shouldn't have to be. Which turns out well in the end, because everyone has their own bone to pick with their home countries, and it makes for particularly interesting conversation when we don't hide such a fact.


One of my friends said a marvelous thing on Facebook the other day, and I quote her:

"Malaysia, to me, is like a crazy mother who embarrasses me in public way too often. She gives me way too many "Mum! What the hell??" moments and on most days, I really don't want to recognise her. But you know at the end of the day I'm never going to leave her anyway."

And I truly, truly believe those words.

---

Charis Loke is a rising sophomore at Brown, concentrating in Biochemistry. Her interests include art and illustration, Tolkien, and procrastination.

---

1Malaysia 2Malaysia 3Malaysia

1Malaysia. Sekarang sudah menjadi sebutan orang ramai baik dalam televisyen mahupun pada permulaan setiap ucapan. Adakah ini merupakan suatu dasar 'yang ikhlas' ataupun cuma untuk menarik perhatian dan sokongan hanya untuk tujuan berpolitik? Kadang-kadang saya masih keliru, 1Malaysia, tapi mengapa masih perlu ada kuota dalam sesuatu bidang. Umpama negara kita ini mempunyai slogan 3Malaysia dan 'lain-lain'Malaysia. Pandangan saya terhadap masa depan Malaysia pada mulanya agak kabur. Namun selepas membaca serba sedikit baru saya sedari, pada masa hadapan Malaysia akan dijajah oleh rakyat Malaysia yang kaya dan golongan bawahan yang miskin pasti akan dieksploitasi habis-habisan.

Tidak perlu contoh yang jauh dan berserabut. Saya berikan contoh :

1. Berita pertama
2. Berita kedua 

Ya memang saya tahu dan akui bahawa subsidi perlu dimansuh untuk mengelakkan Malaysia yang 'ekonomi kita stabil' daripada bankrup. Namun apa yang memusykilkan saya ialah apabila membaca berita kedua tersebut. Satu soalan saja yang saya ingin tujukan kepada saudara semua, pernah anda semua lihat pakcik yang di sawah bermain golf? Pernah anda nampak makcik menoreh getah bermain golf? Siapa yang selalu bermian golf? Golongan apa yang bermain golf? Gajinya banyak mana? Namun jika subsidi ditarik, pakcik di bendang perlu bayar lebih untuk barangan runcit tak? Makcik menoreh getah perlu bayar lebih untuk petroleum motor tak? Negara kita sudah terbalik jika anda semua sedar. Yang kaya dikayakan lagi, yang miskin dimiskinkan lagi.

xxx

Saya rasa selesa dengan kehidupan berbilang bangsa ini. Malah perlu saya akui semangat saya akan lebih membuak-buak apabila terdapat pelbagai bangsa yang menyertai sesuatu perkara. Bagi saya, saya lebih mementingkan negara berbanding bangsa. Jika kita mementingkan negara, hasil usaha yang kolektif pasti akan membuahkan hasil yang lebih baik dan mampu memberikan impak yang lebih positif kepada negara. Perasaan tegang antara kaum di negara ini sebenarnya tidak wujud walau bagaimanapun dengan lanskap politik berdasarkan kaum; inilah yang memusnahkan ketenteraman antara kaum tersebut. Mencium keris, penetapan kuota, dan isu 13 Mei selalu digunakan untuk menakutkan rakyat.

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Saya pernah diajar oleh guru sementara yang datang dari United Kingdom dan Australia. Kelas saya mengambil peluang untuk bertanya kepada mereka apa pandangan mereka kepada rakyat Malaysia. Apa yang saya ingat mereka kata rakyat kita suka senyum, bersopan-santun dan suka memuncungkan mulut sambil mengeluarkan bunyi yang kurang senang didengari atau apa yang dikatakan sebagai 'sweet'. Hakikat yang mereka tidak ketahui ialah ahli politik yang selalu menindas dan menyokong golongan korporat yang salin mencium tapak kaki satu sama lain.


Saya mahukan Malaysia yang Malaysia tanpa mementingkan bangsa dan peluang terbuka untuk semua bagi memastikan diversiti mampu memberi pulangan lumayan untuk negara!

1Malaisie... eh vraiment ?

This is the 1Malaysia banner which I made in my National Service stint. Whilst everyone helped to paint and print on the banner, the drawing and idea was mine. The one thing I wanted to highlight on the banner is that the people come first.

1Malaysia was announced somewhere last year, and back when I was in National Service, we were all gung-ho about the idea of 1Malaysia, people being united without fear or favour, the symbolism behind the whole thing… I, like many other Malaysians, reserve hopes that this isn’t gonna be some sort of political play on words again, like what had happened with many of the previous policies and/or campaigns. With the whole concept of 1Malaysia brought out in full force during publicities, in naming things, I’m pretty sure we youth have our hopes for 1Malaysia… and our doubts. In fact, sometimes I begin to ask myself… 1Malaisie, eh vraiment (oh really) ?



I shall end the stream of posts just as I began : I shall answer the questions given to me in interview form.



What do you think of 1Malaysia ?


The whole concept of 1Malaysia (hereafter referred to as 1MY), as I view it, isn’t entirely new. It’s an age-old concept brought back to life, a concept which we should be practising by now : the unity of all ethnicities and backgrounds without fear or favour. Tunku Abdul Rahman obviously had it in mind when he and the rest of the Alliance party fought for our independence some 50+ years ago.


This concept, like many others, does not come without its flaws :


1. Politicians, particularly from the ruling party and the leading opposition, are constantly playing the racial card and undermining the spirit of 1MY.


2. An oh-so-familiar slogan… wait, it’s too familiar, isn’t it ? And it’s coming from a country whose sovereignty we do not recognise, apparently because they don’t have land and/or resources. Pff, so much for “loving our neighbour” and looking with love on the poor.


3. Our elders, some of our teachers and our parents, are the kind to constantly spread statements about racial stereotypes, and because we’re brought up in this manner, we pass them down to our offspring. Until and unless this problem is remedied, we won’t see a day where all youth would act just as when they were kids – colour blind and ready to love the other.


4. The sign for 1MY – the pointer up – is the exact same sign as the French sign for Chut ! (meaning “silence !”). Awkward, isn’t it ? Especially when I’ve been immersed in the language and culture for 6 years and counting. What’re they trying to tell us now, eh ? Appreciate the silence and don’t cause an uproar ? :P


Now don’t call me a naysayer, now – I love my country, and even though it’s too problematic a child for me to handle, there are still things which I cherish… and which I have grown to love. Mixed meals – dim sum, char koay teow, nasi lemak and/or roti canai at various times of the day, Bahasa Malaysia (no, seriously, even though my BM is textbookish, I’ve grown to truly love it), hanging out with friends of all kinds… these are simple things, but these can go a long way in spreading the spirit of 1MY.

 I’m not sure what my vision for 1MY would be, even for five years down the road, but I’d definitely love to do my part in uniting the people. Heck, I’ve even imagined myself in a unification concert, a night vigil to promote unity and peace among the many people in MY. That image still remains vivid in my mind.

 What do you think about the various races in the country ?


“Races”… Now that’s too strong a word. I’d prefer the word “ethnicities” instead. And in my honest opinion, all of them rock. Seriously. Yes, sometimes we get negative vibes because of what the politicians say (again *rolls eyes* back we go to the whole discussion about their play on words and the racial card), but otherwise, the essence is that they’re people who want to love and be loved, and our calling is to love one another – regardless of ethnicity – just as God has loved us.


A difficult thing to do, indeed, n’est-ce pas ?



Do you think about your race or country first ?


My country first, definitely.


I’m a third culture kid. In essence, I’m Indian. I have mixed Northern Indian and Southern Indian blood, so that makes me a kid from two different cultures altogether. I’ve never had any sympathies towards the values of my ethnicity, and I’ve accepted and embraced Christian values completely. When I was introduced to French culture, I embraced that too. So now, I seriously don’t give a damn about my origins because despite my last name being Singh, my first name is Annette – a name whose origins people might not be able to point out – and it’s taken from the name of a saint, and I cherish it ! Some people have gone to the extent of branding me a devil, an India sesat or a Punjabi sesat because of my disregard towards ethnic values. But do I look like I’m the least bit bothered ? On top of that, did I even ask to be born in any ethnicity ? It’s nothing for me to be proud of, damn it !


I have found spiritual renewal in Christ, I am who I am, the Lord has given me this wonderful person who is… me. That’s all that matters to me as an individual.


As for Malaysia, it’s my home. All the memories which I have, and stuff which I have forgotten (and which I’ve given to God for safekeeping), are in this country. Sooner or later, I’ll be going abroad, but the fact remains that I’m especially proud when a compatriot of mine does well in his field of choice. I salute Nicol David, Lee Chong Wei, Sudirman, Yasmin Ahmad (I was a follower of her blog to the very end) and P. Ramlee, for their heartfelt involvement and their contributions in their fields. I partake in the many things that make us Malaysian – open houses, discussions over teh tarik, Independence Day campaigns, and lots of other things – wherever and whenever I can contribute, I contribute with fervour. On Kingdom Hearts Francophone Wiki, I mention that I’m Malaysian and whenever I find the occasion, I wear my country’s colours with pride. I sing Jalur Gemilang and a whole lot of patriotic songs with pride, because I know they can make Malaysians from all walks of life cry if rendered properly.


To put it simply, I’m Malaysian, and I’m identified by my faith, but I don’t wish to be identified by any other labels, INCLUDING ethnicity.



Do you think there is tension between the various ethnicities ?


Yes, there is tension. More so in the peninsula, and even more in the capital. It takes just one person’s statements to fan the flames of hatred, and smouldering embers, no matter how harmless they seem to be, need to be put out immediately.


I’ve witnessed this during my National Service stint in Camp Miri, Sungai Rait, Miri. To sum up my whole lesson on tension between ethnicities, there were some 200+ trainees, the majority of which came from several towns in Sarawak – Limbang, Miri, Bintulu, Bekenu and Kuching. The rest of us came from Kuala Lumpur, and one trainee hailed from Johor. Now, you and I would agree on the fact that East Malaysians are a lot more overt than we are. They’re willing to touch on things which we West Malaysians would deem as “sensitive”, as “distasteful”, and laugh them off. And believe it or not, all the seven major brawls that broke out in the camp were started by trainees from KL.


There are several factors - *rolls eyes again* politicians playing the racial card, environments where there is only one major ethnicity, or to put it plain and simple, sheer disgust for the other. Just burying the tension or sweeping it under the carpet isn’t gonna be enough. There needs to be a move from all sides to put aside differences and accept others with open arms. (And again, see how muhibbah I’ve become – that was calqued directly from the Malay expression tangan terbuka.)



How do you think people from all over the world see Malaysia ?


Well, judging from the perceptions of my friends from outside MY, they think that we’re a diligent lot, but they also believe that we’re lacking in the human rights department – which is quite true. On the one hand, whenever we immerse ourselves in something, we do it with passion and pride. On the other hand, we parade, make lofty discussions about the right to life when people are still being tried, condemned and sent to the gallows !


I’ve heard a lot of them say that they wanna visit MY one of these days. They love the Petronas Twin Towers. Oh wait, anyone would love the Twin Towers. And we’ve got a lot more to offer too.


And I remember another friend of mine from the Kingdom Hearts Francophone Wiki once remarked that we’re all multilingual, and that he’d love the chance to be just like us. Wow. :D

 Do you think there is a typical Malaysian stereotype ?


Not that I know of…

 How would you want people to view Malaysians in the future ?


In short – diligent, loving, able to see things from a point of view which people won’t see.


The latter requires a serious cultural change, though. By cultural change, I mean that there are two traits that currently define us – fear and ignorance. We’re either too scared of the people breathing down our necks (aren’t we all ?) that we just can’t bring ourselves to change things, or we just don’t care. Everything is explained by one simple example : the long traffic jams on the highways which turn out to be people watching the aftermath of an accident. We’re too afraid to step out and lend a hand, or we just follow everyone… with the attitude that “if it’s not my car, I’m not bothered”.


In truth, my expectations for 1MY are extremely high. But I have hopes to realise them… because in essence, I’m Malaysian.


À la suite (you’ll soon know why I’m saying this),



troisnyxétienne

the last (:

it's the end of the topics. as relieved as i am, i am also sad that i can't write for this blog anymore after this :(

first question.

What do you think of 1Malaysia? Please explain your answer (likes, dislikes, emotions etc) in details. What is your vision of Malaysia in the next 5 years?

i do think that 1malaysia is a great idea because it is helping in making racism disappear and also promotes togetherness. i do not think it is necessary to point it out like that, though. personally, i think that people are friends because of their hearts, not because of what the government is telling them. in some ways, it is important to point it out like that. for kids, that is. because kids learn from the environment. kids do not have the ability to think like adults. by watching all the 1malaysia adverts, kids might follow it and be friends with everyone. whatever it is, i do support the 1malaysia campaign. and so does youthsays, i suppose. coz all the contributors of this blog are of different races, right? :) my vision of malaysia in the next 5 years? i'm quite scared to say it. what if it comes true? i think that:

1. the politics will become worse than it already awfully is. oh, may i point out that it is unfair that we have to vote when reach a certain age, yet there is no party that is good enough to be voted? why do they keep pointing out each other's mistakes instead of doing the right thing? now, it doesn't matter who gets voted. they're all just the same.

2. economics will also become worse. meaning, we will have less money in the future :(

3. crime will increase even MORE. i mean, just look at today's newspaper. i myself am scared to go out at times because the crime rate in malaysia is getting worse day by day.

okay i know all of them are negative, but it's what i honestly think. i'm scared. i really am.


second question.

What do you think about the various races in this country? Do you think about your race or country first? Why? Do you think there is a tension between the various races in this country or not?

i think it is good that there are various races in this country. i never think about race when making friends, but i'm not sure i think about the country either. maybe i'm not old enough yet. i do think that there is a slight tension between the various races in this country. maybe it's the way a person is brought up. or maybe it's just a coincidence that the people they are arguing with are of different races, and therefore they feel that they hate other races. i don't know. i know one thing, for sure. the government itself is separating us. why is there smjk? different schools for different races? and why is there uitm? i know, i am lucky to be half malay because then i can enter uitm. if not, i have no where to go to because i don't have good spm results. as thankful as i am, i do not think that it is a good thing for the students. now, all the students in uitm are hanging out with malay people everyday because there are no people from other races. it's not that they choose to do so. it's that they have to. i know that malay people was the main citizens of malaysia in the old days. but didn't chinese people help? didn't indians help? aren't we all supposed to stick together?

aaand the last question.

How do you think people from all over the world see Malaysia? Do you think there is a typical “Malaysian” stereotype? How would you want people to view “Malaysians” in the future?

i think, people from all over the world see malaysia as a small country with great cultural diversity. they also see malaysia as a great vacation spot besides having cheaper stuff than lots of other countries. people from other countries cannot see the negative things of malaysia because they do not live here. that's really good because then they can't say bad stuff about malaysia. i'm not sure whether or not there is still a typical 'malaysian' stereotype. because malaysians have evolved. we are a growing country, either technologically, economically, or whatever-cally. we know what is happening around the world. we have media. duh. we are no longer the 'katak di bawah tempurung' people.

lastly, i would like to say THANK YOU SO0O0O MUCH youthsays for choosing me as one of the contributors of this blog. i had a great time! i would like to dedicate this song to youthsays crew as well as all the contributors of this blog and all youthsays members.

hugs, love, and kisses,
sofiya

xoxo