Why do we keep gado-gado?

After somewhat successfully fending off attacks from Singapore over claims of having created Hainanese Chicken Rice and Bak Kut Teh (but losing the Battle of The Chilli Crab to them), one would be inclined to think the Malaysian Culinary Defence Squad could lay down their forks and spoons and keyboards and sit down to a well-deserved rest, a glass of Kopi O Ais (another Malaysian original!) and argue over whether bubur cha cha is best served hot or cold.

But as fate would have it, we now have to defend the humble popiah from the latest in a growing string of things Indonesia claims we stole from them. We have, apparently, apart from islands, also stolen keris, wayang kulit, batik, a few types of dances, language, women and, prior to popiah, a dozen or so food items

Pardon me, but that’s kind of rich coming from a country that lists Chinese-style fried rice and fried noodles among their national dishes.

It’s also quite strange that Indonesia commonly picks only on Malaysia for what they perceive as hijacking of culture. Malaysian batik for example, tends to have larger prints, whereas Indonesian batik is more delicate. Their production methods too, though similar, are not completely the same. Countries such as China and India also produce batik, as does Sri Lanka. Even South Africa has batik, after Nelson Mandela popularised it.

Sometimes the item in question is blown entirely out of proportion. Ask an average Malaysian what a Reog dance is and you will likely be replied with: “You mean Re-org is it? Yes la, my department also kena.” But in Indonesia, comparisons were made with Barongan and all hell nearly broke loose, to the point where our government actually toned down promoting Barongan in Johor. This only seems to be a problem with Malaysia and Indonesia. Fiesta San Pedro in Malacca doesn’t seem to bother Portugal. Neither does Batu Caves bother India. So why are we fighting this food war to the last drop of gulai?

Sometimes the item in question isn’t even our fault! When the Discovery Channel mixed up an ad featuring the Pendet Dance as part of a piece on Malaysia, it triggered a series of protests in Indonesia, with one group even sharpening sticks to chase Malaysians home, and another starting an online campaign to canvass volunteers to go to war with Malaysia. So we were really lucky with the robot vacuum cleaner ad.

Sometimes the item in question is not even in question! This latest popiah issue for example. How did it become an issue? Why is it even an issue? Popiah or Lunpia – the word “pia” itself alludes to its Chinese roots. If anything, the people of Fujian should be the ones organising rallies and demonstrating and demanding that Southeast Asia stop making and eating spring rolls.

Neither does Indonesia seem to have a problem with others adopting their culture, or themselves adopting other people’s culture. They don’t seem to have a problem with Nasi Padang becoming Rijsttafel in the Netherlands, or the Netherland’s own Smoor becoming the national dish – Semur. This cultural exchange with their former colonial masters is perfectly acceptable, yet in general, in Indonesia, Malaysia is often culturally dismissed as a former British colony with no significant heritage so that we are desperate and often forced to “steal” from Indonesia.

The fact that culture is often chosen as a rallying point of nationalists in Indonesia against Malaysians isn’t coincidental – race and religion cards can’t really be played as we share a common ancestry in both. It’s perfectly understandable that every country needs a cousin with a higher exchange rate on whom to blame all their woes. The Canadians have the US, we have Singapore, and I guess Indonesians have made us their punching bag. But to keep raising tensions over what are in fact trivial issues does not bode well for our diplomatic relations.

Besides, can the understanding that both our countries share a racial and religious bond not be extended to culture as well? Many states in Malaysia claim a common, direct Indonesian ancestry. Negri Sembilan’s Minangkabau culture, for instance, or the many Javanese villages in Johor and Selangor.

Our two countries share a really long historical relationship of trade from friends to enemies to competing friendly nations. It’s only natural, we share the most number of connections with Indonesia – over 20 sea connections, over 10 air routes, 2 official land borders and countless unofficial ones.

Defending your national identity is something to be applauded, but not at the cost of your friendship with your friends. Maybe it’s high time Indonesia looked for new  partner to ronggeng with about national dishes, so they don’t keep gado-gado with Malaysia. I hear the Philippines make excellent lumpiang! – February 24, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.