Malaysia the beautiful

Selamat Hari Raya to all readers! To be honest, I am glad Ramadan is over. Now I can “jio” (ajak/invite) my Muslim friends for a hike or drink without having to consider the time. Moreover, the past Ramadan has been terrible for our nation.

Every year, there seems to be a case of growing intolerance. Last year, schoolchildren were asked to eat in makeshift “canteen toilet”. This year, the joke was upgraded to “drink your own urine’.

This sort of news has almost become a routine during the month of Ramadan. But this year’s Ramadan is much, much worse.

It is a shame really that an incident like Low Yat Plaza occurred in our nation, and during the month in which Muslims are supposed to practise self-restraint. It looks like instead of caging the devils, Ramadan brought out the worst in us.

Hopefully, the past Ramadan is not a harbinger for things to come in Shawal. It’s a time for celebration and I look forward to visiting my friends and the VIP open houses!

When I scroll down my Facebook timeline, everyone seems to be wishing everyone “Selamat Hari Raya”. Even the Chinese friends are dressing up in baju Melayu!

Social media is flooded with posts asking for forgiveness and family pictures (now taken by a selfie stick... I think next year people might take family photo/video with GoPro). It is a refreshing scene in the social media after days of fear and mob mentality. Raya couldn’t come at a more opportune time!

Some people still couldn’t stop playing politics though. I mean, come on, it’s the first day of the festival! Don’t you have a life?

Since I stay in a low-cost housing flat, there’s all sorts of people living here. As a child, I often wondered how people of other races could tolerate us, the Chinese, during Chinese New Year. The explosion of fireworks around the flats would last until 3am! Even as a Chinese who is also celebrating, CNY can be irritating sometimes.

As I grew up, I began to understand that it is actually a “give and take” and “live and let live” understanding.

As the Chinese would go berserk during the eve of CNY, the Indians would do the same during Deepavali and the Malays during Hari Raya. This understanding, compromise, or whatever you call it, is to my mind better than just telling the others to “shut up” during their festival and then having to suffer the same treatment when it comes to yours.

I’m always glad to be around during festival celebrations. In America, everywhere seems to be a ghost town during Christmas or Thanksgiving. All the shops are closed, as very few eateries and businesses are open, so, I have to make do with bread and instant noodles. However, the public holiday is extremely short. Everyone would be back to work or school after a day or two.

In Malaysia, when one shop closes, another shop is sure to be open. We get to enjoy longer holidays, too. During Raya, the Muslims would take leave and balik kampung. Their co-workers of other race/faith would take over and replace their shift so that they can enjoy longer holiday with their family.

Unlike most American cities which turn into ghost towns during the big festival, Malaysian cities are always alive. Most eateries, hotels, shopping malls, restaurants, and businesses still operate like normal.

We even have Rumah Terbuka! We “jio” friends and relatives of different race and faiths to come to our houses and talk about old times in school, universities or just plain gossip whether such and such person is married or still single.

Speaking of which, just a few days ago, I jokingly (or perhaps not) asked my parents if they would be okay if I dated a Malay-Muslim girl. They are not very keen of course, mainly due to the “becoming a convert” part.

However, the fact that they did not object as wildly as the old times whenever a person married outside of his/her clan or tribe, showed me that the hostility between the different races/faiths is overblown.

It is much less intense than clan or tribal rivalry in the old times, and can be bridged. If such animosity between the different clans or tribes can be bridged, our differences today can perhaps be bridged too, someday.

I have met enough beautiful people of many races and faiths that I would never judge a person based on his/her race or faith. In times of tense ethnic relations, and when certain people are trying to divide us and turn us against each other, I hope that we will always remember the beautiful Malaysia.

To my Malay-Muslim friends, I hope you will think of this Chinese friend whenever you are tempted to pass judgment on all Chinese. To my Chinese, Indian, Iban, and other friends (too long to spell everyone out, sorry!), I hope you will rekindle the memories you have with your Malay friends from school and universities.

Some people may not have the privilege to closely befriend a person of another race/faith. Think of the old Indian uncle frying mee goreng every day in the heat, the pakcik and makcik selling nasi lemak by the roadside every morning, the Ah Pek selling soya bean. If we observe keenly enough, there is much evidence that can act as counter-narratives to the toxic discourse that some people are selling to us.

There are the good, the bad, the ugly in every race, every religion, and every society.

While combating the negative elements in our society, let us not forget that we have many positive elements in Malaysia as well. Let us all protect the nation as we know it and as we would like to keep it, Malaysia the beautiful. – July 18, 2015.

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