Happy Merdeka From The Somewhat Selfish Malaysian

I’m not quite sure if I feel like a pengkhianat negara for going over to pay our favourite neighbour a visit(for me, it’s a certain favourite boy and the cast of a very favourite tv show) on the 50th anniversary of our country’s independence.

In between my constant dozing offs, I did look out the bus window and wondered if I’m missing out on anything on this extremely revered day. I pondered over the question and dug deep but strangely there was no guilt. All I was slightly disappointed about was my annual fireworks show at Sunway Lagoon observed from the overhead bridge connecting SS14 to SS15.

I’ve been reading the blogs of my peers(Hey Mel! Hey Pau!) and they all seem to reverberate with the same sentiments. I’m not very different from them or from any other young Malaysian who reads a fair bit of newspapers and other news portals(you know, the ones that the governments are forever trying to clamp down on) and I can tell when the media uses distractions to keep us happy and blinded towards the other things that irk the unsatisfied ones among us.

As much as I frown upon some of the silliest things that I read in the newspaper, I will not indulge in over analyzing the supposedly sorry state of our country. It’s not the best, but it’s home. 🙂

In Malaysia, I believe that I have many things to be grateful for. The government has given me a few things, even though I am chinese. And sometimes for me, that’s enough. But for other people with a more different background from the one I have, I can understand why they are frustrated with their own welfare. When I have the voice and the ability, then I will stand up against whatever that I do not see fit.

But for now, I feel that I have enough.

I’m happy that my parents can buy a house for my family to live in. It’s okay that we didn’t get any discount, as long as we could afford it, I’m happy enough.

I’m happy that as a woman, I get to have an education in my own country. With whatever means that I have.

I’m thankful for the free vaccinations given when I was in primary school and secondary school.

I’m thankful for my parents for speaking English to me at home.

I’m thankful for my teachers for teaching me BM in standard one and photocopying papers which painstakingly taught us how to pronounce Bahasa Melayu in a Bahasa Baku way.

I’m happy that the government allowed Astro to establish itself which means that Wah Lai Toi would then be able to contribute to my wonky Cantonese.

I’m thankful that there are some chinese schools in Malaysia because now in university, I have friends who will try to teach me mandarin because I was the pitiful one who went to a national school.(My boyfriend, who went to the chinese school next to my primary school, has weird sounding mandarin now since he left school. Don’t want to speak mandarin with him! hmmph!)

I’m happy that I’m allowed to drive in this country because I need to go to places.

I’m happy that I can enjoy all sorts of food in Malaysia(So cliche, I know) even though I can’t take spicy food.

I want to say that I did enjoy colouring the red and white on the Jalur gemilang but most of all I enjoyed colouring the blue part of the flag the most. I didn’t really like colouring in the moon and the star. Too many sharp points to tend to. I always felt that it was too much effort.

This might sound strange, but I’ve always been amazed that everybody in Malaysia can speak BM. Well, there are a few pitiful few who can’t, but it’s one language that we will resort to when we can’t converse in any other language. Have you seen two chinese people speaking in BM? It’s the strangest thing, but as this is Malaysia, it happens. 🙂

I always look out for Malaysia whenever I see a list of countries. Be it in a book, an online form, a travel brochure, a magazine, a pie-chart on certain statistics… I get a tinge of happiness when Malaysia gets acknowledged on the international front.

I grew up with a grandmother who loves Mahathir and calls him hensem. I think he is hensem too. And I respect him alot. He is a powerful man. I don’t know why I sound like an Easy-To-Read kindergarten book. T_T
I’m thankful that the government gave me the chance to skip a whole year to go standard five thus allowing me to feel damn proud of myself whenever I’m the youngest among my peers.(but not necessarily the smartest. T_T)

I’m also very grateful towards the PTPTN loan the government gave me and allowing me 20 years to complete my repayment upon graduation.

I’m happy that my father can still afford to put me through university even though I didn’t qualify for scholarships.

I’m happy that my forefathers chose to come to Malaya to cash in on the tin-mining business. Oooh ooh! By the way, I am related to Yap Kwan Seng!(My dad’s cousin did a family tree genealogy thingy recently). Apparently he is my greatgrandmother’s(paternal grandmother’s mother) greatgrandfather! Now I can walk in the middle of Jalan Yap Kwan Seng and don’t care if people scold me, “OI! Your grandfather’s road ar?!!” to which I can proudly answer back, “Yalah and then!”

I’m happy that Roti Canai and Teh Cina Ais still costs RM0.40 each. If your Roti Canai costs more than mine, ho ho, sucks to you!

However, here’s my wish list as a Malaysian:

-I believe that friends are not a matter of race, sex, religion or age. I want to meet more Malaysians who are on the same wavelength as I am.

-I want to hear less discrimination and witness more open mindedness.

-I want to eat more non spicy Nasi Lemak. They roXxXo.

-I want the police to be paid better. If I was living in poverty, I wouldn’t be very happy doing my job too.

-I want to plant padi, just once! It’s a must as a Malaysian. Heh.

-I still want Pudu Bus station to relocate elsewhere. If not, lay down some more train tracks, damnit. Bullet train that gets me to Kedah within 2 hours. Yeah, baby.

..see, there are so many things to be happy for and perhaps a few more things to wish upon. I’m not ashamed to say that my points are very self centered. I do care about my fellow Malaysians but I do not feel that I need to count the ways about how much I wish things were better for them. I will do what I can, but for now, I cannot do as much as I want to so I will not say anything. Give me time and I will be a part of the generation that will improve Malaysia.