How many “Malaysias” are there actually?
I believe that there are at least three, each a unique world that is vastly different from the others. The first would be the Malaysia that most of us live in – where the Malay proverb “kais pagi makan pagi, kais petang makan petang”, loosely meaning “to live from hand to mouth” is our watchword. In this Malaysia, I, like many others eke out a living, interact with one another during the course of the day, and frequent places that may be similar or differ according to ethnicity, religion and personal preference. We share the same space, but most of all, we all share in each other’s struggle. When I travel using the bus and LRT, I smile when young passengers give up their seats for the elderly and the disabled, regardless of race. Little acts of kindness, like wishing someone good morning, or thanking your server make them pause in surprise before they break into a smile – a telling sign of how cold we expect our world to be, yet carrying around a hope that things will turn out for the better for us, eventually. We find happiness whenever and wherever we can, and with those we hold dear to us. I live in a Malaysia where breakfast is “tapao-ing” nasi lemak at the makeshift roadside stall, where co-workers talk about their families and how to balance their budgets – a simple but fun existence.
Then there’s the other Malaysia – filled with BMWs and Mercedes cars, big mansions and posh condominiums. Of Starbucks coffees, Western accents, sophistication and every imaginable luxury. Here we will find the young and glamourous, the hip and the trendy, the business suits and the eye candy. Everything is so perfect and beautiful, glittering and new. Oh how so many of us look at them with envy, yet unable to stop admiring them for all they have achieved. That is the Malaysia many of us wish we were a part of. Yet those who live there have no time for mere mortals like us, for when they move, the world moves with them.
And what of the third Malaysia?
It is truly a wondrous and exotic place filled with contrasting views, ideas and concepts. A place where words have untold power, and thoughts can become the law of the land, where unguarded moments lead to very serious consequences. This realm belongs to a unique breed, one which most of us cannot come close to understand, yet when they speak, we feel compelled to follow. These people are always in constant conflict against each other, where hateful words and insults are exchanged with glee, where negativity seems to rule supreme. This is where politicians and their ilk rule.
These three worlds intersect every day, which is unsurprising, because it is one and the same Malaysia. My greatest fear is that the Malaysia of the politicians will soon break loose, unleashing all the negativity and consume my little world.
I worry for the Malaysia I live in, and while no one might give a damn, this Malaysia is the only place I call home.
