In conjunction with Malaysia day on Sept 16, we asked some people what they love most about being Malaysian and what they wish for the country. These are what our fellow Malaysians have to say about our country, our home.
Photo courtesy of JAMES LSY.
RUPA SIVANOLI
Director, Leaderonomics Campus
So many things, but most of all the beauty of the people and the land. There is so much that unites us as a truly fun, open, diverse and caring society and I believe that is what we need to focus on so that all other distractions become insignificant with time. Of course the food too – I can’t leave that out right?
I work with undergraduates and I see so much hope for the future of Malaysia. I wish the next generation will be able to thrive on their own merits on the world stage in whatever they choose to do. I’m sure with this, it brings pride to the nation and keeps the Jalur Gemilang flying high.
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Photo courtesy of POOPESON.
DRU YAP
Drummer of Paperplane Pursuit and doctor
I had dinner in Brickfields one night (on National Day). Whilst walking to the place to eat, I commented that it is quite strange that there are so many places of worship for different religions in such close proximity.
My wise friend, who wasn’t born here, commented that if we were not in Malaysia, Brickfields would be a war zone. That story, in a nutshell, is what I love about Malaysia. Great food. Many different ethnic groups and religions. We seem to be able to set all these aside for the most part and just have dinner together at the same table cheerfully.
In recent times, this feeling seems to be eroding. My wish for Malaysia is that we do not forget this feeling. We started by being forced to be multiracial by colonialists, but we showed the world that we were better at being multiracial than anyone else.
May we never forget that our diversity is the strength for our future. To my Malaysian brothers and sisters, to me, you will always have a countryman to cheer you on and to fight by your side. Let’s not let anyone take that away from us.
Photo courtesy of JAMES LSY.
RAHILAH NAJUMUDEEN
Finance and HR executive, Leaderonomics
It’s really hard to choose one favourite among the many things I love about being Malaysian. But after pondering for a bit, it is mainly the people we are blessed to be surrounded with! To be more specific, I love the fact that we have a rich cultural diversity and that we are able to celebrate our differences.
I love that I am able to exchange a little conversation or a simple smile or “Hi” with the different kinds of people I encounter on my journey to work every day. Since I commute by train and bus, sometimes just observing the people and their actions around me can be very pleasant.
Watching two women of different cultural backgrounds strike a conversation and end up chatting and laughing is heart-warming. I especially love that every time I arrive at the office, I have a warm “mini” Malaysia greeting me from all corners of the office.
It’s always interesting to discover, or re-discover the differences in our cultural backgrounds and beliefs and celebrate all sorts of festivals we have here. It’s like all festive holidays are ours too even if we are different because we still celebrate it together. What’s not to love about that? Moments like these make our surrounding a little more colourful than the usual.
What do you wish for Malaysia?
Despite what I love the most about being a Malaysian, I feel that we still need to work on our unity and celebrating our differences. It’s lovely and touching to see a united group of Malaysians supporting our national team, especially the badminton matches during the recent Olympic Games, and it would be really great to see moments like these clearly reflected in our daily lives as Malaysians.
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