Friday, July 30, 2010

Blowing Off Some Steam - Part 1

I think I have not written anything serious (read: political) for quite a while now. But I feel compelled to blow off some steam over a chat I had with someone this morning.

I have known this man for some time already. From the very beginning, I knew that he was not happy with the existence of UMNO and its agenda. Back then, I wasn't interested in arguing with him, plus the fact that I had no interest in the matter myself. Everytime he sent me chat through Yahoo Messenger, he'd ask me what's with the Malays.

No offence, but I try not to be the typical Malay. And he knew that. Most time those days, I'd shrug him off.

But this morning, he must have had a bad one. He was going on and on about the racial issues, the country, UMNO and the stupid and stagnant political situation. I was holding my patience. Honestly, I felt like hitting it back on his face. But instead, I went "hahahaha" and "hehehhe" for the most part. Either he thought I was encouraging him, or he had a thick skin... ramped right past those without even asking me how I felt about the whole situation.

You see, he is currently staying in the neighboring country down south. For the most part, I am sure his source of news would be the media - both printed and online. His frequent trips back into motherland are often short and more than I can imagine, would always get him into the horrendous jams and hideous acts of kay-elites.

So when he went on and on non-stop complaining and condemning the country, I composed myself and thought of the best way to shut him up.

"Since you are in SG, live life, enjoy it there, and maybe some day give up your citizenship", I said.

"It's in the pipeline", he replied.

It was adamant that my diplomatic skill is truely unpolished.

"Life is great, right?" I added.

"Well, life in SG in like shit. But sure smells better than in MY" he said.

Such sour grape bugger. All I felt at that moment was to stranggle and kill him. Not because I am protective of my country, his country, but because people like him are the ones who will halt the mentality of the people. People like him are the ones who will badmouth the nation and create biased views onto others. People like him will torment people like me who try to move forward and create a better nation for the children. People like him will condemn the past till their dying breath and yet never realized that after giving up their citizenship, they have no rights to harp or whine about this country anymore.

Not that we Malaysians don't whine. We do. We have every reason to. The economy, the politics, the lunacy of the policies, the rising cost of living. Almost everything under the sun. But life in Malaysia does not evolve mostly around these - we have family, we have personal issues, we have anything else that comprises the other 50% of our lives that we ought to be grateful for being a Malaysian. And the whining and complaining come like advertisements in between takes and scenes in a television drama episode. We Malaysians are trying to live, in the best way we know how.

It's because we Malaysians staying in Malaysia know that by hook or by crook, we still have to face today and the next. We know that we have a choice, to stay in the country or not. We have the choice to tolerate or to rebel. And we know that despite the stupidity of the political scenes, we rakyat are not as dumb.

So to that acquaintance of mine, I hope you find inner peace. Give up your citizenship. Move away from this region. Go praise other countries, but please leave me and the rest of the Malaysians alone and away from your negativities. Negativities kill, we Malaysians still want to live.

*But believe me I am not done.*

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