It’s not always comfortable living in a multiracial country. Recently, we have witnessed a lot of issues and incidents that stoke racial tensions in the nation from khat to Zakir Naik. While stories like these often make headlines, the reality on the ground is entirely different.
Malaysian Hanif Jamal has gone to Twitter to encourage others to share their positive experiences with their multiracial friends via the hashtag #SayangMalaysia.
Lately ni media banyak portayed negativiti yg libatkan bangsa & agama.
But its okay.
Aku nak ajak rakan rakan twitter untuk share your own experience pasal keindahan multiethnic & multicultural yang ada di Malaysia ni!
Share your experience through #SayangMalaysia now! 🇲🇾💞
— anep 🇲🇾💞 (@hanifjamals) August 15, 2019
Here, we have compiled a few of our favourites:
1. Uncle Mani, the Mechanic
Source: twitter
Fifi shared about the bond between her father, a Malay man, and an Indian uncle by the name of Mani, and how they both exchange food and gifts with each other during the festive seasons. She wrote,
“When it is nearing Hari Raya, my dad will give a hamper to uncle Mani, and during Deepavali, Uncle Mani will also give us a hamper with some delicious Indian desserts and sweets. It is a tradition between our two families.”
2. Tharishine and Her Six BFFs
Source: twitter
Miss Tharishine Ramasamy and her six best friends who met during high school have been friends for almost ten years, and they always celebrate Hari Raya together.
3. Her Dad’s Best Friend
Source: twitter
Syeera Fauzi’s late father went to a Chinese school, and his best friend is Chinese. He became a close family friend of Syeera’s and would reminisce about her father and how he misses him dearly. She wrote,
“I lost a dad, he lost a best friend.”
4. The Company You Can Keep
Source: twitter
Nurel Aien expressed her love for the multiracial company she works in that introduced her to her colleagues, and how they’ve formed a unique bond with each other.
5. You Learn More Together
Source: twitter
Nurul and her classmates are super close, just like a regular family. They work together and rely on each other’s strengths to ensure that everyone excels in their studies. She says her Chinese friends tend to be useful in maths so everyone will come to them for difficult problems. On the other hand, her Indian friends are good at English, and her Malay friends excel at Bahasa Malaysia.
Yes, we do have a lot of issues in Malaysia, and plenty of them are unavoidably related to race. But we need to remember the bond we share with one another and learn how to deal with these issues with respect and tolerance. This is our home, quarrelling is normal, but we are still a family.
Also read: Netizen Heartwarmingly Highlights How Malaysians Come Together Despite Being From Different Races
