“Don’t call yourself that” – M’sian Born Australian Politician Causes Divide After Identifying as Malaysian

We love to claim Malaysian-ness whenever one of us achieves something in our respective fields, such as arts and sports. Congratulatory messages and news articles will flood these Malaysians social media accounts.

But what about Malaysian born politicians serving other countries? Should we give them the same amount of support?

Malaysian born Senator Penny Wong who is the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs recently came under fire by netizens for identifying as Malaysian.

In a selfie posted on her official Twitter account, she welcomed Sam Lim, a fellow Malaysian born Australian politician, as the latest member to the Australian Labor Party, which she is also a part of.

And the Malaysian caucus has doubled! pic.twitter.com/GbaIDjwHvq

— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) June 1, 2022

“Once you leave Malaysia, you’re not a Malaysian.”

Her tweet has drawn criticism from some Malaysian netizens who based her for still calling herself Malaysian. The reason most commonly cited was that she and Lim do not deserve to call themselves Malaysians anymore as they have chosen to leave their home country to serve another. 

One particular comment about the Senator’s claim to Malaysian-ness has also attracted its own objections.

“The rest of us here are still fighting to improve democracy and quality of life in Malaysia.”

What makes a Malaysian?

Sensing the unnecessary tension in the tweet, many Malaysians have called out the above netizen for being bitter. They felt that they had no right to determine whether someone identifies as Malaysian or not.

Meanwhile, other netizens have volunteered to explain why they think Wong, and in extension other Malaysian-borns holding foreign passports, deserve to still call themselves Malaysian. 

Netizens felt that place of birth is one of the things that makes up an individual’s identity. Hence, having been born in Malaysia is one important aspect of someone feeling like a Malaysian. 

“Where you are born still matters. You don’t get to erase one because of the other (where you currently reside),” said a user.

Additionally, they felt that people who know of, have lived or who still identify with Malaysian culture should not be bashed for still identifying with the Malaysian identity even though they are not living in the country anymore.

One netizen pointed out that being a Malaysian is beyond one’s citizenship because we have a national culture.

“So even when a Malaysian lets go of their citizenship, they can still remain one in their ways and heart. It’s an emotional thing.”

The Malaysian identity is a fickle one. The things that constitute it such as nationality, culture and traditions, food, language, ethnicity and more, are ever-changing.

What do you think about the debate? What makes someone a Malaysian? Let us know in the comments.

Also read: M’sian Born Former Police Constable Elected as MP in Australia, Netizens Say it’s an Example of ‘Brain Drain’