Being different, wanting the same
YOU don’t represent Malaysia. You don’t. You may think you do but you don’t.
You may assume that your likes and dislikes and tastes and preferences are the same for all your countrymen. But they aren’t.
You may think everyone watches the same TV shows as you do. You may think everyone watches the same films as you do. You may think everyone loves the same music as you do. And adores or dislikes the same artistes as you do.
But they don’t.
I should know. I get all sorts of comments from people like, “Everyone doesn’t like this show you’re doing!” or “Everyone wants to know this information so why don’t you show it?”. I then look at the ratings and the research and then realise that when someone says “everyone”, it usually means three of his or her friends. I’m not exaggerating.
But he or she is.
You don’t seem to realise that Malaysia is made up of a really diverse group of people. People who have different ideas, beliefs, wants and needs. And yes, people who love some TV shows that you completely hate. And hate TV shows that you completely love.
Somehow you are blind to the fact that these people exist. And that only your point of view is real. The rest just don’t seem to matter to you. In fact, to you, they don’t even exist. Yours is the only way. Your world is the only world.
You live in an ivory tower (it could be a real ivory tower or a rundown wooden hut in a rubber estate). From your ivory tower you go to work. You work. Then you go back to your ivory tower.
You don’t go outside of the world you know. Outside of the belief system you know. You don’t have time, it seems. Therefore, you don’t think much of people who don’t share your views. You ignore their views. Or worse still, you think you’re better than them. You think you’re somehow a more special human being because you’re right. And they’re wrong. In fact, you downright discriminate against them. You don’t think they matter.
But here’s the problem. The truth is they are, after all, human beings.
So even though all of us may be individually very different, we all have some shared values. And as Malaysians, our shared values are something we can all be proud of. Something we all can go Yes, now THAT’S my Malaysia.
We value honesty. We respect our elders. We teach our children to be good human beings who always help people in need. We work hard for a living. We grieve at funerals. We cheer hard at sporting events. We are concerned about the environment. We felt the loss when the MH incidents happened.
We love and respect our parents. We love our kids and want them to be good human beings who contribute to society. We try to have meaningful relationships. We know where the best nasi lemak is in town. Yes, we may all be different in our own ways but in the end we are all the same.
We are humans too, with feelings just like you. Yes, that person, who doesn’t talk your language, believe in the same things you do, who doesn’t dress the same way, who appears to be in all ways different than you, is also human, with feelings just like you.
We all want a better Malaysia.
So step out of your ivory towers once in a while and see the amazing people that make up Malaysia. All of us contribute in our own special way to this amazing country. You may not understand that person who looks different than you, but he or she too has something to contribute.
So, yes, you don’t represent Malaysia but guess what, you do too.
Happy Malaysia Day!