LANGUAGE barrier is a common, but minor issue faced by Malaysians when interacting with the locals in the Holy Land.
Apparently, even those who took up formal Arabic language education in Malaysia would have a problem because the locals find it hard to understand what they are saying.
Malaysian expatriate Mohd Rus Abbas from Sabak Bernam said this was because the locals use the informal version of the Arabic language.
The 41-year-old cost consultant, who has worked here for eight years, said the Arabic language spoken among the Arabs themselves was not the same, since different Arab nations have their own dialects.
“Language barrier is what we usually face. My daughter had a tough time when she first started her class at an international school.
“Initially, I thought the lessons would be conducted in English. But it’s not the case here because most lessons are in Arabic.
“She came back from school crying during her first few weeks,” he said with a smile.
Two other Malaysian expatriates, Hasnan Hassan, 57, and Mohd Jamal Mohd Yusof, 41, shared similar views.
Rus, Hasnan and Jamal were involved in major revitalisation projects here, which will see, among others, better infrastructure for the expansion of Masjidil Haram and turning the Holy city into a savvy economic hub of the Muslim world.
Jamal, who is also a cost consultant and has been working here for six years, shared his experience relating to the language issue at work.
“Due to the different versions of the Arabic language, the consensus is to speak in English during meetings,” he said with a laugh.
He added that adjusting to the weather here was challenging at first for him and his family.
“During the first six months, there was no one in my family who was not sick.”
On a more positive note, Hasnan said Malaysian workers were highly regarded by the locals.
“They (the Arabs) perceive Malaysians to be very disciplined.
“They like working with our people,” said the 57-year-old project manager, who has been here for eight years.
All three agreed that it would be wise for any Malaysian working abroad to stay away from regional, state and even office politics.
From my observation since reaching the Holy Land early this month, it was suffice to say many locals here and in Madinah knew about Malaysia and its people.
Malaysians seem to be quite popular among local traders too.
If you walk between the shops or eateries with other pilgrims from different countries, you will be singled out by them with calls: “Mari Malaysia. Mari, mari (Come Malaysia. Come, come).”
While I am tempted to respond to the calls and check out the offerings, I have to be cautious of my spending habits here because there are about three weeks to go before I return home.