The Art of Being Malaysian

About 2 days ago, I was reading the magazine called ‘Off The Edge’. It’s about art and living style (cars, holidays, travels, etc.). It’s a Malaysian magazine, so very local lah but menarik untuk dibaca and wit. Apa yang menarik perhatian Yuss ialah tentang Malaysian mentality. Why are we still thinking that we are not better or if not in the same level/league from outside world? Yuss selalu nampak maksud tersirat di sebalik penulisan yang kreatif and berfikir untuk dibaca tetapi still menanamkam rasa rendah diri rakyat Malaysia. And magazine ‘Off The Edge’ ini juga Yuss kategorikan sebagai kreatif dan berfikir (or in another simply word, ‘ilimiah’) untuk dibaca. Still, it is just a magazine.

In the article 'Music Globalisation', basically is about orang yang kene interview had just performed and masuk competition in Singapore. Yuss ambik skit petikan article interview tersebut:

“Because, comparing hardware and software, while the development of our scene is far, far behind Singapore’s, we have people who are willing to struggle and fight for the future.”

Why do we wanna compare diri kita to Singaporean in the first place? Is it just because they're near to us / neighbour? Or is it because they used to be part of our country? Why can't we think better about diri kita first before orang lain di negara lain? What is so wrong with our own country? Do we really lack behind in everything from this country called Singapore? If so, do we really wanna be like them? If you tanya Yuss... well, I would definitley cakap.... "Honey, I don't think so!". Who cares if they are so advanced in technology (hardware or software whatsoever), but do these Singaporean in all know how to use it? As far as I concern, almost half or more of this technology or bende2 canggih kat Singapore ni dilakukan dengan pakar or tenaga asing. So it means they're only using their 'land' as a 'HUB'. Don't compare us with them in material values, but more importantly ialah how to use and apply to the benefit of all human being in the whole country. Bare in mind that even the top Singapore's university (like NUS or Nanyang), with the help of millions of dollar funding from various sources, half of the staff or in top positions are foreigners. Do we really wanna blend our culture with such attitude in education environment towards outside world when you can train local tenaga and pakar? Still, we have to remember, bare in our mind again, that Singapore is still building their nation just like before, in centuries, as a hub to all things and not developing the sources (as they don't have any) . So, since we already has all the sources and kepakaran, we should be proud to diri sendiri and even kalau kita nak maju, biarlah dengan acuan and kaedah yang sangat local dan barulah kita berjaya dan dikenali? Kalau Singapore maju sekalipun sekarang, adakah satu dunia kenal apa itu 'Singapore'? Kalau diletakkan questionaire to public in anywhere around the world especially Europe and America continents, and tanya about Asia, what and where do this mentality or stereotypes akan pergi? It's either mainland China or Japan. Orang tak akan sebut negara kecil ini lagi walaupun dah di anggap maju. Dan ini bukan soal or isu kecil atau besar sesuatu negara but apakah pengisiannya.

And lagik satu dalam artikel dalam 'Off The Edge' mengenai sorang budak Malaysian ni dapat tawaran jadi residence artist kat Sydney. Beliau juga ada menyatakan kekecewaan mengenai mentality rakyat Malaysia (terutamanya pakar 'artis' yang beliau maksudkan) yang menyatakan idea dan persembahan nilai estetik kerjanya jauh menyimpang dari arus budaya Malaysia. Tapi, bile beliau dah pergi ke Sydney and duduk sana about 3-6 months (if I'm not mistaken), beliau rasakan karya beliau lebih dihargai. Kenapa beliau perlu kecewa? Salahkah orang kita ingin menegur? Mengingatkan tentang asal dan akar umbi bangsa sendiri? Salahkah? Just mengingatkan, bukan mengongkong. Yuss rasa kite perlu paham maksud di situ. Buatlah macamana sekali pun and extremist sekalipun nilai 'art' kita, just paham budaya dan adat tempatan. For Yuss, culture evolve in a very slow motion just like kebanyakan species bende hidup. Extreme in art is fine as long as we know how to blend it in certain culture like Malaysia. Be universal and hormat our surroundings and it will be remember for a long long time.

I think this idea of saling hormat and menghormati and sopan santun are the most valuable things we should be proud of. And I think it is the most significant way of showing our values towards creating a good human society. That is for me is a key factor of being Malaysian. Bangga dengan nilai ini bermakna kita kekalkan dan sebarkan ke seluruh dunia. Nilai dan philosophy kita harus kita sebarkan dan diingati. Tapi, yang paling penting lagi ialah kita sendiri perlu menghargainya. Philosophy of being Malaysian is unique and perlu kekalkan kalau kita kuat dengan mentality untuk berjaya seperti sebelum ini.

And Yuss harap2 sangat idea and gerak minda Pak Lah, our PM to govern this country dgn nilai rohani and pengisian dalaman akan beliau kekalkan dalam penggal akan datang even though Yuss tak pernah agree with him 100 peratus. (Wah, tetiba berunsur POLITIK!!! Kaki AMPU apa??? LOL) But at least he has this vision of how he nak bentuk our rakyat berfikir. Tu yang Yuss harap2 sgt. Because Yuss rasa itu lebih penting untuk jadi bangsa yang maju. Sebenarnya Yuss sendiri dah rimas dan tak larat dgn idea nak buat bende tertinggilah, terbesarlah, ter ter ter....lah!!!! Rimas!!! Kebendaan bukanlah akar ukur untuk suatu ketamadunan yang kekal lama, tapi minda dan mentality penduduknya, tak kira la melalui sains, teknologi, penulisan or art sekalipun. Semua sekali. Combine jadi satu. Sebab? Hanya ada SATU Malaysia saja sayang oiii....

Photo by Yuss.