What I like the most about Kuching ia that in every coffee shop, or what we call kopitiam, there is at least a Malay stall and an Indian stall. You can see the local Sarawakians, Malays and Chinese eating together under one roof. It happens almost on a daily basis. I do not know much about the Peninsular since I only went to KL like twice.
Why can't Malaysia in general, while retaining their cultures, stop dividing among one another? Why bother separating West and East? Is it because of the immigration issue whenever a Peninsular Malaysian enters Sarawak and Sabah? Is it because the people in Peninsular often got informed that people in Sarawak and Sabah still lives on trees? I, truthfully as a Sarawakian am insulted whenever any Peninsular Malaysian made such remarks. Politically wise, most of the resources in Sarawak and Sabah were given to the Federal. Then again, not every state in Peninsular gets to enjoy the benefits. Let us not forget that apart from KL, JB and Penang, the rest of the states are not as developed, and some even told me that Kuching is more developed than their state capitals.
What I am trying to say here is that we as Malaysians should stop the "unfair" and "divided" mentality. These are what cause racism. We must remember despite our origins and our roots, we are born in this country, which is our home. Therefore, we are Malaysians, regardless of being Malay, Chinese, Iban, Indian, Bidayuh or Kadazan. I dislike ticking any form which requires our race details. What about those from mixed heritage? They are forced to choose only one race because of this "divided" mentality by the government itself. It is so tiring to explain that you are a Malay but you are mixed with Chinese blood. Or you are Chinese but your mother is an Iban. Or you are an Indian who has some Chinese in your bloodline somewhere. Why can't you just say you are of mixed heritage and yet you are Malaysian? I find it much easier lo. I mean, I am a pure Chinese so I never get to suffer this problem but I have quite a number of friends of mixed heritage, and I often saw them introducing themselves as mentioned above.
I am joining Teach for Malaysia, and the schools that I am going to teach in Sarawak consist of students who are local. A Chinese with no knowledge of Bahasa Sarawak is going to teach the students who know very little English. But what makes me teach them even though we come from different background and are of different races? I got rid of the "divided" mentality. We are all human, regardless of race. I remembered a Hong Kong movie scene of an Indian who had a crush on a Hong Kongite female and he was accused as a rapist. He then proceeded to cut his own arm and showed them the colour of the blood he bled. He was saying (in Cantonese la), "We all shed the same blood, which is red. Why do you discriminate me just becsuse of my skin? I am not an alien!" That statement somehow made me vow not to be racist, because we are all the same. Different skin colour but all have the same blood colour.
To create a better Malaysia, one very important rule is not to be racist and divided. It has always been an issue since forever, and even Sarawak and Sabah holds a petition of pulling out from Malaysia. To be honest, it is not the nation that is at fault, but rather, the improper governing. We need a better government for a better nation, and for that we need to stay united. But first of all, please ditch the "divided" mentality, which is the mother of racism.
I hope one day I do not need to fly to Peninsular Malaysia with a passport as a foreigner. And of course I hope Sarawak will be more developed and a better treatment can be given to both Sarawak and Sabah. Teach for Malaysia entering Sarawak to eradicate education inequality is already a very big step to me.
I know I bore the readers with my rant. Hence, I shall put a couple of my selfie pictures. These pictures are me wishing all Malaysian readers Happy Malaysia Day! Wish for a better nation! It has so much potential there, with so many bright minds and plentiful resources.
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