It’s still surprising to be reading comments from Malays
bashing about another Malay’s post whenever they tend to send a message or
update a status in English.
It’s rather pity to see a lot of my own race being thrown
harsh comments and statements all because of their initiation to speak in English
rather than Malaysian Language itself.
Cliché’ right?
Belagak. Bajet. Perasan.
Yeah, we get that all the time whenever in a dominant Malay
environment.*twirls around the room*
Before you even start condemning anything to stand on your
rights if you are one of those people with the mentality that a person’s racial
status is defined from their language preference, hold your grudges.
So try to keep an open opinion and understand the reasons
why English isn’t much of an option to avoid for everyone, and yes, even to a
patriotic Malaysian.
I’m cool, you’re cool. Cool aite? Great!
You Won’t
Excel in Something if You Refuse to Apply It
Rule number 1# No effort no gain. Doesn’t it make you harder to score in
examinations, if you only depend on that certain extent of time alone?
Everything takes effort. Similar case if you say a person is already gifted on
speaking in English too, for instance they are born with the capability to
speak English. But in reality they still have to still practice and sharpen it
all up. Otherwise? How to manage their skills to a higher level? Even in arts,
maths or in any particular hobby itself, don’t expect to excel if you refuse to
practice.
They Want to
Deal With Their Insecurities on English
Wait, who are ‘they’? The Malays who everyday fear getting
negative comments from their own friends in class whenever they try to speak in
English doesn’t matter if it’s a broken English or a fluent one. The ones who
want to improvise for the sake of themselves. To make themselves feel better
and confident whenever there is in need of presentations especially dealing
with a crowd.
A lot of Malays feel bad about their English skills
performance. Cause’ they know it’s important. What to do? Follow your lead on
proposing ‘Melayu kan? Cakap melayu je la’?
People do a lot of stuff to feel better about themselves.
So, if you’re interrupting their process of dealing with insecurity, they’re
not someone you should mess up with. Trust me.
A double no no on that.
Speaking in
English Doesn’t Make You Less of a Malay
I always thought like, if people say when a Malay speaks in
English, they shouldn’t even be called as a Malay anyway, I’m like, okay cool.
Trying to accept and digest it to make a logical acceptance
to that but really, if language is what defines you as your own true racial
status, does using informal Malay language instead of ‘bahasa baku’ still make
you a true Malay?
Nice one, people, nice.
They Need to
Blend in With Other Multi-Racial People
A Malay student who is currently studying in a local university
where the majority are all Malays publicly comments on social media ‘Tak payah cakap English weh, ish bajet’ to
another Malay student, who is currently studying in a private university where
he is the only Malay in the class.
Once you’re in a university life, blending in is a priority.
Malays aren’t all studying in local universities like you. A lot of us are from
international schools too, be it under sponsorship or self-sponsor and you know
what that means?
English is the only language for lectures and the only
one-way communication with other races from Chinese, Indian, Korean, South
African, American, British, Bangladesh and the list goes on. To an extent we
are used to goof around and make jokes in English.
Maybe you yourself am not going through the situation where
you would only talk in English in real life, but these Malay friends of yours
are in need to fit themselves with their external environment and society. If your
harsh comments no longer concerns them, like me, it’s because we’re already
used to this lifestyle and it’s not weird.
Have you even thought about this before?
Who’s Going
to Help You in English?
Well, aren’t you the one who hates your Malay friends speak in
English but is their ‘personal student’ the night before English examinations?
That one person when there’s a question regarding to English, you become a
splint runner from your class to their table to ask and seek guidance?
What’s the difference between a Malay English teacher with a
Malay friend who practices English?
If you can reluctantly hear your teacher speaks in English,
why can’t you accept your friends who speak in English too?
Downgrade
Malays, But is Astonished When Other Races Speak English
When your Malay friend doesn’t matter if you’re strangers or
etc applies English and is able to spill out confidence with their capability after
numerous practices, they are defined as show offs. Because they aren’t using
mother language. But if your Korean artist/singer shows up in front of the
stage being able to speak in English (broken English even) for example, you’re
so excited and are basically on cloud nine at the very second.
Oh, the irony.
Avoiding
English is Impossible
Everyone wants to succeed, even you. Everyone wants the best
education for themselves, the best experiences for themselves. Even when it
means studying overseas. I genuinely say this based on my personal experience,
to attain all these accomplishments, avoiding English is impossible. All the
knowledge you’re learning, you’re absorbing, the movies you’re watching, the
songs you’re listening, the international Islamic speeches even such as Mufti
Menk Ismail, it’s all in English.
Having this perception of avoiding English and publicly
standing up for it just because you are a Malay is like down-grading yourself
when people are improving a step forward above you.
For the
Dream Career
Linking with the above factor, an
ambitious oriented student only thinks of impressing their lecturers, teachers,
anyone that has the key to tap their potential to a higher level. For entrepreneurs who only needs intelligence
in business managing or money efficiency, English may be not important.
But in terms of courses such as
law, psychology, engineering, medicine, arts and social science that requires
communication skills in their future career, English is important if you want
people to engage with you. Getting a thumbs up and recognition for your extra
ability besides academic alone is a bonus.
Language lacking skills shouldn’t
be a barrier to you expressing out your genius ideas to the world.
To be A
Proud Malay is to be a Global One
How are you going to stand for your rights on behalf for all
Malaysians such as speech of peace when you can’t convince other races who can’t
even understand our Malaysian language itself? The only reason why learning
English is essential is because it’s an international language. We don’t define
it as ‘American language’ as if speaking English makes you an American instead
of Malaysian for example.
The world is improving forward on a better standard of
revolution. Let’s make sure Malays are on the same lane.
Don’t Give Out Negativity Just to Satisfy Your Emotional
Needs
What I’ve observed too, is a lot
of Malays condemn each other from speaking English is because they refuse to
feel bad about themselves. Some hate to see others who are happy in their own
skin when it comes to certain skills, so they say all kinds of stuff and false rumours
to others.
I remember during SPM, someone
said to my best friend randomly out of nowhere while I was giving presentation in
front of class, ‘Tahu tak Af masuk kelas pemulihan BM?’
Kelas pemulihan for Bahasa
Malaysia when my average score was an A-? Haha nice.
In the End, English is Just a Language
Malays will be Malays. They’re
still going to be the same person inside out. They’ll still talk in Malay when
with families, friends unless the others are fine with the language itself.
They’ll still listen to Malay songs, respect Malays as an equal, of course
Malaysians too.
No, there is no say or fact that
you’ll fail in life if you don’t learn English, but there’s no say either that
mastering another language –universal especially does not give you any benefits
too.
It’s nothing really to even put it
into a denial or hatred. It’s just an extra language learned.
But also, we want to achieve the word 'Eloquence' itself. :)
Hanie Soraya's songs are quite catchy btw, don't you think?
