As featured on Sunday Vibes, New Straits Times.
Favourite Malaysian quirk: The undefined special bond and love we have for each other. We greet everyone from our next-door neighbours to owners of our favourite food stall by "uncle", "aunty", abang, kakak, adik or "boss".
As odd as that may seem to foreigners, this special bond is what brings us closer together. Nothing means love as much as your favourite nasi lemak stall makcik calling you sayang when you stop by to grab something to eat. That's true love right there, or having shopkeepers greet you as leng lui (pretty girl) or leng chai (handsome boy) when they tend to you!
On being Malaysian
Being a Malaysian to me is about dropping the identity of our ethnicity, referring ourselves to others as plain Malaysian — not Malay, Indian, Chinese, Iban or Kadazan. Not having to fill up a form and ticking the lain-lain box each time I have to identify my racial background as being an Iban. We all should be just Malaysians; people who bring our uniqueness and diversity into a beautiful mosaic that makes us stronger and better together.
One of the most memorable experiences that made me proud of being Malaysian happened while I was working at Curtin University Malaysia in Miri, Sarawak. I was a Student Relations Officer back then, handling a challenging portfolio, which included overseeing scholarship and loans, student housing, welfare and activities for both local and international students.
I took my work and responsibilities seriously, and usually went the extra mile in assisting our international students and visitors. I think that's an inherent Malaysian trait of being hospitable! I've always been very proud of my Malaysian and Sarawakian background. This meant our international students were regular visitors to my longhouse where they were made to feel like members of my own family.
My own strong ties to my cultural and national heritage, and the efforts I made to bridge the cultural gap between the many different cultures our students represented eventually earned me the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Excellence. I was the first Malaysian (from the administrative/non-academic division category) to be recognised with the award within the Curtin campus community worldwide. - A
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