Sunday 31 May 2015

About being grateful, successful Chinese and happy Malays

It was a good trip today.

The person I visited was doing fine despite his health problems.

Fate has been quite unkind to him but he said he accepted it as Allah's will.

"Maybe Allah loves me. Maybe I may become a bad person if I have a normal life," he said about his ailment.

I had to hold back my tears when he said that.

The guy could have been a successful engineer if not for his ailment.

We had lunch and spent some time chit chatting before I drove back to KL.

I made a promise to myself that I will try to visit him more often.

As I was driving back, it occurred to me that compared to the guy, I have been very lucky.

Told myself that I should be more grateful to Allah for what I have in life, instead of just bitching too much about things.

Some people used to tell me that we shouldn't be comparing ourselves with those who are supposedly lesser than us.

We should set our benchmark higher so that we would be motivated to do better, they said.

Agreed, but I think we could put things in better perspective if we also compare ourselves with those who are less fortunate.

I believe it could help us appreciate ourselves more and stop us from turning into Singaporeans.

Well, then again, I'm not an ambitious person.

Maybe that's why I have that consideration.

Maybe it's the moderateness in my Malay blood which makes me think that way.

I always joked with my Chinese friends that they will always be more successful than the Malays, but the Malays will always be happier than them.

I believe the Chinese, as a whole race, are more serious in everything compared to the Malays.

They are even serious about how to be happy.

They planned, saved, invested and do other tedious stuff so that they can be happy.

The Malays on the other hand are mostly happy if they can lepak all day long.

Yes, they can be quite hard working but given the choice, most Malays would prefer to spend their time relaxing and contemplating loftier stuff than working their ass off.

Most of them are not even sure why the Chinese got all worked up in their pursuit to own everything.

Okay, I know some of you all are going to call me a racist again.

Relax, it's just me rambling.

I actually came to those conclusions based on how I see my parents.

My mother is more successful and earns a lot more than my father but she tends to be so tensed up all the time.

My father, on the other hand, is more into all those ideals, principles, dignity etc which don't really help him make more money.

For all that, he is a more relaxed and happy person.

But of course my mother tends to spoils my father's happiness by being so garang with him all the time.

She always pushes him to do better, even occasionally threatening to divorce him if he didn't buck up.

Of course my father always gives in to my mother despite him supposedly being the ketua keluarga.

The way I see it, their relationship is very much like the Sino-Malay relations of this county.

True, isn't it?

So, excuse me ya for having that stereotype of Malays and Chinese.

Anyway, sorry....I'm really rambling aimlessly tonight.

Just a little break from the Najib-Mahathir thing, okay.

Well, need to sleep early now as I'm really tired after driving the whole day.

Good night.

p.s.1 In case there are readers who are not aware - my mother is a Chinese while my father is a Malay.

p.s.2 Comments whacking my parents in any way will be spiked off.

17 comments:

  1. Here's to mutual sweet surrender between your papa and mama ...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJBmO-xKwz0

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  2. Some people used to tell me that we shouldn't be comparing ourselves with those who are supposedly lesser than us.
    In ISLAM is the other way around so that we would be grateful (syukur) with our current state...
    BUT it doesnt mean we dont work harder and pray harder to improve.
    Hidup di dunia itu jembatan ke akhirat.

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    Replies
    1. Narrated Abu Huraira r.a:
      "A man came to Allah's Apostle and said, "O Messenger of Allah! Who is more entitled to be treated with the best companionship by me?" The Prophet said, "Your mother." The man asked, "Who is next?" The Prophet replied, "Your mother." The man asked again, "Then who next?" The Prophet answered, "Your mother." The man asked for the fourth time, "Who is next?" The Prophet said, "Your father."

      Narrated Abu Bakra:
      "The Messenger of Allah said thrice, "Shall I not inform you of the greatest of mortal sins?" We said, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah." And he said, "To join partners in worship with Allah, and to be undutiful to one's parents." The Prophet sat up from his reclining position and continued, "And I warn you against giving forged statements and bearing false witness; I warn you against giving a forged statement and being a false witness." The Prophet kept on repeating the warning till we wondered if he would stop."

      (Sahih Bukhari - book 73)

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    2. So kena ada 3 isteri ni...mother, mother, mother and father...not 4..hehe..chill...

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  3. Petrol prices are up again. In less than 2 months,after prices of goods spiraled because of GST and now will set to rise again because of the petrol price increase. As usual the dumb fellow will say that traders wants to sabotage him. It seems that everyone is wrong and he is right despite RM42b gone down the longkang. The whole nation knows that this petrol increase is to cover 1MDB debts.

    Since Jho Low was spotted arriving in KLIA a few days ago, perhaps it was his idea to increase the petrol price to whack more money. And the dumb fellow who is your admired idol, being dumb and dungu will just do whatever so that he can also whack the poor rakyat's money. Najib is such a disgrace to the country and malays.

    Zack

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    Replies
    1. Betul Zack.

      RON 95 naik 10 sen. Time baru start cuti sekolah pulak tuh. Masa ni la ramai nak travel long distant, bawa anak-anak balik kampung atau bercuti, jalan-jalan cari makan ke apa. Bangang punya decision. Pasal tu saya berpendapat, Kerajaan dibawah Najib tidak perihatin akan keperitan Rakyat. Hanya berpura-pura dan manis di bibir mulut. Lagi sebulan nak berpuasa, dah ucapkan 'Selamat Berpuasa'.

      Habis cuti sekolah, baru naik, tak boleh ka? Kalau ya pun, naik 5 sen cukup la.

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    2. Depa kan baru start bagi Brim. Kena la cari duit sikit..

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  4. Najib claims that he has the support of the majority. But he had to pay RM50 each to get them to greet him in Perlis. And even that, it was less than 50 turned up. Since he is illiterate, 50 is greater than 42 billion.

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    Replies
    1. 50 ringgit for turning up. Not bad. Wonder where they get the money?

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    2. In a way it reflected on how cheap the crowd can be. just 50 ringgit and u show ur support to the ever incompetent pm

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  5. annie, mana lufang sudah pergi. Lama sudah tak muncul

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    1. Anon 08:55,

      Yaa lorr !,lama Wa tatak masok lea aa , ini hali manyak busy maa aa pasat itu minyak sutak naik lagi 10 sen lor rr . Semua balang mau kila semula maa aa ,mau kasi jack halga naik maa aa , balu bolih untung lea aa .

      Tulun punya jam tatak kila , naik punya jam mesti mau kila maa aa ,ada can untung lebih mesti mau sapu lea aa ,balu bolih hilup happy lor rr , tatak wang apa macam mau happy ,tapi Wa tatak salah kasi naik halga ,itu kelajaan kasi naik minyak apa pasat ?.

      Wa manyal lespect ini Annie ,lia betut-betut Malaysian lea aa ,lia punya mak Cina ,and lia punya pak Bulayu , wa aaa !, ini macam betut-betut Malaysian maa aa , and lia punya hati betut-betut Malaysian Malaysia lea aa .

      Wa manyak sukak itu Uncle Lim cekap pasat Malaysian Malaysia and itu Najib cekap pasat 1 Malaysia , tapi Wa ingat apa macam mau jadi itu Malaysian Malaysia atau 1 Malaysia ,itu Cina sekolah mau kasi kekal ,itu singa joget mau kasi kekal , itu Hakka ,Hokian kelap mau kasi kekal .

      Wa ingat lea aa , itu Malaysian Malaysia mau buat itu Joget Halimau maa aa , baru atak betut lea aa .

      Wa kasi cadang saja maa aa .

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  6. The king is on top, always. O la la. I am the one you're looking for.

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  7. Good Annie..very nice story..I agreed there are some inter-relation on what you have been describing part of your parent life with similarity on what is happening in malay or chinese society today

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  8. We'd learn/ emulate the Chinese entrepreneurial values, adinda Ms Annie
    and of us Malays, the Kelantanese are appear to be more dominant commercially.

    We are now not lacking in ability, training and qualifications with many engineers and doctors .. but the most commercially successful medical specialists and engineering firms are apparently Chinese businesses or ones with Chinese partners, ada?


    Haji M Zin
    Alor Gajah DPH


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    Replies
    1. The Kelantanese muslims were doing fine until the Takfir Islamists appeared in their land!

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  9. What do you have against Singaporeans, Annie?

    The "little red dot" has survived and prospered since 1965. There is no more "abang-adek" relationship.

    Of course, a lot of people in Malaysia aren't happy about this.

    They see an erstwhile "adek" out-competing, out-running and out-smarting the "abang", contrary to all the precepts of natural order.

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