langkawi magazine
Culture SECTION
What's Malaysia Famous For?
When I was a kid living in Britain, I always used to be asked where I was from - after all, the brown skin did stand out among the shades of pink at school.
No matter how many times I was asked this question by new boys at the beginning of term, I would patriotically stand straight and, beaming with pride, say I was from Malaysia. But puzzled faces inevitably greeted this pronouncement.
Hey mate, where's Malaysia then? (though it usually came out as "Malaysha"). The genuinely bewildered faces usually led to nothing less than a geography lesson describing the Asia Pacific rim. That's what it took to explain to people where Malaysia was.
Reactions would then vary from, "Oh, so it's somewhere between Thailand and Singapore?" and, "Is it anywhere near Vietnam?" to, "Is there a city there?" and, "Do you live in trees or mud huts?? (I kid you not.)
While my patience was sorely tested by the downright stupidity of some of the questions, I persevered, feeling that, at the least, I was doing my bit to promote our country.
That was back in the 1970s. Fortunately, since then, awareness not only of where Malaysia is but also of what her people are like has grown in Britain and in the West, generally. Perhaps people's understanding of world geography is better. But I'd rather attribute the increased knowledge to Malaysia's rising profile on the world's stage.
What with the Commonwealth Games, our famous Sepang F1 track (and infamous F1 driver), and of course, the export of the national car, as well as being home to the second tallest building in the world, it's no wonder we're now being mentioned in Hollywood movies (always a sure sign of fame!) and by world leaders.
And, of course, there's all the hard work done by the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board to stamp our name across the world. This attempt to brand Malaysia over the last decade has without a doubt created a new identity for our nation.
But what images are we showing and what are we offering?. According to the Visit Malaysia adverts I managed to catch on my last trip overseas, Malaysia is a serene, warm country (in both weather and hospitality) with beautiful beaches, modern cities, excellent shopping, great food and a potpourri of races. (Now I have that darn Malaysia, Truly Asia tune playing in my head!) But is that what we're all about?
I attended a function recently at which a distinguished speaker asked a thought-provoking question: What is Malaysia famous for? The Germans are famous for their precision engineering, the French for their cuisine, the Italians for their design and flair. The Singaporeans are even famous for their 'kiasu-ness' and competitive natures!
But what about Malaysia? What makes us stand out? A very powerful question indeed and one that led to many a coffee shop debate with friends and colleagues recently. What differentiates Malaysia from the rest of the world? Responses varied from rubber, tin, and palm oil, to hospitality, badminton (believe it or not), and of course, food. But can we really beat the Thai's at hospitality? And as for food, have we really managed to make a global impact? After all, you don't see as many Malaysian restaurants as you do Thai, Indian and Chinese ones abroad, do you?.
One suggestion about what makes us unique did catch and hold my attention, though: our religious tolerance and our racial harmony. We are, I feel, a very tolerant and harmonious society. Other nations even come here in search of our 'magic formula': I remember a couple of years back a delegation of South Africans came to Malaysia to learn how we have developed into a society that is tolerant and peaceful despite containing people from different cultures and religions.
Okay, so perhaps we lose such serene traits when we get behind the wheels of our cars and hit our great highways, but I have to agree that there is something to this. I do think this sets us apart. Well, whether it is our harmony or whether it is our ambitious projects, like Sepang and the Petronas Twin Towers, that has done the job, there is no doubt that Malaysia is now firmly established on the world's map and in people's awareness.
When I travel back to Britain nowadays, I (thankfully) find that I don't have to explain myself as much about where Malaysia is. Instead of 'Do you live in mud huts?, I'm more likely to hear, 'Oh, which part of Malaysia are you from, Kuala Lumpur or Penang' or 'How many floors is that Petronas building of yours' (though that usually comes out as 'pur-tronas - well, you can't have everything!).
That's a huge improvement from when I was a kid, and something to be proud of, methinks.
Malaysia 8/8/2004
