Melayu MALAS?

I heard this statement A LOT lately. God I really can’t tell you how much I hate to hear that again and again. It makes me sick. Especially when the statement comes from politicians, leaders and big big person. How come you guys be at this level of thinking?! This WRONG stereotype needs to be changed.

Fist, before Aqila start babbling with her national issue here, let her tell you what that’s mean with; stereotype. In social psychology, a stereotype is an over-generalized belief about a particular category of people (Google-d it). There! It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. Plus, when it come to negatively wrong stereotype, it will be super hard to deal with.

Tbh, I have heard this ‘melayu malas’ stereotype since my teenage age. At that time, people told me that Melayu = malas, Cina = penipu, India = gangster. HONESTLY!! Luckily I was too young to mind all of that. Because I lived in kampung and my environment is not proving anything about that. But that stereotypes stayed in my mind, and growing up with me ok?! To make it worse, I believe that many many of us attached to that too. This is so wrong. This is not okay. Now, please. Let this stereotype go. In my life, I have seen a lot of hardworking Malays struggling to stable their economical status. I met many of successful Malays, rich Malays, Malays that own their company, Malays that run their own business, smart Malays, academician Malays. These people definitely are not malas!

In Malaysia, the majority is Malay, taking 60% of total population in this country. Since Independence Day back in 1957, Malay undeniably got privileges and accommodation as the bumiputera. Bear in mind that before Merdeka days, the economical gap between bumiputera and non-bumi were so big (remember Malays at kampung, Indian at estate, Chinese at Bandar?), making the leaders to create many pathways to boost the bumiputera’s living standard and productivities. Many bumiputera were living in poverty decades ago, effect from colonialism. Then, after the Merdeka, with majority and privileges, created a new factor; Malays as the majority workers in government sector (and you know the rest about government sector). 

Now, because of these three things; (1) majority in population, (2) privileges as bumiputera, (3) conquering the government sector; creating the stereotype of Melayu = malas. Yes, I can see the tendency and how easy this stereotype to appear. Because of the mentioned 3 factors, people thought that ‘Ahh.. being Malay is so easy. No need to work very hard, can get job already’.

Behind the scene, everyone compete each other regardless your races. Whether you Malay or Chinese, you still have to work hard to pass your examinations. Whether you Malay or Indian, you still have to attend the interviews and prove you are eligible for the position that you applied for. Malay, Indian or Chinese, we need to be WORK HARD to be rich. We all need to work to get money. Whatever our races are, we all still need to work hard for success. I sound a bit materialistic here, but that is the reality when people relate Melayu = malas to work on their life! So tell me where is the malas part?

Malas is an individual faulty attitude. Not a genetic trait that will pass down through family, if you want to say in biologically aspect. Duh.

When we said about ‘stereotype’, it means OVER-generalized. Not all Malays are malas. There are Malays that very hardworking, some of them successfully rich, some of them still struggling to survive in todays living costs. Same goes to other races, not all Chinese are liars. My previous Chinese employer is a very nice lady. She always take care of us at her best, treat us with nice pizzas, back us up when the problems came, never take advantages on us. Also, not all Indian are gangster ok. My Indian friends are so nice with me. Their family is very well educated and well mannered. Why they deserved to be called as gangster?

We will get angry when people stereotyped us with negative things, right? That’s why this false stereotype thingy needs to be eradicated. It is 2019 ya ladies and gentlemen. People compete with efforts and hard work. Don’t call others malas just because that is what you think ok. Let’s put ourselves in others shoes, then we will mind our words.

I am Malay, and I am not lazy.

(only sometimes too lazy to cook, so I toss some Maggi for lunch is that okay?!)