Er...dunno wat to call it.

After reading with much interest the slew of articles and comments that have been flying around lately concerning certain rude and undesirable habits of Malaysians, including a pointed and witty one by a friend of mine, I have been with difficulty resisting the urge to scratch the itch to respond with my own 2-sen worth.
Unfortunately, I have failed. The very words that you are now reading attest to the strength, or lack thereof, of my willpower. I have, regrettably, yielded to the near-irresistible itch to speak.
The recent week-long survey/contest run by the Star newspaper that invited readers nationwide to vote the top 10 Rudest Malaysian Habits made for some interesting and thought-provoking reading. The list included such gems as inconsiderate driving and parking (DEFINITELY top on my list), spitting in public, littering, asking people how much they earn in public, jumping queues, and even taking too much food from buffet lines.
Sad though it is, it’s undeniable that every single item on the list was far from far-fetched. Every listed habit was an inseparable part of the daily Malaysian experience. Road users will gladly (hmm…maybe not gladly, but nonetheless) corroborate this statement with their own personal horror stories. Which Malaysian driver has not been overtaken on the left lane (for the uninitiated, we drive on the left side of the road) or harassed by wannabe Max Biaggis and Valentino Rossis? Who hasn’t inched slowly through a narrow back lane lined on each side with parked cars whose drivers seem to lack critical grey matter? Or who hasn’t had to swerve to avoid cars that indiscriminately switch lanes without signaling their intentions? (For a few specific examples, try angelinespage.blogspot.com) Hmm…perhaps someone should consider compiling these horror stories and producing a best-seller, I don’t know, Malaysian True Horror Stories: Tales from the Road? (Ya, go ahead and laugh. It's lame, I know)
Maybe this habit of ours should be short-listed to appear on the Top 10 Things that Aggravate Your Nervous System and Significantly Diminish Your Lifespan and Quality of Life. I’m sure it would fare pretty well, maybe make it to the Top 3 at least, along with Dirtying and Defacing Public Toilets, and Having Absolutely No Regard for Other People’s Time.
Let's face it, driving on Malaysian roads, particularly in Penang, is definitely not for the faint of heart. Doctors should advise those who have weak hearts, high blood pressure, etc. against driving. Driving here should be classified as a high-risk extreme sport, like vertical wall-climbing or aggressive in-line skating. There is a very real possibility of permanent physiological or psychological damage. Seriously. I cringe every time I get behind the wheel, knowing very well that the next few moments could be my last here on earth. The road is filled with evil motorists out to mutilate and murder me in the most horrible ways imaginable. Eh-heh heh. *Accidentally bites tongue in cheek*
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hold any bitter grudges against God for placing me in this country. I consider myself every bit a Malaysian, and I’m definitely grateful to God for choosing Malaysia as my birthplace. I’m just tickled that it’s taken us so long to bring our quirks out into the open for honest discussion and satire. Mature people know not to take themselves too seriously. They admit and laugh at their own mistakes and shortcomings. Ditto mature societies. I laud the genius that thought up this Rude Malaysian survey/contest thingy. I think it’s just fantastic that we Malaysians are finally looking at ourselves in the mirror, looking at our pimples and potbellies and blemishes, and still loving ourselves for who we are, every pimply bit, even if the zits stay after a vigorous facial, and the belly refuses to succumb to hours of sweat on the treadmill.
We Christians should take our cue from what’s happening and do some frank self-evaluation too. Go ahead. Look yourself in the mirror. Got any laugh-out-loud quirky habits or downright embarrassing bad habits that you like to sweep under the carpet? Any ugly habits that you just can’t bring yourself to mention? Self-examination’s cathartic you know. Scriptural, even. The way to do it, friends, is to look into the perfect law of liberty, like a man observing his natural face in a mirror. (Give James 1:22-25 a look) Can’t say it’ll be flattering or make you feel good about yourself, but it’ll definitely do you good to see that spot on your chin so you can go wash it off.
No use hiding it or trying to cover it up with make-up. Just go ahead and acknowledge the cracks in your wall so you can fix them. That’s the whole purpose of self-examination: self-improvement. Listen to this: “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the word, this one will be blessed in what he does.”
I read with satisfaction the report in today’s Star about the large number of responses from the public to the Rude Malaysian issue, both in print and on the radio shows. Many of these responses included practical suggestions on how to rectify these problems, and some even professed undying love for the country and its citizens regardless of their quirks and shortcomings. (Ed – you seem to like the word “quirk”, huh. ;p)
I think that much good can come from this seemingly insignificant exercise. I hope that the media will continue this positive trend of honest self-examination, and that the public will follow suit and perhaps even take steps to address the problems and issues raised. I’m sure that Malaysia will become a better place to live, work and play in. Just like the church will be a much nicer place to be in if Christians do the same. “This one will be blessed in what he does.”