Fairytales do come true.

People have often gush about how Malaysians (regardless of race) com together and celebrate our diverse cultural celebrations but I, for one, has never seen such a thing. Of course, it’s an entirely different thing if friends of different races wish you, because they’re, well, friends. Even if they forget it won’t be a big deal (to me anyway).

But on CNY’s eve, I experienced this famed (and I would have thought, mythical, but no longer! Cheers!) warmth at a very unlikely place. I was buying Ramly burger in the teeeny town of Chenderiang, Perak, when the burger man and his friend (both Malays) wished me “Kong Xi Fa Cai”. It was a thoughtful and heartwarming gesture, I thought. Maybe those fuzzy wuzzy typical Malaysian ads depicting our multi-racial society being harmonious were somewhat true, after all (oh yes, I need to bitch about the Perodua’s CNY ad. Soooo goddamn TRITE! Get a new idea already!!!!!!@$%%T%^@#!!!!!). Ooh, and they make a mean burger too. Yummy!

Then I read shit like this.

Muka Hadapan

Tanda tanya….

Salah satu sepanduk ucapan Gong Xi Fa Cai di Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur yang menimbulkan tanda tanya orang ramai.

RAMAI mungkin tertanya-tanya apakah makna isi kandungan sepanduk yang kini dipasang di tiang-tiang lampu jalan-jalan utama di ibu negara ini.

Ini kerana ia turut menampilkan wajah Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dan pemimpin parti komponen Barisan Nasional (BN) Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur.

Sebenarnya isi kandungannya ialah kata ucapan Selamat Tahun Baru Cina atau yang biasa ditulis dalam ejaan rumi sebagai `Gong Xi Fa Cai’.

Alangkah lebih elok jika ucapan itu turut ditulis dalam bahasa kebangsaan yang dapat difahami oleh semua orang dan telah diguna pakai sejak zaman berzaman.

From HERE.

This blogger has done a good job in retorting about the issue. I agree completely with him.

My reaction after reading the news article on Utusan’s website was one of sheer disbelief.

1. Who are these “orang ramai” the reporter is talking about? No interviews with the public nothing. If you want to put it like that, then all the Jawi stuff we see here and there also can “menimbulkan tanda tanya orang ramai”. So far, I haven’t seen any Chinese newspapers repoting about the issue.
2. I thought it was great that BN put up banners wishing the motorists “Gong Xi Fa Chai” (I’m too lazy to use the Mandarin language input) in Mandarin, because it shows respect for another’s culture. But the reporter evidently thought otherwise.
3. This is possibly the most laughable claim of all. “diguna pakai sejak zaman berzaman”? Er…I think you need to check your facts, Mr. “Reporter”. Compare Mandarin and BM.

Now, seeing that we ALWAYS brag about Malaysia being a multi-racial country, I am very sure that the reporter will have friends who are Chinese. Heck, I’m sure the (possibly hypothetical, hehe) “orang ramai” in the article have friends who are Chinese. *restrains self from insertng sarcastic remarks in UPPER CASE* Is it so damn dfficult to open your mouth to ask?! And of course, I am 1000% sure that the banners aren’t the only place where the Mandarin words of Gong Xi Fa Chai is found. In fact, if anyone who can’t read Chinese came up to me to ask what the words are, I would be very happy to tell them, because THIS TYPE OF ATTITUDE is what we call MUHIBBAH. An eagerness to learn about other races’ cultures.

URGH! THIS IS MAKING ME SO DAMN FRUSTRATED! I usually don’t write about political/SENSITIVE issues because SENSITIVE MAH. WHO KNOWS WHOSE FEELINGS MIGHT BE HURT, RIGHT?!?!?1

To tell you the truth, I want to slap the reporter and tell him to NOT TO BE SO KATAK DI BAWAH TEMPURUNG, SO LAZY ASS and I thought a reporter’s JOB is to ASK QUESTIONS. Where is the natural CURIOSITY? HOW CAN S/HE WRITE SUCH A NARROW MINDED PIECE OF SHITWORK IS BEYOND ME.

But I won’t.

Instead, I will laugh because this reporter has amused me so with his dismissively typical attitude.