Sometimes it takes someone from the outside to give proper perspective, an objective view that might be obscured when you’re in a bubble. We have quite a few of those in Malaysia, a unique country made up of various cultures, ethnic backgrounds and religions.
To say that everything is perfect, like the MV of a flag-waving patriotic song, is denial. However, the more time one spends on his/her social media bubble (not everyone shares your circle’s views, and the algorithm will suck you in deep and fast) or consuming news (bad news sells), the worse things seem in terms of perpaduan.
Is it actually that bad? Are we doomed? Hey, even siblings fight. How about not focusing solely on our differences but on the positives instead? As hard it is to see for some, there are plenty of positives, as BHPetrol pump attendant Shakoor Rahman observes in this Merdeka ad.
Shakoor is a foreign worker, and just like the guys at your local petrol station, he sees a lot of our gelagat and interaction with one another.
“Kadang-kadang gaduh, kadang-kadang bising, tapi saya tau diorang sayang sesama diorang. Diorang sayang negara ini. Saya orang luar, turut rasa bangga. Saya taula,” he says, as the ad ends with the line “kadang-kadang yang paling nampak keindahan adalah mereka yang melihatnya dari luar”. It’s just the onions and my sinus. And the haze is bad damn bad today!
This Merdeka, how about focusing on what’s good instead of our differences, while working on reducing those differences with a bit of bertimbang rasa? Politicians are always trying to pit us against one another for their own gain; let’s all remember this before taking their next bait.
Also, there are many Shakoors among us – they’ve helped built our country and are helping to keep it running; let’s show them kindness too. Hat tip to the creative team behind this ad – by showing the usual unity values required of a Merdeka ad from a foreigner’s POV, you’ve literally thought out of the box. Good one!
important worker for local automotive industry of CKD
A very well made ad
Two people—a 48-year-old Nepali security guard and a 34-year-old local woman—were arrested and remanded for four days following an incident where the Jalur Gemilang and Johor flags were flown upside down at a factory in Indahpura, Kulai.
Awesome!! I love my country. Keep this country alive while other countries seems missing the human and social interactions.
Sometimes i wondering y we need so many foreigners to work in petrol station & security? Shld recruit local retirees instead. Many senior has to do odd jobs coz no1 want to take them. I hope tht government can prioritise local, especially seniors, oku and unemployed. Imho, employers can offer them work by shift of 6hrs due to their physical condition.
Locals snub the 3D (Dirty, Dangerous, Difficult) jobs and even school dropouts prefer to work as food delivery riders than fast food eg McD, Kfc, etc, often unreliable and can’t even last more than 6 months. Locals in construction? Gone like the dodo bird as they want to become towkays or skilled workers in Middle- east, Japan or Taiwan. Retirees/OKUs are far and few in fast food where they can be hired for the same pay but not all can last as well.
Security guards from Nepal are more reliable working 12 hours a day, sometimes OT 4 hours, 7 days a week, no MC, MIA, fone/keta/moto rosak or breathe smelling of alcohol. Ex-servicemen prefer bodyguard or driver cum bodyguard jobs or private security(polis bantuan) for big corporations. Our reliance on foreign workers will definately be increasing in the near future.
Ah this old argument. Same like Malaysians going to be fruit pickers in Australia, living in crap conditions and getting paid pittance compared to local Aussies. Why? They’re doing it to send money back to their home country to support family. So they’ll accept shit conditions temporarily. The question that should be asked is why should anyone work for crap pay to live in their own country comfortably? They aren’t hoarding money to send somewhere else. They’ll spend locally and keep the local economy going. Nonsense elitist argument dependant on the average person not knowing their worth.
Good ad
the winner here is shopee food…. get free advertisement from BHP.