The thin line....

What is the oldest excuse in the book (in Malaysia)? No it's not “My dog ate my homework.” It's not “It wasn't me. It was my evil twin.” It isn't even “My grandma's going into labor.” 

The award for the oldest excuse in this country goes to, “Dekat Jepun, diaorang guna bahasa Jepun ja, lagi maju dari kita. Thailand pun guna bahasa diaorang jugak. Tak perlu pun guna bahasa Inggeris. Maju jugak.”

If I have to hear one more idiot barf out this excuse, I'm gonna rip their eyeballs out. If you want to throw this excuse in my face, might I say, “ramai orang under stress terjun bangunan, why don't you follow suit and get out of my sight!”

You want to know why they're successful in Japan? It's because they're hardworking. That is why they can power forward without having to enforce the use of English. Their industries are far more advanced than ours because they're hardworking. Compared to them, we are like a bunch of lazy, spoon-fed people. That is why our government is placing a strong emphasis on the English language.

Not to put the Japs down, but have you ever seen a Japanese tourist who can't speak more than 2 words of English, in the middle of KL, struggling with a map and trying to ask around for directions to wherever it is he/she wants to go? Not a pretty sight! Yes they may have the most advanced cars, or handphones or laptops or gadgets that could launch your dog into space, but can they get from KL Sentral to Tugu Negara without any trouble?? So basically, they're not that much better off for sticking to their own language.

I ask myself why some Malays love to make noise when the government wants us to master the English language. The only answer I can come up with is sheer laziness.

Bila malas nak belajar, maka lebih senang guna alasan “kita kena martabatkan bahasa Melayu.” I tell you, that argument sickens me. When will you nit-wits understand that mastering another language will in no way indicate that you are looking down on your own mother tongue?Since when is seeking more knowledge a bad thing?

I saw this on Facebook once. Someone was saying how weird it is that a lot of young urban Malays these days would rather converse in English rather than in Malay. Another person commented on this, supporting the statement, as usual resorting to the argument of how important it is to “martabatkan bahasa Melayu.” Note the comment (and its sheer idiocy).

This dude has the nerve to champion the Malay language! What kind of spelling is that? What kind of grammar is that? If anything, this person is a disgrace to the Malay language. And judging by the use of “bahasa melayu FAILED”, my guess is this person's English is also safely down the drain. I guess the comment above speaks for itself. The fact that this person's Malay is all over the place, why would he/she bother learning English. Clearly, laziness is apparent.

Ever since I was in school, conversing in English would be an indication of upper-class and “mengada-ngada”. I never understood that. Language is a communication tool. Why must we associate it with “martabat bangsa” and “keutuhun warisan” and loads of other bull-crap? It is a tool meant for communication between one human being and another. Between one person and the masses. English is used universally. Mastering it is an advantage. Do you want to limit yourself just because you are of some delusional theory that mastering it will make you forget your own mother tongue?

For me, in some situations, I find the Malay language rather limited to express what I wish to say. However there are also other instances where I find the Malay language to be better equipped to reflect what's on my mind. Therefore, being fluent in both languages has done nothing but serve me well.

So why are you people getting so jumpy when you're asked to master English? Like I said earlier, you're just lazy. Stop harping about the Japs or the Siamese or any other nationality for that matter. All it does is reflect on your own laziness. Enough with the “martabatkan bahasa Melayu” nonsense already. Grow some brain cells and enroll in some English courses. It's just appalling to think that you may pass on that horrifying theory to your children and your children's children.

I for one, am getting sick of your “thats mean” and “its mean”. Everytime I hear that it makes my insides turn.

Get over yourselves and accept the fact that language is just a means for communication. Learning English will make it easier for you to communicate with the rest of the world. Make it easier for you to get jobs with international companies. Make it possible for you to travel to places besides Indonesia! Maybe then we will be able to catch up with the Japs or the Koreans.