4 Malaysians Who Chose Not To Let Racism Get In The Way Of Unity
These are the true heroes of our society who show us the Malaysia we should strive for.
By Sadho Ram — 24 Jul 2015, 05:28 PM
1. This woman from Kota Kinabalu who adopted 5 Muslim children in the past 20 years. A kindergarten teacher, Connie Wong, fondly known as Cikgu Wong, is a Buddhist. She, however, makes sure the children, aged between 11 and 20, practice their faith.
She now has two children staying with her – Jefri, 13, and Ridzuan, 11. They attend religious classes in school and go for Friday prayers. Wong, 59, prepares halal food for them daily. During the holy month of Ramadan, she makes sure they observe fasting. The two oldest children have started working while the third is in a learning centre.
thestar.com.myAccording to some who know her, she takes up different jobs like driving a school bus in the morning, teaching at a kindergarten in the afternoon, selling fruits in the evening, and collecting recyclable items at night to support herself and her adopted children
Masidi with Wong and her adopted children at the university alumni’s Hari Raya open house.
Image via The StarThat's not all. After her story went viral on social media, Connie declined financial assistance from Sabah Universiti Teknologi Mara's (UiTM) alumni, which had offered to help after reading her story of raising the children, aged between 11 and 20, according to The Star.
She was invited to attend the alumni’s Hari Raya open house with her adopted children where the offer was made. However, Wong, who supplements her income by collecting recyclable items and selling fruits at the market on weekends, declined the help.
2. This dude who shared his experience of being labeled a "Cina babi" by a fellow Malay lady whom he had called out after she tried to cut a queue at a hypermarket.
He then gave her a lesson in what it really means to be 'Malay'.
The original post has been taken down by Shukri. This is a screenshot of his post.
Image via Greater MalaysiaAccording to Shukri, he was the third person from the cashier with at least 10 people in the queue when a Malay lady, who was with her daughter, made her move at his turn
He then politely said to her: Don't cut the queue, there are other people lining up too."
To which she responded by calling him: "Cina Babi..."
Shukri, taken aback, shot back at the Malay lady, asking: "What did you say just now? 'Cina babi'? Looking at how you don't have any manners, I at least hope that you can read."
He then pulled out his Identification Card (IC) to prove that he wasn't a Chinese and asked: "Do you know how to read? Is this a Malay name or a Chinese name? You act just like those who don't practice religion, and your manners make me feel ashamed to admit I'm a Malay."
He then turned his attention to the people in the queue: "This rude woman tried to cut queue, so when I told her off nicely, she called me a 'Cina babi'! What should we do with such people?"
After he told the cashier not to count/process her items and the crowd supported him, she dropped her basket, told him to "Go and die!" and left with her kid, who, according to Shukri, throughout the whole thing, kept quiet and kept her head down.
3. This Facebook user with his heartwarming message about his friendship with a mobile seller in Plaza Idaman helped rebuild people's faith in racial harmony
Fais, uploaded a smiling photo of him alongside his pal, Desmond (whom he calls Mok) who had his thumbs up, with the message:
"I’ve been purchasing handphones here for a long time. He always sells good quality items.
He’s always kind to me even when I buy my handphone from a different retailer. Our good relationship has lasted for eight years. Other retailers in Plaza Idaman, who are majority Chinese, have always been kind to me too.
The secret? They don’t cheat on me and I don’t steal from them. We respect and support one another. A peaceful world."
malaysiandigest.com
4. Joe Najib who reminded us about what it means to live in racial harmony and how no dishonest salesman, thief or mob can change the reality of that
His post about how "it has always been, how it will always be" resonated with many. They echoed his sentiments and shared their views, thanking Joe Najib for reminding them about maintaining racial harmony.
All I know is, this Friday, many of us Malays will still open our doors to our Chinese and Indian neighbours and friends, welcoming them into our homes to relive and celebrate the true Malaysian spirit of togetherness.
Like it has always been, how it'll always will be.
We will hug, laugh and banter, while helping ourselves to a sumptuous spread of Malaysian food. Rendang, Koay Teow, Muruku, semua ada. The only 'trouble' we'll have is trying to balance between having so much to say, while having so much food in our mouths. Like it has always been, how it'll always will be.
Knowing that in a few months' time, our Indian neighbours and friends will still open their doors to celebrate Deepavali with us, and our Chinese neighbours and friends will still open their doors early next year to welcome us for their Lunar New Year celebrations. Like it has always been, how it'll always will be.
facebook.com