jangan malu jadi melayu

The title is written in Malay, and "Jangan Malu Jadi Melayu" means "Don't Be Ashamed of Being Malay"

A poster I've been meaning to draw for a looong time, inspired by experience....

At a local Bruneian restaurant, there was an Englishman who ate just like a Malay (eating with bare hands instead of using forks,spoons or knives), and I asked him why he ate like that: "Wouldn't you prefer to have a fork or something? Why do you eat like this?"

His answer was simple: "Because I respect your culture. To be honest, I prefer using spoons and knives, but because I am in your homeland and not mine, I thought I should try living like one of you, at the very least in the way I eat."

Then, he continued:

" I don't get some of your people though... why do they deny their own culture and instead pretend like they were born somewhere else? If you can't be a Bruneian Malay in your own homeland, then where can you?"

I had no straight answer to his question... and he went on:

"I have heard Malay parents who say their children don't like eating traditional Malay food, instead preferring to eat Western-style meals. They dress in clothes alien to their culture, which isn't really such a bad thing, you know, your own choice in taste in fashion that I can understand, but unfortunately I've heard of people who laugh at those wearing the traditional 'Baju Melayu'. It saddens me to know that. To me, it was like hearing about an Englishman who doesn't enjoy tea or a nice game of football. So, answer me, stranger: Why do your own people look down on its own culture so much? Why do you some of you claim that eating with your bare hands is 'low-class' when your very forefathers ate like that for hundreds of years?"

I couldn't answer, because I don't know why either.

And to be honest, I'm not really someone you can truly consider 'Malay', considering my heritage. I'm part Arab, part African, part Dutch, part Chinese and only part Bruneian Malay. I just call myself Malay because I like being Malay... And I'm proud of being Malay. I love and respect Bruneian Malay culture too, which is why I try to put some Bruneian-ish influences in my works.

What about you? Are you proud of your heritage, your roots?