Zan Azlee
Thu Aug 08 2013
“Hoi! Berdosa lah kalau kau sambut Tahun Baru Cina!”
“Ha’ah! Nanti masuk Neraka!”
“Eiii!! Duit ang pow to haram tau!”
“Kau ni kafir lah!”
These are some of the responses I received from my Malay classmates when I was in primary school back in Johor Bahru a gazillion years ago.
I was confused. I had grown up celebrating Chinese New Year every year with my family. I enjoyed collecting ang pows and also playing fireworks.
And the food! Oh my god! The food during the New Year was amazing! The kuih kapit Cina container would be under my armpit the whole day.
On the morning of the first day, my Aunty Poh Poh Swee Lan would make the best Fatt Choy in the world (it’s a vegetarian dish... before you all start calling JAKIM on me!)!
Chinese New Year in my family is a pretty unique affair. At least four different languages would be spoken at any one time and the colour of our skin... well, who cares!
These are people dear to my heart and celebrating with them is something I treasure. And it made me totally confused when these kids would say such things to me.
I’m glad I wasn’t offended. If it’s one thing I learned early in life is to feel pity for those who are more ignorant than me, rather than to feel anger. What can we do if they have pea-sized brains, right?
This doesn’t mean that I don't enjoy celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri as well. I would wake up early and follow my father and my two brothers to the mosque on the first day.
And when we got home, a huge spread consisting of Laksa Johor, lontong and rendang (of which my Poh Poh Swee Poh was the goddess creator!) would be waiting on the dining table for us. Heaven after a month of fasting!
And then all the relatives would start arriving at our house. It would begin as a trickle at first, but would end in a huge tsunami wave!
And the atmosphere would be exactly the same as Chinese New Year. At least four different languages would be spoken at any one time and the colour of our skin... well, who cares!
In my birth certificate, I am stated as being a Malay. But sometimes, I wonder how that conclusion could have been made since I also have Chinese blood.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m proud of my Malay-Bugis heritage. I used to run all around my late aunty Mak Siah’s house in Parit Pecah, Muar, which is the country’s only officially declared Rumah Adat Bugis.
And even though my brothers and I can't speak fluent Bugis, my father took it upon himself with the highest pride and responsibility to teach us all the curse words (he speaks the language fluently, by the way)!
But I’m also proud of the fact that my home country, Malaysia, was such a conductive environment to have promoted such a family like mine to thrive.
Note on the past tense ‘was’. Yes, that's right. Malaysia isn't conducive for multiracial harmony anymore. Not if our cabinet ministers continue with their racial and religious slurs.
Not if we continue to pay attention to ultra racist groups who cherish making insensitive remarks. And definitely not if we continue to listen to ultra racist media who try to dictate our national issues.
I am a proud Malaysian and I want everyone in the country who are Malaysians to be proud too. Religion and race are of no importance when it comes to harmony and happiness.
Trust me. My family is living proof. We have so many people of different races and religions in our family (and that includes the 'triple threat' – Indians, Chinese and Malays!) living in harmony.
And now, my daughter Athena Azlee is growing up and I don't want her life (and her outlook of it) to be influenced by what Malaysia and it's society has become.
But I think my daughter is lucky. She was born into a family, that to me is the perfect role model for what Malaysians need to be like.
So, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all the Azlees, Jaffars, Yusofs, Angs, Ngs, Selvas, Yaus, Yues, Lims, Rameshs, Alis, Kassims and Lams that make up my blood family!
My family and I have never really understood the reasoning for wishing 'Selamat Hari Raya' only to Muslims while the non-Muslims only get a boring 'happy holidays'.
Everyone in Malaysia should be able to celebrate it with equal amounts of joy. So Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all of Malaysia too. I pray that the country will one day be like my family once again!
Freedom Flotilla to Gaza: Guinea-Bissau akur kepada Israel, tidak beri kebenaran guna bendera bagi misi pelayaran
Kerajaan Republik Guinea-Bissau dilaporkan tunduk dan akur kepada gesaan Israel untuk tidak membenarkan misi pelayaran Break The Siege: Freedom Flotilla to Gaza menggunakan bendera mereka.
Penyakit berkaitan haba dikhuatiri meningkat di Gaza
Penularan penyakit berkaitan haba panas menjadi kebimbangan terbaharu di Gaza selepas suhu luar jangka melampau melanda wilayah itu setiap hari. Ia sudah semestinya diburukkan lagi dengan kekurangan air bersih dan ketiadaan sistem pembuangan sisa pepejal yang sepatutnya wujud di sesebuah kawasan didiami manusia.
Ilhan Omar melawat peserta tunjuk perasaan
Wakil Dewan Perwakilan Amerika Syarikat (AS) Ilhan Omar mengadakan lawatan di kampus penyokong Pro Palestin di Universiti Columbia New York pada Khamis.
Dua lelaki didakwa jadi 'tali barut' kepada China
Dua lelaki yang mana salah seorangnya pernah bertugas di Parlimen United Kingdom (UK) enjalani proses perbicaraan di mahkamah London pada Jumaat selepas didakwa menjadi tali barut menyalurkan maklumat sulit kerajaan kepada negara tembok besar itu.
Polis serbu pejabat 'Save the Children' di Guatemala
Polis Guatemala melakukan serbuan mengejut ke atas pejabat-pejabat Pertubuhan Save the Children di pelbagai lokasi di negara itu. Ia bagi mencari bukti dakwaan pertubuhan yang memperjuangkan kebajikan kanak-kanak itu, terlibat dalam jenayah penderaan terhadap golongan itu.
LIMA '25 dianjurkan pada 20-24 Mei tahun depan
Pameran Maritim dan Aeroangkasa Antarabangsa Langkawi 2025 (LlMA ‘25) akan dianjurkan pada 20 hingga 24 Mei tahun depan bertemakan Innovate Today, Thrive Tomorrow.
Malaysia komited tingkat hubungan dua hala bersama Libya
Malaysia terus komited mempertingkatkan hubungan dua hala yang berterusan bersama Libya demi manfaat bersama dalam pelbagai sektor.
Demi rakyat, Zahid-Muhyiddin henti saman fitnah
Presiden Umno, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi dan Presiden Bersatu, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin bersepakat untuk menamatkan pertikaian peribadi antara mereka.
Sultan Selangor berangkat ke Majlis Bacaan Yassin di Pangkalan TLDM
Sultan Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah yang juga Kepten Yang Dipertua Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) berkenan berangkat ke Pangkalan TLDM Lumut di Perak bagi menghadiri Majlis Bacaan Yasin, Tahlil dan Khutbah Khas sempena Sambutan Hari TLDM ke-90.
PM Anwar pulangkan elaun Pengerusi Khazanah
Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim memaklumkan beliau memulangkan elaun sebagai pengerusi Khazanah Nasional Berhad yang diterimanya dan sekali lagi menegaskan tidak menerima gaji bagi jawatan Perdana Menteri yang disandangnya sejak November 2022.
Kopratasa rakam semula lagu Selamat Hari Raya ciptaan tahun 1936
Lagu Selamat Hari Raya itu dipercayai dicipta pada tahun 1936, telah membuka sejarah pada sambutan hari raya pada zamannya.
Rakyat Selangor diseru ikut garis panduan sambut Aidiladha
Umat Islam diseru menjalankan ibadah korban kali ini dengan tertib dan berhemah sebagaimana yang digariskan oleh JAIS.
PM Singapura ucap Selamat Hari Raya kepada pemimpin Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia
Perdana Menteri Singapura Lee Hsien Loong hari ini mengucapkan Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri kepada pemimpin negara jiran republik itu termasuk Malaysia, menurut Pejabat Perdana Menteri.
Menjelang Syawal: Tradisi hantar kad raya imbau nostalgia
Bagi umat Islam ini merupakan peluang untuk 'buang yang keruh, ambil yang jernih' iaitu dengan membudayakan kiriman ucapan dan berbalas-balas kad ucapan raya.
Umat Islam sambut Aidilfitri pada Rabu
Perkara itu diumumkan Penyimpan Mohor Besar Raja-Raja Tan Sri Syed Danial Syed Ahmad.
Pening kepala nak kemas barang balik raya? Ini 'checklist' ringkas untuk anda
Dalam keseronokan untuk pulang beraya, sudah tentu pelbagai persiapan telah dibuat termasuk membeli kelengkapan untuk beraya.
Lindsay Lohan pun hormat umat Islam, bagi ucapan Selamat Hari Raya
Masih dalam suasana hari raya Aidiladha, ramai selebriti berkongsi pengalaman beraya dan memberi ucapan raya menerusi media sosial termasuk aktres popular Hollywood, Lindsay Lohan.
Aidilfitri tema utama 'Facebook Page' ahli politik Malaysia
Ahli politik tanahair sudah mengemaskini laman Facebook masing-masing dengan banner bertemakan Hari Raya Aidilfitri.