Question of the day: Do you feel proud to be Malaysian? If so, what is that makes you feel proud to be one?

I was thinking. I am proud to be Malaysian but what is it that makes me proud to be one? Could it be the glorious food like rojak, nasi lemak, roti canai and char kuey teow? Or would it be the monuments like Petronas Twin Towers, KL Tower and Penang bridge? Instead, why not something abstract and not physical like the harmony and peace among the multi-racial ethnics?To achieve unity, harmony and national integration wasn't easy but as you can see today, we all get along together as one. This special bond was something I experienced here and not in other countries which I have been to. The people here are more friendly and they try their hardest to communicate with you.

When I was overseas, people there would ask me about the location of Malaysia after telling them that I'm Malaysian. I would proudly tell them, that it is the land between Thailand and Singapore while East Malaysia is across the South China Sea, near Brunei.

Then, they would ask me what living in Malaysia was like? I would say that it is the best place to live because the weather is humid throughout the year and things are affordable there. There is a variety of food which you can't find in other countries and there is harmony. Despite the different mother tongue, we can communicate in English and Malay. Malaysia is a developing country and people here don't suffer much because of poverty. After that, I would promote other things about Malaysia like why they should tour Malaysia by telling them how unique the culture in Sabah and Sarawak are.

I was saying the same thing over and over again for the first two weeks when I was in South Africa. It was not an easy thing to say. One thing which surprises them was when I. told them that I'm Malaysian Chinese when they asked me if I was Chinese because they didn't know that Malaysia is a multi-racial country. They even asked me if people there (in Malaysia) knew how to speak English and how they dress. Of course there are also other aspects which I didn't cover like the economy of this country but heck, I'd sound as if I'm giving a talk when it was suppose to be a get-to-know-you-more conversation. =)

In conclusion, having to live and brought up in Malaysia is probably one of the best things which happened to me. Proudly, I can say that the grass on this side is greener than the other side. (It's twisted if you noticed). So, are you proud to be Malaysia?