一位巫裔同胞祝福华裔农历新年的心声

事實上，以上我所提到的，已經變成我生活中如此根深蒂固的一種慣例。如果這些慣例都不在了，我在幾個月內或許會自問：馬的，我特莫的到底到了什麼地方了？

我們應銘記於心的是，華裔與印裔於五百餘年前，在把馬六甲建立成國際絲綢與香料交易中心這份偉業中扮演著一個關鍵及無可取代的角色，為我們的國家設立起經濟基礎，把我們放置在世界地圖上。我們也必須承認一個事實，就是我國首都吉隆坡的建立，是由一名廣東籍中國移民所促成的。

噢，他們也一併帶來一些可口的炒粿條。

我的先祖父曾在1969年5月13日執行警務任務時，把他任務的重心放在解救他的華裔鄰居——讓他們在他的家裡躲過那場劫難。

如果沒有華裔的影響力，你覺得我們所熱愛的馬來西亞可以保留她的身份嗎？不可能。我所熟知和深愛的國家，仰賴於多元文化。馬來西亞的確是世界上數個最偉大文明的震中及熔爐。如果這裡不再存在著華裔和印裔？我倒不如翻開地圖，把眼睛閉上，移民到手指隨便指到的地方去了。但絕不！這是我的國家，我要命的深以為榮的國家。

「Macha, you want to makan here or you want to tarpow?」（兄弟，你要在這裡用餐還是打包帶走？）
你還能在哪兒找到能把四種不同的語言串聯成一個句子的地方呢？

社交媒體在種族分析上扮演著一個具破壞性的角色。這並非因為它的開放性質，很可悲的，反而是因為我們當中有些人很愚蠢的被捲入當中。母語學校是種族分離的根本原因？拜託，這個系統是在種族問題比我們今天更少的那一代所要求之下設立的。事實上，我會把我的孩子送進華文小學，因為以前我是多麼多麼的為我的那些口操流利華語的巫裔和印裔朋友著迷，再加上他們的數學能力都比我好。至少如果在學校有誰指責誰要把他的朋友轉入回教，我會上前說：誒哈囉，他在這裡是弱勢群體咧，你在講什麼！…好吧，每個人的數學都比我好。

所以我（同裔）的朋友們，當你祝你的福華裔朋友『恭喜發財』是不會讓你墜入地獄的啦。不知何故，如果你在這句祝福語後加上『紅包拿來』，還可以無償拿到零花錢呢。

恭喜發財
祝大家有個幸福美滿富裕的農曆新年！

文/Joe Najib（17/02/2015）
翻譯/丁士偉

原文：https://www.facebook.com/joe.najib/posts/10152818512383026

The Malaysian Chinese.

Do I really care if we Malays (supposedly) set foot on this part of the world first before they did? No I don’t. It means little to me. Do I mind seeing roasted pigs with the ‘X’ maneuvers hanging freely at the neighbourhood kopitiam? Not at all. Do I get irritated when my Chinese neighbours go through nights of chants and incense-burning during their funeral proceedings? Definitely not. Do I face a dilemma when friends expect me to raise my tea glass to yamseng three times to bless the newlyweds on stage? Nope. As a Muslim, do I mind “loh hey”-ing with my friends and colleagues over a yee sang lunch, as it is neither in my religion nor my culture to make wishes over the tossing of food? No, I don’t mind at all.

In fact, the things I mentioned above, are occasions so routine to me to the point they’re ingrained. If I were to go through months without any of them happening, I’d probably go “oh shit, where the hell am I?”

Bear in mind the Chinese, along with the Indians, played a pivotal role in establishing Melaka as the trading hub for silk and spice more than 500 years ago, setting our country’s economic foundation, and putting us on the world map. Also acknowledge the fact that our country’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, was realised by a Guangdong-born Chinese immigrant.

Oh, they also brought with them some delicious Char Koay Teow.
I come from a family where, my late grandfather, before carrying out his enforcement duties on May 13th 1969, put utmost importance on his Chinese neighbours first, by inviting them to seek refuge in his home.

Do I think our beloved Malaysia can retain her identity without Chinese influence? No way. The country that I know and love, thrives on cultural diversity. Malaysia is indeed the epicenter and melting pot for the world’s greatest civilizations. No Chinese, no Indians here? I might as well open up a map, close my eyes, and migrate to wherever my finger lands on. But no, never. This is my home. And I’m bloody proud of it.

“Macha, you want to makan here or you want to tarpow?”
Where else can you string a sentence together using four different languages?

Social Media has played a damaging role in racial-profiling. Not because of its open-ended nature, but sadly, because some of us are stupid enough to get sucked into it. Vernacular schools being the root cause of racial segmentation? Come on. It was a system demanded by Malaysians from a generation that had less racial issues than we do today. In fact, I would send my child to a SRJK(C), because back then I was soOoOOoo fascinated by my Malay and Indian friends who spoke fluent Mandarin, and were better at maths than I was. At least if someone was to accuse him/her of trying to convert his/her friends into Islam at school, I’d go “eh hello, he’s the minority there leh what tokking you!” tongue emoticon
…and oookay, so everyone was better at maths than me. So what tongue emoticon

So kawan-kawan, takkan masuk Neraka la kalau wish “Gong Xi Fa Cai” (Kong Hei Fatt Choy if you prefer Cantonese) to our Chinese buddies. Entah-entah, if you add on “Hong Bao Na Lai” after it, free-free dapat duit lagi.

恭禧發財
Have a blessed and prosperous Chinese New Year everyone!