salam,
wow! what a word to choose from to be a topic for this entry. Before you get angry and upset let me tell you something. Am also from Malaysia and i am also a MUSLIM!. So? Why did a Malaysian Muslim like me saying that kind of word? well, you have the right to feel angry, upset and maybe disappointed with me so much I have the rights to feel angry, upset and disappointed for the following events;
events no 1. orientation week (ragging week)? for new first year student.
as usual, one of the 'ritual' in this orientation week -which later 'renamed' as 'minggu suai mesra' to get away from the negative connotation associated with it- the new students were 'required' to get a number of signatures from their seniors. I don't have any objection with this. The 'funny' thing is that as a muslim (well i have to admit am not really a good muslim) we use to give salam to another muslim brothers/sisters. But this one senior, pull me aside and said " you chinese can not give salam, its only for the muslim". (It was because my 'oversized' name tag was written with my chinese name). Then, they you go..I have to explain that I am a muslim. and another question arise, 'why didn't you put your muslim name then'?... well at that moment I cant give my response. never mind.
Events no.2 attending 'kursus bina negara'.
Actually I am attending this course twice. Don't have to explain the reasons here. As a normal procedure we were required to fill in few forms and to be submitted to the organizer few days before the course begin. As in any other formal document, I'll use my chinese name, which is I consider my formal and legal name as it was stated clearly in my ID. For those who have been attending this 'kem BTN' knows very well about the procedures, the do's and don'ts..and one of them is that you are required to put on your name tag all the time ( luckily this time around the name tag was in a normal/acceptable size). So they you go...imagine, a man with his kopiah, loose baju melayu and kain sarung with a name tag bearing a chinese name went to surau for prayer. You can imagine after that...silly question came up.."are you muslim"? Dont you think it was a funny question? why on earth a non muslim would take all the troublesome to join a prayer when he/she can utilise this time to take good rest a.k.a short nap? Don't you think those who asked that question is SILLY?..and the worst is that they are lecturers - the so called 'brilliant, intelligence people'.
Events no.3 the twins birth certificate.
Imagine a father of a newborn twins who is still on cloud nine, out of the world feeling with his proud went to the registration department to register the twins. As a matter of tradition, typical chinese blood, I purposely put the family name at the end of my daughters name and without the normal / traditional / conservative 'binti'. The officer who attended to my application as usual ask few questions. First; why you did not put in 'binti' into your daughters name? - my diplomatic answer was "I think, by putting in my family name at the end of their name would be enough". Second: why you did not put 'binti abd. latif' into your daughters name?- my diplomatic answer was " my chinese name was the legal name, it was clearly stated in my birth certificate, my IC as well as my passport". well you can guess, the officer seems to be unhappy because twice he tried to persuade me to put all those 'binti' into my daughters name and twice I politely refused.
Deep inside my heart, the answer should be like this: My late father has choose that name to be my name and am damn sure he choose the right name for me, why on earth do I have to 'delete' the name that has been given to me by my late father after I converted to Islam?..should that answer came out from my mouth that day..God knows what will happen.
Events no.4 applying for International Driving Permits.
This events experienced by my sisters-in-law. It was because we already here in UK and we forgot to bring in the International Driving Licence, so we asked my sister-in-law to help and act as a representative. Okay, straight to the point; The officer in-charge (JPJ)asked my sister-in-law, who is this 'Lai Che Ching', and my sister-in-law answer, 'my brother-in-law'. The following questions; 'Is he a muslim'?..oh my God, If I am not a muslim, how could I married to my wife (a malay muslim), this is not Indonesia, this is Malaysia. Third questions; 'Why he (that's refer to me) did not change his name to a malay name'? Now you tell me don't you think those questions are SILLY? or should I write in more harsh word - STUPID?
Events no.5 a story of political campaign in the tri-election
well, let me put it straight and clear. I DID NOT TAKE SIDE IN ANY OF THE POLITICAL PARTY. I SHOULD DECLARE MY SELF AS APOLITICAL. But, there is this some very special moment that attract my attention. Few individual and NGO's have been reported in a newspaper saying that they have make a police report about another politician (chinese, non-muslim) was humiliating Islam by quoting verse from the Quran in his speech. They claimed that this chinese, non-muslim politician make fun of the verse or 'mencemar kesucian quran'? what ever the reasons was is not of my interest.
What I wanted to stress here is that, is it wrong for a non-Muslim referring to the quran to substantiate his argument? Well, for some reason there could be some sort of mis-interpretation. But, wouldn't it be the duty of the Muslim to help and clarify things if there are any miss-interpretation? Doesn't this serve as a good da'wah? Why resort to legal action (police report) when the chances of doing 'da'wah' was open up wide?
Does Islam exclusive to Malay only, hence I have to change my name to a Malay name? Do I have to cut all my relationship to my late father by not putting in the family name into my daughters' name? I don't think Islam is that 'cruel'. Islam is a religion to all, that was what the ustaz told me. But, why here in Malaysia, all those things still exist. Am sure I am not the only one who experience all the above events.
So, my last questions, do you still fell upset, angry and disappointed with my decision to say that 'Malaysian Muslim are Idiot' or perhaps I should say it like this 'Malaysian (some of them) are Idiot'.
salams.
