Confessions of a Mixed-Up Malaysian

A little bit of this. A little bit of that. 100% Malaysian.

Confession: I am a mixed-up Malaysian.

You can try putting me into some of your made-up boxes, but good luck picking up just one. Like many Malaysians, I don’t fit nicely into just one box. Where can? I tick different boxes. Some boxes get a big, bold, thick type, while others get a tiny one. A small tick is still a tick, you know?

I’ve got an Indian name, but I’m not part of the Tamil community, which makes up the majority of Indians here. I can understand Tamil here and there, but I don’t speak the language. I’m not fluent in my mother tongue, Malayalam, either. My Bahasa Melayu is much better. 

Some people call me a coconut – brown on the outside, white on the inside. Ok lah, I admit. In some ways, that label is true, but at other times, not at all.  Get to know me better, and I might just surprise you. 

I may be an introvert, but when it comes to friends, I’ve made quite a few; of different races, from different places, and quirkiness levels.  

I  know exactly what my friend Kadazan-Dusun friend J wants when she says “Haus!”  My Chinese friend S, is my go-to theatre and literature kaki. And I’ll always remember how my Malay ex-colleague M, sent gifts for me and my nieces during the pandemic. No recognition or medals needed, it’s just part and parcel of ordinary Malaysian life. 

My favourite food is Malaysian Chinese. I pride myself on the fact that I know how to distinguish a good plate of Char Kuey Teow from a mediocre one. And yes, I enjoy CKT while using chopsticks. I became a pro after picking up peanuts with chopsticks at Chinese restaurants as a kid. 

Ok, so food may not be the best way to express my mixed-up Malaysianness.  Apambalik from the Ramadan Bazaar, tuak from the weekend market, banana leaf rice on a late Sunday afternoon. That’s not mixed-up, actually. That’s just being Malaysian. We love our food. Food is the centre of our universe you
know? We don’t ask “How are you?” we ask ‘Makan already ah?’ Checking to see if you’ve eaten is the same as asking if you’re alright.

Maybe we need the food to make ourselves feel better. After all, this country of ours isn’t perfect. Politicians and their “genius” ideas, racist keyboard warriors on social media, the rise of bullying cases in schools these days – sometimes it’s more than enough to make you stop and ask yourself “Why lah like this?”

Then, with just one sip of Nescafe Panas kurang manis, I can see the silver lining. Add two curry puffs or a serving of roti bakar, and suddenly the world doesn’t look so bad. There’s no such thing as a perfect country anyway. Especially these days. What matters is trying to be part of the solution, not the problem. Well… maybe that’s just me. 

So yes, I’m a mixed-up Malaysian. But then again, who isn’t?

And my real mother tongue is Manglish.

Happy Malaysia Day 2026 to all Malaysians.

Let’s continue to be mixed-up together gether.