Wake Up Malaysia! Jangan Tidor Lagi! (Don't sleep any more!)

In last night's episode of The Little Nonya on Channel 8, I was incensed to see how corrupted the two police officers were. They decided to keep the suitcase of birds' nests even after the rightful owner had appeared at the police station to claim her belongings. Instead of commending Yue Niang for her honesty and emulating her example, the two policemen coveted the birds' nests which could be profited for a tidy sum of money.

I suddenly felt overwhelmed as I appreciate how much our government had done to wipe out gangsterism, corruption and bullying in our country. Of course I have always been grateful but somehow the episode on The Little Nonya made me feel proud as I shared with my tenant, Jasmin, how much had been achieved all these years. I guess this gratitude is even more intense for someone like me who was raised in the gangster village of Jelutong in Penang.

My first taste of corruption was when I was seven years old. Eldest sister had just learnt how to ride a bike. To save money, she learnt how to ride the bike from papa. When she was more confident, she took me on a ride on the pillion on papa's scooter. As she was riding around the village, she felt it was quite safe. However, lo and behold, a policeman appeared from nowhere on a bicycle! He asked to see my sister's licence. Of course, it also implied that if sister did not have a licence, she would have to give some "coffee money". Sister did not have a cent in her pocket, but she used her feminine charm to get out from the situation. Putting on her sweetest smile, my pretty sister said, "Aiyoh, mana bolih? Kawan kawan lah!"
(Oh dear, how can? Friend, friend lah!) Sister then continued on a barrage of arguments which I could not quite understand. Fortunately, as a teacher of Bahasa Malaysia, she impressed the officer with her excellent Malay. My sister was let off, and she came home grinning from ear to ear!

21 years later, I graduated from the University of Alberta. When I landed at Penang International Airport, I was taken aback when the officer wanted to tax me
MR100 for my old manual typewriter! I refused to pay and told him he could have my typewriter as a present, but I warned him that he had to pay lots of money to repair it as it often broke down.

"Then why you bring back?" asked the officer.

"Sentimental value, sir. My koko (brother) bought this typewriter for me before I went to Canada, and I will always treasure it no matter how old it is".

"Ok, go!"

I was incensed when I heard that my relative had paid $50 for his used typewriter when he landed at Penang International Airport. He had also just completed his Masters' Degree in Canada. He had bargained it down from $100 to $50!!!

Hence, when I was offered a part time teaching post at the Regional English Language Centre and a one year bursary at the then Institute of Education in Singapore, I grabbed the opportunity, and when the government offered me Singapore citizenship when I started teaching in River Valley High, I accepted without second thoughts.

When I was going back to Penang for my Chinese New Year vacation, I was annoyed when the custom officer at Johore Immigration tried hard to tax me on my belongings.

"These are new clothes!" he declared.

"No, old ones sir. I'm not ashamed to tell you they are 5 years old already", I said
stoically.

"Why so new"?

"Sir, I wash my clothes by hands....not washing machine. That's why they still look so new!"

"This new luggage?"

"Old one, Sir.....borrow from my brother. You see, I have no money to even buy luggage!"

"Ok. go!", roared the frustrated officer. "By the way, what you doing in Singapore?"

"I just started teaching, poor but happy!"

"No wonder you speak so well!" he said. I thought he tried to stifle a smile.

"Terima kasih! (Thank you) God bless you!" I waved to him.

You can imagine how incensed I was when I found out that the lady passenger sitting next to me had paid $5 tax for two tins of Van Houten Chocolates which cost $5.90 per tin!! I told her she should have lined up next to me for I would surely have protested on her behalf!

Sigh! I have lived in Singapore for the past 25 years, and now even qualify for discounted movie tickets at $4 in every cinema during weekdays, off peak periods. Only citizens who are 55 years and above qualify for such tickets.

Sadly, little improvement has been seen in my land of birth! Papa had said that it was alright to be less intelligent, capable, etc. We need not be filled with envy or jealousy. All of us cannot be evenly endowed. But it would not be alright, if we did not make efforts to try harder to improve and to learn. If we were to see something good that we can emulate, we copy and adapt for our own good. Hence, we can progress as we mature.

Hence, please hear my silent cries. But I have to roar and shout "Wake up, Malaysia! "Jangan tidor lagi!" (Don't sleep any more!) Please let me see more improvement before I go six feet under!

Gan Chau