THE Ugly Malaysian has been in the limelight for most of the past week.
Ever since Reader’s Digest published its survey, which found Kuala Lumpur ranking poorly in terms of courtesy, national dailies and radio shows have picked up on the topic and conducted their own surveys as to what makes an Ugly Malaysian.
Needless to say, many of us have been guilty of being an Ugly Malaysian. Remember the time you discreetly (or even openly) flicked a sweet wrapper out of the car window while driving?
How about the time you ‘conveniently’ left an empty drink can or plastic water bottle against a pillar or under a bench in the park?
As for the smokers – yes, you, cigarette puffing chimneys! – isn’t it almost second nature for you to flick your cigarette ash anywhere but in an ashtray? And isn’t it also almost second nature for you to again, ‘conveniently’ dispose of the cigarette butt anywhere but in an ashtray or a bin?
One Ugly Malaysian habit that the Eye abhors is spitting. Coughing up sputum and spitting it here and there. Oh, and also those who have the ability to ‘shoot’ the snot out of their noses. Gross! Why do they have to release bodily fluids in such a loud and missile-like manner in public?
The newspapers were also full of comments about Ugly Shoppers. Yep those who poke and prod fresh produce and leave holes in the cling wrap.
It is understandable that we want to choose only the best and get our money’s worth, but does that mean having to cause even more bruising to the already bruised fruits and vegetables?
And is it too much to put things back on the proper shelves if you decide not to buy them? The Eye has seen packets of sanitary pads stuffed between keropok (chips) packets in hypermarkets, a box of mosquito coil left among canned food and even refrigerated drinks left between detergents.
Several years ago, the Eye wrote about a well-dressed woman who practically elbowed the Eye aside at the cashier in a sundry shop, just so she could get ahead of the line. There’s an Ugly Malaysian for you.
A famous Ugly Malaysian is the Malaysian who, shall Eye say, abuses car parks. You know, the one who takes up two parking spaces, or the one who does not park properly in the box, causing the other drivers who come later to also park in the same serong (angled) manner?
And how about those who are so lihai (‘super skilled’) at parking that they double and triple park along roadsides? Or the ones who conveniently park behind you, go into a shop and take their sweet time, not bothered by the fact that you want to get out of the parking space.
Then there are drivers who think they are invincible. Just an hour before writing this piece, the Eye was practically ‘pushed’ off the road by a driver who thought he could simply cut into the left lane from the right lane without signalling upon reaching a traffic light, merely to swerve back into the right lane just so that he could jump the queue.
The Malaysian who cannot keep time and has no sense of punctuality is also an Ugly Malaysian. How many times have we heard “yes, yes, on the way already …” when the person has barely stepped out of bed?
There are many more habits that make up the Ugly Malaysian, which makes it really ironic because Malaysians are supposed to be known for being friendly and courteous.
What makes it even more ironic is that the Malaysian education system incorporates civic and moral studies in school. Yet, we still have the Ugly Malaysian lurking around every corner.
A national daily highlighted how many of the younger generation (yep, those of you born after the 80s) do not feel that there is a need to be aware of others, unless it benefits them, as well as because they ‘pay’ for services.
The Eye has heard a young woman give this excuse for littering: “I am a taxpayer mah … My tax money goes to the rubbish collector punya gaji … If I want to throw rubbish, then so be it lor! If not, the rubbish collector will be out of a job-lah!”
The national daily dubbed this the ‘What’s In It For Me’ generation. The Eye calls them the ‘Return of Investment’ generation. Singaporeans have a more ‘endearing’ term for such people – kiasu (scared to lose).
It seems that many have forgotten the very basic principle in life, which is also taught in all religions, do not do onto others what you do not want others to do onto you.
So for the Ugly Malaysian lurking around (and within) us, let’s go back to basics – be courteous, considerate and aware of others around you, if you want others to respond similarly to you.