"Ex-Malaysian"?
I read this piece of article with great interest:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/opinion/jameschin/28296-ex-malaysians-and-their-right-to-speak
Having spent almost 10 years abroard and in possession of an Australian PR, I too wonder if I'm considered an "ex-malaysian".
In many ways, I feel myself more Australian than Malaysian. And in many other ways, I still consider myself very Malaysian. But yet many friends/relatives in Malaysia would consider me Australianised, because of the way I speak, the way I do things, the things I eat, my lifestyle, time spent between countries, and perhaps my ignorance of the Malaysian culture. But I dont consider myself an Australian simply because I've been living here for many years.
It is true that I prefer Australia over Malaysia as a place to live and settle down. Having lived here for so long, my preference could be biased. Knowing so many people in Perth alone that have chosen Australia over their country Malaysia, our reasons are similar. We see more benefits overseas than in Msia. Its not only the Chinese that I'm talking about, but also bumiputeras that have made their choices. Some have adopted Aust as their country, others still call Malaysia home.
Some points raised in the article are very good arguments. I was born and raised in Malaysia, but yet my parents paid significant amount of money to the Australian university to provide me with education. And even though I'm earning australian dollars at the moment, with my skills I'm working to support the australian economy and also paying tax to the Australian govt. It seems my move is only benefiting this foreign country instead of my homeland.
I think its a depressing cause-and-effect. People left Malaysia because they didnt think it provided them a bright future, because of the state of the country, and because of their families/kids. But the migration from Malaysia is practically a drain hole of talent, skills, people and money. And when we're standing on the land of our adopted home country, we look back at Msia and its fellow citizens and criticise, laugh, and condemn about the state of Msia. We dont realise that our migration from Msia is part of the reason why the country is in this state. We chose to contribute to a country we call "home" instead of contributing and building the country we were born in. I admit, I am guilty of this crime but yet I understand why people have chosen to live and work overseas.
I believe we're all looking for a better future, for ourselves and for our (future) kids. I understand why some people choose to stay in Malaysia and why some chose to leave. I dont think anyone is more right or more wrong. It's simply different decisions that we've made for the different circumstances that we have.
posted by ~su teng~ @ 10:10 AM
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