1. Everyone is related - “Hello, aunty. Hello, uncle.” Are you related to them? No. Are you close friends with them so you’re pretty much family? No. Have you ever met this person in your life? No. Whether it’s a taxi driver or security guard, isn’t it endearing how Malaysians diminish the distance between strangers? I put it down to the sense of community and brotherhood we’ve always been exposed to. I believe this is also the reason why Malaysians are so well-loved around the world.
2. Pull-table culture - Malaysians share a strong sense of camaraderie so i’m sure you’ve bore witness to or even taken part of this activity countless of time. You and a group of friends or workmates go out together, but there isn’t enough space around one table, so what does the clever Malaysian do? Merge two tables together! It’s truly an amiable trait that Malaysians will do whatever shifting is necessary so that nobody is ever left behind or left out.
3. Opinionated (silently) - Some people may think that Malaysia’s multicultural society is a recipe for disaster. How could people so different live in such harmony? I can sum it up in one word - tolerance. Malaysians are one of the most tolerant people you’ll ever meet; we’d rather give someone the benefit of the doubt than cause conflict or fuss. This is the same reason why we aren’t often seen as openly opinionated people. Don’t be fooled though, being the resourceful people that we are, we have some insightful feedback to share - all you have to do is ask! We’ll even promise to tolerate you is you disagree.
4. Let’s get loud! - I think Malaysians are quite an enthusiastic tribe of people, wouldn’t you agree? Whether it’s a chatting with fellow colleague in the lift or meeting friends for coffee after work, we get very passionate about what we’re saying. Packed with emotion, conversations are full of gusto, facial expressions and of course epic hand gestures. It’s no wonder why Malaysians are often the life of a party as we are trained storytellers and skilled in the art of entertaining!
5. “Have you eaten?” - Some people say “good morning”, other say “hello”, Malaysians ask a more important question: “is your belly full?” In Malay it’s “dah makan?” in Tamil it’s“sapa de?”in Cantonese it’s “sek bao mei?”in Hokkien it’s “jia bah boi?” and the list goes on. Maybe we had it right all along, after all a satisfied tummy is a happy one, so instead of asking how your day’s been, Malaysian’s gauge it from your eating habits! Better still, if they notice you’ve been less than chirpy, they wouldn’t hesitate to make your day by taking you for a teh tarik and anasi lemak.
6. “Got discount, ah?” - Let’s get on thing straight, Malaysians aren’t cheap, we just like a good bargain! Buyers and sellers both know this so there’s absolutely no harm in asking for a wee discount. It’s in the Malaysian blood. You’ve really got nothing to lose, if they say no, you were willing to pay the opening price anyway, right? Just remember the Malaysia rule of thumb, if you buy two or more items, you should always get a “nice price” for it. It’s economies of scale after all!
7. Mind your language - Having influences from so many cultures, is it any wonder that the English language spoken in Malaysia is as distinct as it is? For emphasis, Malaysians end every sentence with the suffix “lah” or “ar”. For instance, a question: “Do you want something to drink?” should be replied with “No lah”. If you ask “where did you go?”. the reply “nowhere ar, I was here lah” drives the message home. Apart from that, Malaysian-English are often shortened or simplified. For example, instead of saying, “Haven’t seen you for a long time. How have you been?” Malaysians would say “Long time no see! OK or not?” or “Would you want to try some cake?” would be “Want cake or not?” As grammatically incorrect as it is, it definitely packs a punch and successful gets the message across - especially if you’re Malaysian.
8. Go-getters- Malaysians believe in working hard and reaping the benefits. So, it really isn’t a new discovery that Malaysian aren’t the sort of people to sit back and wait for something to come to them. We believe if you want something it is your responsibility to take action to achieve the outcome you desire. This may be misconstrued as rude at times especially when it comes to queuing but in fact, Malaysians are just go-getters, they have their eye on the prize and are focused on achieving those goals whether it’s a job promotion or being served at a cafe. Malaysians simply realise that doing whatever it takes wins the race after all!
9. Curiousity kills the cat? - But not the Malaysian! Malaysians are naturally inquisitive people; this is the main reason why we make friends so easily but it’s also the reason why any commotion in a shopping mall or accident on the road would cause a crowd. We’re simply observant and curious to see what’s going on. Can’t fault a Malaysian for wanting to stay abreast on all issues and commotion happening around them!
10. Ethics fridays - Yes, Friday is the best day of the week in just about any country but it’s a special day in Malaysia - it’s traditional dress-up day! Being the multicultural nation that we are, what better way to celebrate our diversity and our unique cultures than by wearing the traditional get-ups of the various races. It is through activities like this that Malaysians are able to wear anything from an Indian Punjabi pansuit to a Malay baju kurung while they remember, recognise and appreciate that we are apart of a great melting pot that is Malaysia.

So, Happy National Day Malaysia. I ♥ Malaysia