Etiquette--What's That? A Bird? A Plane? No, Its a Rude Malaysian!

I held a plastic bag of pastries in my hand, a smile on my face as I exited Bee Bakery in Bandar Puteri Puchong. After a grueling couple hours of errands in the hot sun, I was relieved that a break was in the foreseable future. Just as I walked out, a Chinese woman doubled parked her new expensive car and dressed in her equally expensive dress suit proceeded to walk towards the bakery. As I was just leaving, with my hand clutching the door handle, I held the door open for her.

What does the bitch do? She just walks in without any acknowledgement of me standing there, holding the door open for her. What the fuck do I look like? A doorman? Her maid? I walked away to my car feeling perturbed and then as the incident finally settled into my mind, hot bubbling anger surfaced out of my tired facade. Obscene words flew out of my mouth in rapid succession, followed by one question I've been asking ever since I got here, "What has happened to common decency and etiquette in Malaysia?"

This isn't the first time I've faced inconsiderate behavior from my fellow Malaysians. Phrases like, "Thank you" and "Please" have somehow made its way out of Malaysian vocabulary. I'm greeted by sour faces at cash registers and impolite staff at stores. Don't even get me started on Malaysian's on the road! The act of inconsideration has somehow made its way into Malaysian culture. Darwin's idea of the survival of the fittest, that everyone is out for themselves, has taken a whole new meaning in Malaysia; it is the defining characterisctic embedded into the minds of Malaysians.

With the new Prime Minister sworn in, commercials carrying forth the message of proper behavior and etiquette have popped up on television screens and in the form of reprimanding voices on the radio. Do people really need to be told to give up their seat to an elderly woman in the bus or give way to a screaming ambulance? I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of the commercials. Does a person living the life of a twenty-first century citizen have to be taught the basic principles of etiquette? Has Malaysia really come to that?

Malaysia desperately wants to be seen as a country in progress; a country that can stand proudly amongst other successful, high-tech, urban centers around the world. The ugly label of "third world country" is what Malaysia has apparently shed in prior years. But how does one measure a civilized nation? By the tallest building in the world or by the actions of their people?

Food for thought!