“Malaysia, yes! So you’re from Kuala Lampa?”
Lampa is the Hokkien word for balls, and no, our capital city Kuala Lumpur is not a confluence of testicles. It’s pronounced “loom-por,” and it’s the Malay word for mud, referring to the city’s original location at the junction of the Sungai Gombak and Sungai Klang rivers.
I let out a snigger every single time I hear a non-Malay speaker proclaim Kuala Lampa (!) with such gusto and smugness at finally being able to show off their “capital cities of the world” knowledge. Yes, Kuala Loompor is our capital city, but that’s not where I’m from, thanks.
“If you’re from Malaysia…you must be Malay, right?”
Nope, I’m from Malaysia so I’m Malaysian. Malay is a race. And Malaysians are made up of other races, too, like Chinese, Indians, Ibans, Kadazans, Eurasians — ethnically distinct, but all Malaysians nonetheless.
We’re still trying to overcome racial segregation after 56 years of independence, so try not to add insult to injury by not bothering to understand the difference between race and nationality.
More:
http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/how-to-piss-off-a-malaysian/
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Lampa is the Hokkien word for balls, and no, our capital city Kuala Lumpur is not a confluence of testicles. It’s pronounced “loom-por,” and it’s the Malay word for mud, referring to the city’s original location at the junction of the Sungai Gombak and Sungai Klang rivers.
I let out a snigger every single time I hear a non-Malay speaker proclaim Kuala Lampa (!) with such gusto and smugness at finally being able to show off their “capital cities of the world” knowledge. Yes, Kuala Loompor is our capital city, but that’s not where I’m from, thanks.
“If you’re from Malaysia…you must be Malay, right?”
Nope, I’m from Malaysia so I’m Malaysian. Malay is a race. And Malaysians are made up of other races, too, like Chinese, Indians, Ibans, Kadazans, Eurasians — ethnically distinct, but all Malaysians nonetheless.
We’re still trying to overcome racial segregation after 56 years of independence, so try not to add insult to injury by not bothering to understand the difference between race and nationality.
More:
http://matadornetwork.com/abroad/how-to-piss-off-a-malaysian/
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