Malays

I googled:
1. "Malays are lazy" = Results 1 - 10 of about 356 for "Malays are lazy". (0.14 seconds)
2. "Malays are hardworking" = Results 1 - 5 of about 15 for "Malays are hardworking". (0.24 seconds)

Well, the sentence could have been "I don't think Malays are lazy". Therefore the stats might not be accurate but the gap is too big. 356 pages against 15 pages, over 300 pages variance. So we can conclude that the majority agrees that Malays are truly lazy. Fortunately (or unfortunately-depends on how you see it ), majority doesn't translate to truth. Are malays really lazy? Let's see.

The sentence "Malays are lazy" is not new, it might be as old as "the chinese are greedy" and "the indians cannot be trusted". If I'm not mistaken, these 3 conceptions had been introduced by the british since they set foot in Tanah Melayu. Since then, the malays have been labeled as a lazy race. I wonder on what basis did the British give that label because back then the Malays have quite an achievement. To name a few, Melaka was once an international trading port and Panglima Awang (a.k.a enrique of malacca/henry the black) was claimed to be the first person who traveled around the world.

Race is formed from a group of people that share similar physical traits. However, I believe that each of us have a unique character that cannot be categorized by race, religion or country. We might be influenced by these aspects but not naturally born with it. To say Malays are lazy is unfair because I know quite a good number of Malays who are extremely hard working and know quite a few chinese who are quite laid back.

To me, the statement " malays are lazy" is a British's dogma which trapped us to believe and live in that perception. It saddened me that the sentence "the malays are lazy" mostly come from the Malays themselves. After all, you are what you believe right? I hope this repetitous statement acts as a reminder, not an excuse. Being a Malay myself, I repeatedly remind myself to prove them wrong.
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Just for the fun of it I also googled:
1. "Chinese are greedy" = Results 1 - 10 of about 141 for "chinese are greedy". (0.06 seconds)
2. "Indians are dishonest" = Results 1 - 10 of about 30 for "indians are dishonest". (0.48 seconds)

Backpacking!!!!!

Calling out to all backpackers out there!!!!!! If you have stories, or photos to share.. or you have taken a freakamazing backpacking route anywhere in the world and you want to share with the rest of the world, please contact me at nurul.mardiana@gmail.com!!!!!!!

When I was a kid, I read a story about a pious man who ate an apple that he found floating on a river until he realized that he didn’t asked for permission to have that apple and had traced back to the owner of the apple (trees) and asked for permission. The owner, impressed with the man’s piety, gave him challenges. He agreed to “halalkan” the apple if the man agrees to work for him for several years and marry his daughter who is blind, deaf, mute and disabled. The man, though felt that the conditions are quite heavy, agreed to it. Turned out, the daughter is in perfect condition and in fact is very pretty. He asked his wife why her father said she is totally disabled, she replied “My father said i was deaf because these ears have never heard haram, he said I was mute, because I have never spoken haram, he said i am handless and without feet because i have never touched or walked to anything haram.”
These people are later known as the parents of Imam Abu Hanifa.

So, my question is.. who would you be? Do you prefer being the naive girl or do you prefer to be the know-it-all girl?

Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to Ella
Happy Birthday to you..

Allah selamatkan kamu
Allah selamatkan kamu
Allah selamatkan Suhailah Abu Bakar
Allah selamatkan kamu

Wishing Ella a very Happy Birthday for her **th birthday on 12th January... May your life will forever be blessed and of course, many happy returns!!

MashaAllah, what a blissful day, today it is..

P/s I've a few entries to upload but none of them siap at the moment. Can't wait to have a peaceful moment to write... *sigh* ..

Coretan 2007

Coretan pertama 2007... Alhamdulillah, 2006 sudah berakhir dan aku mengalu-alukan kedatangan 2007. Hari Raya AidilAdha juga jatuh sehari sebelum tahun 2007, menambahkan lagi kemeriahan hari semalam. Namun dalam kemeriahan semalam, banyak berita yang di paparkan di kaca TV yang membenarkan aku memuhasabah diri.

Berita penggantungan Saddam Hussein ku terima dengan senyap. Tiada protes ataupun sokongan, kerana aku sebenarnya jahil dalam isu ini. Namun, hatiku terdetik sendiri. Apakah rahsianya ataupun apakah propaganda pihak Amerika dalam memilih tarikhnya, di hari Umat Islam seluruh dunia menyambut Hari Raya Korban. Adakah itu satu mesej tak langung dari mereka?

Juga peperangan yang tidak sudah di Asia Tengah. Biar segunung simpatiku masih tidak dapat aku selami perasaan-perasaan mereka di sana. Aku kagumi semangat mereka. Biar saban hari nyawa di hujung tanduk, menyerah bukanlah satu pilihan buat mereka. Jika diizinkan Allah, mahu aku panjangkan langkahku ke sana. Inginku selami rahsia-rahsia ketabahan mereka. Malu untuk ku akui, namun aku bersyukur yang aku di sini ketika ini.

Di dalam negara sendiri tak kurang ramainya kurang bernasib baik. Mangsa-mangsa banjir di serata negara terutamanya di negeri Johor terpaksa menyambut Hari Raya Aidil Adha dan Tahun Baru dalam keadaan serba kekurangan. Alhamdulillah, banyak bantuan yang telah dan akan dihulurkan kepada mereka. Semoga apa yang hilang dapat digantikan dengan yang lebih baik. InsyaAllah.

Namun begitu, aku sebenarnya sangat menunggukan kehadiran tahun ini. Aku nantikan perubahan-perubahan yang bakal berlaku. Aku mahu lebih mengaktifkan diri pada tahun ini. Terima kasih kepada Sarimah, kalendar acara dari tourism Malaysia pada tahun ini sudah kumiliki. Banyak program-program menarik yang akan di adakan di serata Malaysia, sejajar dengan kempen Tahun Melawat Malaysia 2007 dan juga sambutan kemerdekaan yang ke-50. InsyaAllah, akan ku muat naikkan di laman ini dari semasa ke semasa. Ada beberapa lagi perubahan lain yang aku nantikan. Buat masa ini, biarku simpan untuk diriku dulu.

Aku berharap, tahun baru ini akan lebih mematangkan aku. Seperti tahun-tahun yang sudah, azam tahun ini tetap sama, aku ingin menjadi umat yang lebih baik. Selamat tahun baru!