It was the early 70's. I still remember my wealthier relatives driving around in their Datsuns and Toyotas and being apologetic about it. "Alah, kereta Jepun aje, murah" they would humbly say when someone asked them what car they drove.
That was how we looked at all things Japanese then - with disdain. You could buy a new Corolla for RM20,000 I think. It must've been embarrassing to be driven to school in one. I never knew because I was one of those that drove himself to school... on a rusty bicycle too big for my size. One that made my head bob up and down behind the handlebar because when I sat, my legs were too short to reach the pedals.
If your family belonged to the middle class those days, your daddy would be driving a British car. Probably a Ford, a Morris, a Wolseley, an Austin. Or maybe a Volkswagen.
He might have a Mini Cooper or Fiat for a second car.
And if you were really rich, your parents would drive a Mercedes Benz, a Rover or a Volvo and keep an Alfa Romeo or MG on the side as a weekend toy. At home you would listen to a Bang & Olufsen stereo and watch TV on a Grundig or Telefunken tv set.
What were the other things we looked down on?
Oh ya. Selipar Jepun. Pinggan mangkuk China. Cheap plastic toys that were made in Taiwan. They're no Legos for sure. Cheap Sanyo transistor radios. About the only "local" thing that enjoyed some respect was cookware from Thailand and maybe their silk. The Koreans? Err... never heard of 'em.
How the world changed, and not just in who makes better products.
When I was a young man, I made fun of the Philippines for its corruption, disorder and strange personalities like Imelda Marcos.
I made fun of their number 1 export then - maids. I laughed at the pathetic state of Indonesia under Sukarno. I laughed at the war in Vietnam. I laughed at Taiwan and Japan for the shoddy products they made. I laughed at Burma for being a police state. I laughed at Singapore for being so tiny and at the mercy of our life-giving water, which I believed we could turn off whenever we felt like showing them who's boss. And of course, I detested China, the devil himself whose only aim in life, I was told, was to conquer Malaysia.
How the world changed in four short decades.
All these places I laughed at have either overtaken us in every area from GDP to university rankings to economic growth to respect for human rights to quality of life, or is set to overtake us by the end of the decade. That or we have sunk to the level of Burma and Somalia in certain things.
Ten short years from now, I seriously doubt anyone in Malaysia would be laughing at anybody. Not to worry. We may have earned our place as the new laughing stock of the region, regardless of how many skyscrapers we've built by then.
I marvel at how you look at things. Sometimes I think I might even be jealous. hahaha. No lah, just kidding.
ReplyDeleteI take pride in the fact that there are many Malaysians who write well and are level-headed.
This post is, of course, going to be one of those where you read and nod as you go along because it's true. ;)
I want to see the winds of change come steadily within the next few General Elections. Of course I'm asking for a miracle... It's a good prayer.
ReplyDeleteHi Lita, thank you, I'm flattered and it doesn't even smell! Lol, lame joke. I think you write well too and one thing I think many will agree with me, a woman's view of things is often a lot more balanced and succintly expressed than man's. I do hope to see you write away more!
ReplyDeleteHi Bro LC, I share the same prayer too. Its been a tough month mentally for me trying to digest all this as I've been out of the loop for so long, wilfully ignoring things here while I cari makan in Singapore. We don't have much time left with age ticking away and I think we should all try to make a difference one way or another, by simple actions, words, thoughts and prayer. We share the same dream.
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