Every 31st August, we celebrate Merdeka, when Malaysia received our long-awaited freedom in 1957. Today, Merdeka symbolises a day where we celebrate the unity of our nation - the different races, religions and culture, as well as how far we have come since 1957. We may have our differences, but nothing unites us much like all the things we've experienced similarly as Malaysians. Some things we've experienced growing up, or even now, reminds us all that regardless of our race, we're all truly Malaysians at heart. Here are some things that will remind you that you're truly Malaysian:
- Playing Pepsi-Cola
Playing Pepsi-Cola with your friends after school or during breaks, and the one who remains is the mightiest of them all.
2. Flag erasers
Your parents might buy them for you, or you could usually get them from your school bookshop aunty for 30 sen. If you had RM1, you felt like a king back then!
3. Watching Shaolin Soccer during CNY
Watching Shaolin Soccer (almost every year) during Chinese New Year - they usually play it on 8TV around 3pm and you'll watch it with your family members for laughs!
4. Speaking three or more languages in one sentence daily!
Sometimes we even forget how to say a word in one language, that we say it in all the other languages that we know to deliver the message. Somehow, your Indian friend understands your Mandarin.
5. The “I'm on my way!"
Knowing very well you aren't. Your feet haven't even touched the ground yet. Either this is you or you know someone like this!
6. Getting lost in shopping malls
We just can't navigate ourselves through all the new wings, old wings, east wings, north wings and more. Honourable mentions: 1 Utama, Sunway Pyramid, Mid Valley.
7. Abang aiskrim
Abang Aiskrim that we are more excited about meeting than our own parents after school! Running outside to get your pink and purple ice cream cones with your friends is a staple of primary school memories.
8. Lee Chong Wei & Lin Dan's legendary matches
Watching these two legends everytime they have a match. The rivalry between our very own Lee Chong Wei and China's Lin Dan is one-in-a-century. Both legends never gave up or faltered, and Malaysians celebrated with Lee Chong Wei no matter the results of the game!
9. Praying for a public holiday
Sports match, election results, additional festive holiday - name it, and we've prayed for a public holiday for that occasion. It's such a Malaysian thing that the government and ministries are now offering public holidays as a ‘reward’ in elections!
10. The iconic Apollo ad
The iconic Apollo ad that comes out every few times when you're watching your favourite television series. You used to get annoyed but now you wished that you could see this ad again on your TV! They said you can't here photos but you can definitely hear this one.
11. The ‘old’ Genting
Where your family would take you for short trips to during school holidays, stand in the middle of the area to watch performances and most times never be allowed to get on rides because your mom said no! It was a must to visit the old McDonalds in First Avenue to get your fill of burgers and fries - the new SkyAvenue Complex can't beat the satisfaction of that!
12. McDonalds Happy Meal toys
Begging your mom to bring you to McDonalds for a Happy Meal, to collect the latest McDonalds toys! Brownie points for you if you somehow convinced your parents to let you collect every toy in the collection. That meant you would have to eat McDonalds at least once a week for four weeks!
13. ‘Chup’
Using your water bottles to ‘chup’ places in school! You first start off with ‘chup’-ing a place in line at your class's queue, then you move on to a bench, and then to an entire table in the canteen. No one can stop you.
14. Losing your mom's Tupperware
Coming home fearing for your life, you really tried to trace back your steps but you can't find it at all and have resigned to the fact that your mom will never let this go.
15. Abang Milo with his Milo truck
For some reason, Milo from the truck just tastes better than any Milo (the answer is condensed milk). A classic Sports Day staple, students would even come to the Merentas Desa event and complete it just to get a free Milo!
16. The iconic A&W in PJ
Visiting A&W's iconic branch in PJ at night, ready to snack on some waffles and rootbeer! Sometimes your parents would inform you so last-minute that you'd swing by in your pajamas. There's always plenty of parking so no worries about having to make rounds!
17. Birthday parties in fast-food restaurants
Celebrating your or your friend's birthday parties at fast-food restaurants! There'd be a whole area dedicated to the party decked in balloons and fun activities, before the mascot makes an appearance! Some of us spent more time envying our friends for being able to have these parties as we'd never have a chance to have them :(
18. Drawing the Jalur Gemilang & Bunga Raya
Learning to draw and colour our Jalur Gemilang and national flower, Bunga Raya! We enjoyed it when it's printed for us to colour. When we have to draw it, it'll all go well until it's time to draw the 14-point star in the Jalur Gemilang - no one ever draws it well.
19, Waiting for our SPM results
Waiting with for your SPM results with your friends in the school hall. Meeting up with your friends for the first time in three months after finishing our SPM is extremely exciting, but waiting for your results to be announced is so nerve-wracking! Negative points for the friends who decided to check their results via SMS before joining the hall announcements.
20. Biting Choki Choki
Biting and cutting the Choki Choki wrapper. The best moment is when you start eating your Choki Choki, and the next best moment is when you cut the wrapper so it's easier for you to get more Choki Choki. Couldn't they make a mechanism where we could easily push out the chocolate instead of having to continuously bite and cut?!?
21. TV program in newspapers
Looking at the TV program in the newspaper to catch the timing of your favourite shows! Without the internet back then, this was the only way we could keep up with the TV schedule.
22. Dressing up in traditional attire for Merdeka celebrations
Showing off your pride in beautiful traditional outfits in school while singing Merdeka-related songs at the top of your lungs with friends and waving Jalur Gemilang all around, so exciting!
Which of these have you experienced before and miss the most? Let us know in the comments and share this article with our friends and family that you grew up experiencing this with!
Crystal Chai is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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