On my recent trip to Kuala Terengganu, I hired a car to drive around. It was a vastly different experience from driving in the west coast cities I’m used to, from Georgetown down to Johor Bahru.
Being unfamiliar with the roads, I naturally drove slower and occasionally ended up in the wrong lane. Instead of hostility, drivers and motorcyclists were remarkably patient with my slowness and gave way for me to merge or correct my mistakes. There was no ego driving, except perhaps for a few out-of-towners. I also noticed a refreshing lack of double parking (which is common in Kuala Lumpur and causes massive inconveniences). Cars were actually parked in valid lots.
Back in Kuala Lumpur, driving is a completely different beast. It feels like a constant fight for space, somewhat “coerced” to drive fast to "keep up with the Joneses," all while navigating vehicles parked randomly by selfish drivers.
So, why is there such a contrast in driving culture between Kuala Terengganu and the west coast? And more importantly, what does this say about us?
Recently, the capital saw intense protests surrounding a local festival (and previously some concerts). The rallying cries were familiar: “That’s not our culture” and “This undermines societal values”. The concern is always framed in moral terms. But perhaps culture is revealed less by what people do on occasional weekends but more by how they treat one another every single day.
The everyday traffic in Kuala Terengganu offers a glimpse into what traditional Malaysian values look like in practice - a culture of patience, courtesy, and a collective sense of communal grace. People gave way even when they were under no obligation to do so. There was an unspoken understanding that the road belonged to everyone.
Contrast that with the normalised, cut-throat environment of big city traffic. Isn’t this selfish "me-first" attitude the true un-Malaysian culture that is infiltrating our daily lives? Of course, city life comes with its own pressures. Congestion, long commutes, rising stress levels and the pace of urban living. These, undeniably shape behaviour. But they do not fully explain why basic courtesy disappears the moment many of us sit behind the wheel.
We are often quick to condemn concerts or festivals as threats to our values, yet far slower to confront the everyday discourtesy woven into our daily commute — behaviour that gradually erodes trust, patience, and our sense of shared community.
In defending our cultural values, we should also reflect on the everyday habits that shape how Malaysians experience one another in public life. After all, culture is not only expressed through the causes we champion publicly, but also through the courtesy and consideration we show each other daily.
Our national philosophy's fifth principle, Kesopanan dan Kesusilan, is the very foundation of our values — patience, courtesy, and communal grace. The question is: do we still remember them every time we start the engine?
Coco Nut (anitadharam@yahoo.com) 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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