Like always, I was going for burger as dinner rather than.. another plate of rice. Tonight I cycled, out to a burger stall not really far from my house, alone, because my friend who I always have dinner with, he’s already started his tight diet programme. (haha)
Once there, the lady asked me, 'like always?' And I said yeah. She knew that I would always order a burger without chilli sauce, just mayo.
While waiting, I had a little chat with her husband who has worked in Malaysia for 15 years. He admired Malaysia very much, the place, the people and their working attitude. I’m glad he had a good time working in Malaysia.
But tonight a guy from the next shop interrupted our conversation by started asking, why Malaysian always treated Indonesian as a second class human? Wow what an intimidating question. He looked mad. I was shocked by his sudden anger lash-out, though it wasn’t my first time, really. But the guy who has worked in Malaysia defended and be in Malaysian side. Then there went a quite heated-up open debate regarding issues between both countries.
I’m not going to write here what were the exact points they made, just like the same boring points that came up like any other debates or writings about the Malaysia-Indonesia issues. The different is that the guys who defended Malaysia has worked in Malaysia for 15 years and the other guy has a sister still working in Malaysia as maid.
What impressed me is that their openness to such open debate. Though both are Indonesian, I don’t feel scared or threatened, because they actually just expressing their opinions and thoughts based on their experience and what they heard/ read. It's a healthy way of channelling ones' anger or dissatisfaction over something, and such open debate is actually a good thing.
At least it’s better than a lady in a car who lowered her car’s window while me and my friend on a bike next to her car, waiting for the traffic light to turn green, and she said in a harsh tone, ‘hoi Malaysia! Awas ya, kalo tertabrak dikit aku hajar kau!’. And we’re like... what the?
Okay now.. I’m going to eat my burger. It’s getting cold.
