Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Tagged: What's Muhibbah To You?

This tag was started by the legendary A Voice, of Another Brick In The Wall fame and was passed on and eventually reached the Let’s Go Land, tagged by Cikgu Nazir of Kata Tak Nak.

I’m flattered to have been picked by Cikgu to say my piece on this subject about Muhibbah. I am not sure how to put it into words but it is commonly used in adverts obviously to promote unity amongst the many races here in our beloved nation.

It really should be like this in our modern Malaysia. Making friends comes from the heart. You befriend a certain someone based on him as a person first, his skin color comes never.

Living in a multiracial, multicultural society and shit, its only odd that when your friends all are of the same color. You know there’s something wrong with you then. That means you’re being choosy. Or simply you don’t mix much. When you don’t mix much that could mean either your workplace are the type that employs the preferred race for whatever reason I don’t know, or you’re simply a pig.

Having said that, The spirit of Muhibbah should happen when you least expected it. It should come naturally without you nor the company you’re with consisting of different races were even aware of very that. It comes from the heart and not just to show off for the sake of promoting some Tourism Year.

Now days, when a malay chap has an Indian best friend for example, those fellas tend to proudly make this a big issue by telling the world In Malaysia, everyone mix freely with different races. Why the need for that? Can’t it simply be like in Malaysia, everyone lives peacefully. PERIOD.

Racial unity mustn’t be made a big deal in pulling in foreign tourists. By including that in travel brochures we are in a way telling the world we’re guilty of racism ourselves. We’re a civilized society for goodness sake. We’ve gained our independence more than 50 years now that anything racial in nature should have been buried like decades ago.

Let me stress on this again. Muhibbah is about a group of people from different races sitting around having a meal, enjoying each other’s company and laugh their asses off together WITHOUT making such a big deal out of it.

I’ve said my piece. Time to hear from Mr Anfield Devotee and Tuan Zakhir to have their say. Take it away, fellas.

Update:

I saw a pic in the newspaper today of one chinese fella, a malay bloke (arwah) and an indian chap having some fun together in sunny Spain some years back. And now they're all (2 of them) in deep shit together. If that wasn't Muhibbah enough, I don't know what else.

35 comments:

Unknown said...

Very well written, very matured thinking. I like it when you imply that Muhibbah is not something to brag about. It is kind of a way of life that comes naturally like fish takes to water. So whats the big deal because we are already living, breathing and shitting muhibbah. Very nice.

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

there you go again, cikgu. the hardest i tried somehow you can put it way wayy better than i did...hehehe...

but whats important you got the drift. why should we brag about it if we are indeed a civilised society? we do it but we dont talk about it.

thanks for taggng me btw cikgu.

cakapaje said...

Salam bro,

Hmm...the Muhibah restaurant conspiracy theory, I like it! lol!

Yup! Its like an asylum where the people in there tell everyone "I am not crazy!", and then go running around shouting "The UFOs have landed together with George Washington and Elvis Presley!". No offence meant to anyone there, but that's what the VMY campaign is all about.

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

salam Shah,

thats like a scene from a movie with that Monk guy in it. He cant basically foresee a major tagedy about to take place.

* this Muhibbah restaurant was the one MS mentioned about some months ago.

blackpurple @ jowopinter said...

Saya bersetuju.

Muhibbah kalau tidak salah saya berasal dari perkataan muhabbah [kecintaan]. Muhabbah itu sendiri berasal dari perkataan hubba bermaksud biji benih. Simboliknya, biji benih memerlukan akar dan perlu disirami dan dicahayai untuk membesar, berbunga dan berbuah misalnya. Sama juga, bila benih muhabbah [muhibbah] disemai di dalam setiap manusia, ia akan menyuburkan kecintaan sesama manusia.

Kalau ikut kata Sheikh Syed Muhammad Zoki Shah dalam bukunya, muhabbah itu seperti manget yang menarik di antara satu sama lain.

Maaf, seperti merepek pula saya...

Anonymous said...

LOL!(on your update)
a'alah kerp, dia orang tu buat spoil je nama muhibbah!

Unknown said...

To me Muhibbah is our way of life and I live in it everyday.

anfield devotee said...

Rahim Thamby Chik

DPP Vijendran

Chua Soi Lek

Even our sex scandals come in three different colours! United colours of benetton or what la dei!

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

Salam wak,

Eh, dasyat gak penjelasan tu. Mekasih wak. Satu informasi yang berguna. Tak pernah ambik tau sngt pon tentang perkataan tersebut. Yang nyata, bukan merepek.

Mekasih wak.


Kak E,

Muhibbah mungkin satu perkataan yang elok tapi yang sedihnya perkataan ni pon sesui untuk sesuau yang tak elok, mcm 3 ekor tu. Hehehe…


Mary,

Well said. Short but sweet. Its our way of life. We can be proud of I but not really a big deal really.


Bala,

Hehehe…that’s muhibbah, alright,… Bn-style! But one’s a sick paedo…

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

wak BP,

lupa nak cakap. aku dapat dah lagu eko & kuncung. memang terhibur. hardcore punya lagu jawa. kena download ke telefon buta ringtone...hehehe..mekasih.

Tinesh said...

You want Muhibbah? Go to either a rock concert or a football match somewhere with a big screen..

Ive seen Malays, Indians, and Chinese ppl (strangers no less; my friends and I are included in this group) headbanging togther..Also seen ppl hugging each other during the FA Cup final between Man Utd and Chelski..

You see, like the Celcom add says: One thing unites us all, football. Add music to it too la.

Mior Azhar said...

Kerp,
Ya lar, that picture is truly a picture of muhibbah. You don't need to be nice to have a muhibbah spirit. Hahahahah

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

Mr T,

Rock concert of any international band is a yes but not of local bands. And local football attracts only a few bunch with majority fans comes from only one race. but I think international badminton is a sure bet to see the real sporit of muhibbah, as we witnessed everytime any of our shuttlers in action.


Pak Mior,

You are so correct lah brother…hehehehe…muhibbah is such a nice word it serves as a consolation to them…heheh

blackpurple @ jowopinter said...

Sdr kerp.

Terima kasih. Asal dari perkataan Arab tu... :)

Kalau nak lirik lagu itu, boleh dengar perlahan-lahan dan salin. Kalau rajinlah. Hehehe!. Ada banyak lagi lagu Jawa hardcore yang sedap-sedap. ... Hehehe!

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

wak BP,

mekasih tapiletih la nak dengor satu2...hehehe...

kalo ada 2-3 lagi lagu jiwa jawa hantar je. yang tumo kathok ni pon terhibur layan malam2...hehehe...

mekasih.

Zakhir's Zoo said...

Kerpie,

Already my 'Muhibbah' posting. Is that what you wanted?

Anonymous said...

Tumo kathok? apa maksudnya??? bukan ke kathok tu seluar? maybe ada different meaning...

A Voice said...

Judging from the arguments here, we do not need to do anything.

Why the heck do I hear on Malaysia Today complains of further wedge between the races?

So by the arguments here, if we do not quarrel and pick fight, Muhibbah is already there and it will just flourish naturally

Cool ... Thats a thought.

Kerp (Ph.D) said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kerp (Ph.D) said...

Big bro,

Where la? I tagged on the ‘zoo’ instead of BDDC btw.

Dahlia,

Eh…macam kenal je? Hhehe…your question can only be answered by wak BP.

A Voice,

No arguments here sir. Not very much a fan of deep and serious discussions as I know I’d lose out. Prefer to be on the safer side of things. Great topic though. Kudos to you to have started the ball rollin’.

constant drama said...

Fucking love your "update" part. LMAO!!


Hey Tinesh and I are supremely muhibbah. He listens to rock and I'm all about Broadways and Spice Girls and we still hang out together. Now that, is BEYOND muhibbah.

Kerp (Ph.D) said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kerp (Ph.D) said...

yo CD...

hehe...we dont need no ad full of propaganda shit to tell us about Muhibbah now, do we? football, music unites us all without even realising it. shouldnt be a big deal in the first place.

i need to re-update my update. the malay bloke i was talking about, he's already passed on. it was very insensitive of me, really. my bad.

MY APOLOGY TO THOSE CONCERNED.

constant drama said...

Hey I tagged you! Feel free to do it. =D

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

awesome. will get it done the soonest. thanks o' Constantly Dramatic One.

Zakhir's Zoo said...

Yo Kerpie,

I added some more bit on my piece of 'Muhibbah', plus a photo of us and Maria Kimin.

Do check it out!

anfield devotee said...

yo kerp, you say you prefer to stay out of "serious discussions". Its yer perogative but I believe the only way forward is to openly discuss issues - ugly or otherwise.

Yes, a voice, people of all races meet up here fer a chat & likewise the scenario at me blog as you would have noticed - Macha, Chindian, Grago, Ah Pek, Bayi & of course Natek - all converge fer a natter & a laugh. (if we can't call each other names in good humour, then its pointless to talk bout mihibbah!)

But that doesn't alter the fact that serious schisms have formed in our society. To ignore it would be like FAM insisting there was no corruption in local footie during the 80s. Remember?

Problems exists. Muhibbah has become a catchphrase without substance. We need to change that.

ps: sorry, a voice, I'm supporting kerp's team to beat the fook out of you lot in the 5th round.

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

Bala,

The reason I prefer to stay out of this discussion about muhibbah is that I’m way ahead of those making it such a big deal. I don’t mean to brag but my point is I’ve gone through this racial issue since my schooling days and left it behind right before my SPM graduation. Nowadays my macha friends just couldn’t care any less if called them the K word as they know Its NEVER my intention to offend them. Likewise, being called a pemalas by a bunch of machas, grago and jinjang buddies makes me feel so part of the circle of friends. Either they meant it bcos of my race or I’m just a lazy cacat fella, I’m cool about it. when you’re comfortable with the company you’re with, that should matter, regardless of our ethnic background.

What made it easy was the fact we never touched on our respective religion. We respect each other for who we are. Period.

*as tinesh mentioned somewhere, football unites us all. How true. But I don’t need no footie to see my macha bros beyond their skin color.

sankochan said...

Cute avatar by the way!! So funny!!!

Yea~~ and some more the country is bragging that we are a multi cultural society. Heck, U.S.A, Australia and London have more multi races around than us.

Anonymous said...

Hey Kerpie,

I have had some 'fun' with a Kadazan girl in Amsterdam and then Paris (of course I was in London then) and also a Malaysian Chinese girl, in Singapore (also in KL, because we live here!).

:)

I have NOT got into trouble yet, unless the missus read this piece!

Hehehehehehehhehehehehehehehehehe

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

Sandra,

we still have some catching up to do to at least be on par with those countries.


big bro,

likewise, no way my girl will ever read my comment i left at zakhir's zoo...hehehe...

as long all these 'affairs' happened during your pre-marriage days, you're never in deep shit..hehehe....

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, ladies like my wife, PUNISH me for the 'funs' that I had. before I am with her!

I can't win however I argue.......you know!

Or did you not know that when a man marry a woman, he would have the LAST SAY in ALL arguments thereafter, "Yes, dear........"

Who ever say the world is fair?????


P/S I think, Zakhir already read your msg and replied

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

Biggie,

Hehehehe…good one there. so the next time I’m having a quarrel with my girl friend I shall stamp my foot on the ground and have that last say, murmuring.

Eh, which one’s the doppelganger here,…BDDC or Zakhir?

Zakhir's Zoo said...

anny @ Kerp,

I know this BDDC is a political blogger and somewhat 'known' in the bloggosphere, but I am no where near!

I do not dwell into these politics & stuff. Read my blog.

Except for this 'Muhibbah' piece, no one ever quote me, anywhere..........

I am not even on Rocky's roll.....that's how insignificant I am! :(

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

Tuan Zakhir,

Too bad mr BDDC overshadows your presence in the blogosphere. He started with BDDC/BGDC/Biggum and has stamped his mark as a well-known political analyst who writes well, drawing flaks especially from the opposition-minded bloggers and commentators…hehehehe…

But personally I prefer reading the ‘Zoo” as it matters real life situation from your personal viewpoint. Its even more interesting that I’ve known you for many years back since the KMU days.

*bigdog’s already in rocky’s blogroll anyway.