The column reflects the view of the writer

By Aisyah Suwardi

IF THERE’S one thing that Malaysia is known for, besides our various nasi lemak flavour, it is our abundance of public holidays.

In total, I have calculated 19 official public holidays, and that doesn’t take into account the state holidays.

As usual, public holidays are enjoyed by all Malaysians, regardless of our skin colour or beliefs. Those that have to work on that day were given a replacement leave that will be added to the accumulated annual leave or be compensated with a double-time pay, which is quite nice, to be honest (my sleep time is priceless, so not for me).

Surprisingly I never heard a protest from anyone saying, “This is a Chinese public holiday! Why would we, the Malays get to have off-days as well? Did you check the constitution? Wouldn’t the Malay status as Bumiputera be threatened by this?” and vice versa. Why do you think is the case?

In my opinion, the public holidays in Malaysia is a testament that the country is one where you can find different races lives harmoniously together, despite the different cultures they celebrate. But it seems that the events unfolding on recent weeks did not reflect this :(

Although I do agree that not every matter is like a public holiday that is easy to share. I was hoping a bit more decorum, and one could be polite when dealing with the things that you are not happy with.

A particular decision may warrant a say or a reminder, but we need to consider that a specific sentiment must not be touched, and being rude is never going to solve any problem.

It’s funny to think that after 61 years of independence and countless holiday celebrations together, we are still fighting over issues such as race and religion.

Being a particular race or believing in a religion doesn’t earn you purported respect. You need to earn it. And the best way to earn it? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

In this holy season of Ramadhan, Muslims are encouraged to do as many good acts as possible. I hope we can all look back on our actions these past months and reflect on how truthful we are to our religion and its teachings.

As this Friday is a public holiday (another one, indeed), I wish you Selamat Hari Raya and Maaf Zahir Batin in advance. Hope to see you guys in the various open houses and Raya celebration :) Let’s enjoy our favourite Raya dishes and gain weight together. Good things need to be shared right?