The question given was "Do you identify yourself as a Malaysian? Why? Does it matter?" and I will answer it for the sake of my CGPA. I DO identify myself as a Malaysian. I mean, I was born and raised here, which makes me a Malaysian inside out whether I like it or not. But, I really do identify myself as a Malaysian. For me, being a Malaysian is not just that I was born and raised in Malaysia, its more about having pride for the nationality, the sense of patriotism, and feeling proud of the multi-ethnic culture of Malaysia. To be honest, I really love Malaysia, despite the fact that we have a "good" government. Malaysia is really a perfectly perfect country from the aspect of geographical location, the harmonious bond between the people, and most importantly the foods.
Does it matter? YES, IT MATTERS A LOT. The sense of pride as a Malaysian is what makes us Malaysian unite, and for me, it makes me feel connected to the other Malaysians. Not only this, but identifying myself as a Malaysian makes me feel completed, it gives me an identity to live with, and I can proudly tell the foreigners that I'M A MALAYSIAN! (Despite the many flaws of Malaysia which are mostly caused by our beloved government.)
Answering the question for the sake of your CGPA! LOL!! Thanks for being honest :)
ReplyDeleteYou raised all the hallmarks of being patriotic: feeling proud, having a strong sense of identity, being connected to other Msians.
Yet, is there a difference between being patriotic and being nationalistic? I notice you only mentioned the former and not the latter. Or are they the same? We will discuss this issue in our next lecture.