The writer, who is based in Singapore, says that whenever Chinese New Year is around the corner, he looks forward to going home to Malaysia to enjoy home-cooked food and local cuisine, spending late nights at Malay street stalls with old friends, and indulging in the laid-back lifestyle. — Freepik
Recently, I read Loving Malaysia, a memoir written and self-published by Cheah Choo Kheng, now a semi-retired lawyer. The book traces his university and post-graduation years, transporting readers back to the 1970s – from campus life in Penang and involvement in student socio-political movements during a formative period of national development, to his time as a teacher in Kelantan.
As a Generation Y reader, I was drawn to his keen observations, which reveal a multicultural Malaysia marked by freedom, cohesion and a strong esprit de corps. One vivid example is a small kopitiam in Pasir Mas, Kelantan, where he regularly had breakfast while teaching science. Run by a young local Chinese proprietor, it welcomed civil servants and teachers of all races under one roof – a simple yet powerful space of oneness and acceptance.
He also recounts living with five multiracial housemates, all teachers, in a rented Malay stilt house near a mosque on the outskirts of Pasir Mas. They shared meals, helped one another and forged genuine camaraderie.
A later passage describes his return home from Singapore to Bukit Indah, Johor, on Jan 12, 2025, following the launch of the Vaccinated Travel Lane between Singapore and Malaysia.
After nearly two years away due to Covid-19, he and his wife boarded the Causeway Link bus which was fully occupied by homesick Malaysians and just before the bus driver started the engine, he announced “Alright, we are going home!” – this moved him deeply, echoing the shared Malaysian spirit he had felt as a university student decades earlier during the 1974 Baling Demonstration (where he was part of the crowd of multiracial students who demonstrated in support of the Baling peasants, to protest against poverty).
As a Malaysian living abroad, the writer was drawn to Cheah Choo Kheng's self-published memoir 'Loving Malaysia' which revealed a multicultural Malaysia marked by freedom, cohesion and a strong esprit de corps.
When I closed the book, reflecting his account, especially the mixed feelings he had when he was going home after two years, I could understand his affiliation to Malaysia big time as I recalled the overwhelming excitement when I was on my way to Changi Airport after two years of lockdown in Singapore – I could finally go back to the place I call home.
Whenever Chinese New Year is around the corner, I always look forward to going home, enjoying home-cooked food and local cuisine; hanging out with old friends at a Malay street stall till late night; and indulging in the laid-back lifestyle.
As a Malaysian working in Singapore for more than 10 years, my affiliation to my motherland remains strong – I have been constantly following my country’s affairs through various channels such as The Star – the sense of pride I have when I read about the excellent milestones our athletes have achieved and the heartbreak that strikes me reading about school bullying and homicide. I am also particularly concerned about the education roadmap because education is the fundamental pillar of a nation.
Being an ordinary citizen working abroad, apart from casting my vote, my contribution to national development may not be significant, but the least I can do is not to tarnish the name of my country in my own circle of influence.
Singapore is a strong pool of local and foreign talents, so staying relevant and competitive in the market is never easy. I have been relentlessly upskilling myself, contributing and adding value to every corporate environment I have served in, achieving several milestones professionally and travelled to several countries for business with my Malaysian passport.
There were instances when my colleagues asked me, “Are you a Singaporean?” Without hesitation, I replied, “No, I’m a Malaysian.” – always striving to elevate the reputation of Malaysia, telling the world “Malaysia Boleh”.
