Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see ~ Mark Twain
True Colours.
Sad to say, some of my fellow Malaysians are the most horrible and racist people when it comes to treatment of Bangladeshis. At a gas station, I saw a guy violently punching the perspex at the payment window and cursing the Bangladeshi cashier because he was served late. In a fit of anger, he threw the pump nozzle on the ground and drove off.
Saw another guy threatening to slap a Bangladeshi worker at a car wash because there were a bit of fingerprints on the windscreen. I have witnessed many other incidents of aggression, rudeness and mean behaviour towards these gentle people.
The Bangladeshis are easy picks because they are mostly meek, gentle and peaceful people.
I’ve met many Bangladeshi and migrant workers from other countries over the years and became good friends with them. First met them at regular restaurants, retailers, car wash yards, clubs (where they worked as janitors) and other places. Treat them with respect and they always reciprocate. Extend your friendship and they’ll do likewise. Humans are like that, whichever nation they are from.
One of them is my friend Aman from Bangladesh who worked here for 17 years without ever returning home once. He finally saved enough to get married and to buy a generator for his parents’ house in rural Bangladesh.
Here is a picture from 2007 where Aman (second from left) with his fellow countryman, and an Indonesian housemate hosted a simple and much-appreciated Hari Raya lunch. It was nice ethnic food in their tiny rented flat in Tiong Nam. The guests were his Malaysian colleagues and me.
#bangladesh #bangladeshi #migrantworker #friendship #hariraya #malaysia
with Alex Wong, Eric Wong and Felicia Suah