'Sepet'

The movie ‘Sepet’ which I watched with Nic yesterday was a movie which was so relevant to me and I believe to a number of Malaysians. For me I think that it was slightly exaggerated, but overall it was a good movie. For those of you who do now know about the movie or what it is about, I am sorry but ‘where have you all been?’

‘Sepet’ is a love story about a Chinese VCD seller who is a romantic and a Malay girl who loves to watch John Woo and Chinese movies. This is the story about their unlikely romance and what happens. For those of you who do not support Malaysian films and shake their head wearily when I talk about Malay shows or Hindu shows for that matter, come on… it is just another genre and you know what sure some of the shows suck and are bad, but honestly, ‘Sepet’ is not one of them. We have to try and support the Malaysian movie market. If we don’t, who will?

While watching the show, I of course ‘ber-emo’ and tried to cover up so that Nic and the other couple beside me would not see the welling up of tears and for once I succeeded. Could be that or that they were all engrossed with the movie. Anyways, this show brings to mind an ex of mine who was Malay. My friends used to joke and say that I had a Malay phase, which at that time I shrugged of but now I find it offensive because they are humans like us and so what if I feel in love with a Malay guy and not a Chinese one? There were many jokes made about them, my Malay friends, but honestly they were much nicer to me than the Chinese friends ever were. So what if they rode motocycles and looked a little rough around the edges, they had a heart of gold.

It was sad though when a Malay dude came up to me one day when I was in form four and asked me why I couldn’t just go and like a Chinese guy. He said “you orang Cina pigilah dengan orang Cina.” He got a good talking to by my ex when I told my ex about what that idiot said. Yesterday I saw that idiot around and wanted to smack him, but what for. People like this will never change. They will have racism in their hearts and will never change. How can Malaysia grow when this kind of silly nonsensical hatred reside in out hearts and when we can’t change our mentality of the other races.

Later on in my life I also dated another Malay guy who I really cared for but the reality that we were from different races and religions hit home after about a year and more of us dating. It was hard but we managed to stay good friends till today. The other ex that I mentioned earlier in this blog sadly passed away when I was 17, and it killed a whole part of me. Many of my poems that I wrote and continue to write are about him and I miss him. He always stood up for me and taught me that it didn’t matter what race we all were, we were Malaysians. I still think about him sometimes and how he was so cruelly snatched away by God and I can’t help but think of ‘Sepet’ and how the ending was some what similar to mine.

I end this blog today with a wish for everyone, that they find love and that they don’t shy away from it just because it doesn’t come in the right colour or size. This could be the ramblings of a slightly emo person, but really love is what makes everything worthwhile. And for those of you, who are slightly biased and racist please stop. We need to make Malaysia united, we all live under the same sun. One day the ex told me “How can you say Malaysia sudah Merdeka when there are still people fighting about race and religion in the country?” I said I didn’t know and I still don’t. I pray that one day that Malaysia will be united and that there will be no more discrimination, nepotism and cronyism. One can surely hope and believe…

*Possum thanks, for loving me and for making my life worthwhile*