"Of Chinese and Malay identities in Malaysia"
Most Malaysian Chinese chose to keep their Chinese ethnic identity and hardly assimilate into the local culture. Mandarin is their first and preferred language.
Many Malaysian Chinese are more ‘western’ in their outlook instead of keeping to their ethnic identity. English is their first and preferred language.
Scores of Malaysian Chinese are more ‘local’ in their outlook – speaks Bahasa Malaysia or the local dialect extremely well especially the Baba Nyonyas and Peranakans.
Most of Malaysian Malays are trying to keep to their Malay identity, still dressing as much as possible as Malays do and enjoy and proud of the Malay language and culture.
Many Malaysian Malays are abandoning their local ethnic identity and becoming more like Saudi Arabs. Arabic is their preferred language, if only they can speak it.
Scores of Malaysian Malays are more ‘western’ in their outlook instead of keeping to their ethnic identity. English is their first and preferred language.
Culture represents a distinctive way of life of a group of people, their complete design for living. It is the complex whole of knowledge, belief, customs, art, skills, morals, traditions, habits, artifacts and objects and common knowledge to the members of the society.
Chopsticks represents part of the cultural symbol of the Chinese community. If we want to take this conversation forward in a positive way, we need to understand it as a symbolic representation of the community instead of harping on chopsticks per se – taking the conversation to the level of coffeeshop banter.
It is obvious that we are not ready to have a mature dialogue on the Malaysian identity. Perhaps we are operating from a society deeply wounded at the emotional level.
Or perhaps, many are simply in self denial 
Peace.
anas zubedy
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