A trip to Jakarta

As Salam and Dear All

A group of us, alumni of Nursing school university Malaya families. A total of 24 people went and 23 return because one has to return home early because of urgent matter.  For me this is not my first visit. We Stayed at Hotel Santika. Nice  four star hotel. The Tourist guide, Jais, was not only entertaining but also know a lot about Indonesian history

One thing is obvious is Jakarta now has transformed. The crowd, the traffic jam (machet, in Indonesia language) is still there but there are more sky skyscraper buildings in between the poor housing areas.  Malls, apartments are part of Jakarta.

One thing that has not changed is the identity and the manners of the Indonesians.  They are very proud of the language, their culture and who they are.  Whoever lives there irrespective of their different ethnic background- they speak one language-INDONESIA. This include foreigners, I feel insulted sometime seeing how Indonesia, a country which is less developed in Malaysia can maintain and continue to speak one language.  I can hear the whites who live there is very well verse with the language.  The principle is use it or leave.  So the foreigner chose to use it. Names are also Indonesian, yes it is hard to differentiate between each ethnic but that what they are- Indonesia.

The manners of Indonesian is far better than Malaysian.  They are very polite to all, their own people or the visitors-from the hotel to airport and the people in general. While Malaysia, have national language, but it is not widely spoken. Malaysians are proud to speak English, a language of a country that colonized it. Use English for own advantage but speak Malay to show who we are and where are we from.  There is no one to promote Malay language, except us.  Some Malaysia who are born and live here all their lives still cannot speak the national language. Where did we went wrong.  Don't be embarrassed to show our identity what we have.

It is Okey to know and use English but at the world level use Malay, like Indonesia, Japanese, French, Arabs.  Not speaking English does not mean we are not developed. Japan are so developed, French are developed, and so is Indonesia, which is developing.

Of course Religion cannot be one. Islam is still Islam, they cannot be one, so Muslims have to keep the identity and the faith as Muslim at the same time keep their own culture within the scope and principle of Islamic teaching. That the one thing, that should not be compromise.  

Indonesia- Modern and yet very traditional