Its not just the politicians. The rot has spread to the average
Malaysian. They geniuinely believe Singapore has been robbing them
of their cuisine.
http://www.nkkhoo.com/2009/09/18/a-food-war-with-singapore/
Hainanese chicken rice is neither originated from Malaysia nor
Singapore. The recipe is inherited from a city named Wen Chang in
the China Hainan island. But Hainanese chicken ball rice was
invented either in Muar or may be in Melaka.
Bak Kut Teh is truly a Malaysian
dish, originated from Klang. Singapore is hijacking from Malaysia
and claim theirs.
I gonna write its naming origin.
http://niamah.blogspot.com/2009/09/eh-all-gone-already-la.html
But to me it is like locking the stable doors after the horses
have bolted. In case Ng Yen Yen has not noticed, most of the food
that she has identified and wants to label as Malaysian has already
been stamped SINGAPOREAN!
Chili Crabs, Hainanese Chicken Rice (even the rice-ball variety
that we all thought was unique to this kopitiam in Malacca is
'discovered' to be a Singaporean original), nasi lemak, laksa.
As usual our super efficient
neighbours have been hard at work identifying what is worth taking,
taken and stamped everything before we even realise Eh! What
happened ah?
And it has already past the stage where if we were now to make
claims over these food dishes we'd just be another butt of jokes on
the global hawker centre.
While we were busy being Truly Asia
our smarter neighbours have been busy identifying what is worth
plundering and taken the loot. We should have learned our
lessons a long time ago. After all,
they plunder our schools and universities every year for talent.
But then we are Malaysians and so learn rather
sloooooooowly.
I am not sure she is aware that the Malaysian International Gourmet
Festival is founded and organised by an Australian. So she'd better
watch it closely or in time to come Nasi Kandar might be actually
Aussie.
Smart Singaporean has already claimed Singapore Cherry as their
own which in fact was rambutan imported from Malaysia. I had heard
satay vendor telling angmoh that satay was Singapore origin. Next,
Malaysian durian will be known as Singapore Luilian.
http://uppercaise.wordpress.com/2009/09/18/why-is-everyone-laughing-at-yen-yen/
Why is Ng Yen Yen being laughed at all over because she wants to
protect the intellectual rights to Malaysian food or their names?
Patrick “Niamah” Teoh and his visitors, Malaysiakini subscribers,
HartalMSM, to name just a few, think she’s quite a joke. Doesn’t
she have a point? Why not support it?
What is uniquely Malaysian should be protected, whether for tourism
marketing or, more importantly, for our own pride. What’s wrong
with that?
Only wine from Champagne can be called "Champagne"
An American company "patented" basmati rice. India fought
backFrance protects its stuff, too, ferociously — “Champagne”
cannot come from California, it only be called a “sparkling
wine”.
Should we laugh at that?
India went to court to protect “basmati” rice — because a sharp
American company broke down the DNA of basmati rice and a stupid
American judge allowed them to “patent” it. Don’t laugh.
The pushcart kueh man. He's a national heritage, tooIf something is
unique to us, let’s protect it. Bak
kut teh, yee sang, mee goreng mamak, roti canai, murtabak, roti
jala, nasi kandar, Curry Kapitan, inchi kabin, pulut inti, kueh
kochi santan, kueh talam, Penang laksa (assam and lemak), pasembor
(called “rojak” by stupid KLites), rojak (called “rojak buah” by
stupid KLites), Hainanese Chicken Rice (because made by Hainanese),
roti bakar (with Planta margarine and kaya), kaya, Ampang yong tau
foo, lemang, ulam, sambal belacan, cincalok…Best eaten hot on a
stool next to the roadside stall
Hey there’s a long list of Malaysian
stuff that’s unique to Malaysia or adapted by Malaysians. Let’s do
something to reclaim our shared heritage.
True, those bloody Singaporeans have
masterfully hijacked a boatload of our stuff over 50 years to claim
as their own. That doesn’t mean Malaysians should just roll over
and let them get away with it.
The problem is of course partly
because we have a shared immigrant Chinese and immigrant Indian
culture and a shared, but unique, Straits Chinese culture which the
Singaporeans trumpet in their tourism and national literature as
their own Peranakan culture while quietly ignoring the Nyonya
culture of Malacca and Penang.
Isn't Penang assam laksa a Malaysian
dish?And the Malaysian authorities have similarly quietly ignored
whatever wasn’t completely “Malay” in the officially-recognised
“national culture”.
Ng Yen Yen’s problem, and the problem shared by MCA, Gerakan, DAP,
et al, is that Umno’s bullies have insisted that “Malaysian
culture” — defined at a so-called “national” congress headed by the
bullying Ghazali Shafie after the 1969 riots — must be defined as
being based on “Malay” culture.They call this a "prata" down
South.
To Umno, the word “national” means “Malay”. National Chamber of
Commerce = Malay Chamber. Etc.
Straits culture, unique to the MalSing area. Going, going...So
everything else gets short shrift, even stuff that makes Malaysia
truly different. Even though Ampang yong tau foo, for one, cuts
across all cultures and is enjoyed by all at food courts
everywhere.
Chingay, almost unique to Penang
Hokkiens, has been hijacked by sharp Singaporean Hokkiens and
Teochews for tourism purposes in their Chinese New Year parades.
Did the Malaysian authorities make any attempt to protect that? Or
to promote it?
If Ng Yen Yen is now making a belated attempt to recapture our
shared heritage, she should be given support. Not laughed at.
Or do we want to remain second-class
to uppity thieving Singaporeans all the time?
These aren't the ramblings of politicians. This is the feeling
at the grassroots level across the causeway. Singaporeans often
make the mistake that it is just the Malaysian government which
despises us. One of these days we will pay for our naivete.
