I was on holiday in Kuala Lumpur, my first visit to Malaysia, and I had been enjoying my stay. I had gone out for a stroll to take in the sights and sounds of the city, when I encountered a rather unpleasant situation with a local man at a bar.
I was drinking in a pub at Mont Kiara when I heard a group of people talking loudly. It was quite loud and I could make out some of the words they were saying.
One of them was saying something along the lines of, “You think you’re so special, just because you’re from Singapore?”
I immediately knew he was talking about me. I was the only Singaporean in the group and I had an inkling that this man was jealous of me. I had heard stories about locals getting jealous of foreigners, especially those from Singapore, because they were perceived to have more money.
The man started to get more aggressive, poking his finger in my chest and shouting, “You think you’re better than me, just because you’re from Singapore? I work for BMW, I always go to Singapore”
I was confused and didn’t know what to do. I tried to explain to him that I was just a tourist and that I wasn’t trying to show off. But he didn’t seem to understand and kept getting more aggressive.
At that moment, a couple of the locals stepped in and tried to calm him down. They told him that there was no need to get so angry and that I was just a visitor who had no intention of showing off. After a few minutes of arguing, the man finally backed off and left.
I was pissed off by the incident and didn’t know what to do. I had heard stories of locals getting jealous of foreigners, especially those from Singapore, because they were perceived to have more money.
But what I didn’t realise is that this jealousy was based on a misconception. Singaporeans do not necessarily have more money than Malaysians. In fact, most Singaporeans are just as financially challenged as the average Malaysian.
The man I encountered was probably just frustrated and angry about his own financial situation. He was probably feeling helpless and powerless, so he lashed out at me. I can’t really blame him.
To that loser out there, if you ever try to do it again I will make sure you get fired by BMW!