Author: Nicholas Ng
Food. Dance. Laughter. Just a typical night in KEVII? Not so. Malaysia Night 2008 Identiti, unlike ordinary nights in KE, cost $6, whereas an ordinary night in KE would cost you $10.71 to $7.14, the latter if you were one of those in the double rooms. The food, though, proved to be much nicer than the usual fare. Nasi Bryani, Mee Goreng, Yam Cake, Spring Rolls and other foods that seemed vaguely Malaysian added spice to the monotony of KE palates, though we can ignore the authenticity of the fare, since, in this day and age, who cares where food is from anymore? Malaysian, Singaporean, Chinese, Timbuktu-an, from Sheares, from KE… It’s whose stomach it ends up in that matters.
And what a variety of stomachs it went into. The Chinese, the Malaysian seniors, the Vietnamese, the exchange students from all over. And I, in the lone Singaporean cluster, feeling truly, like a little red dot. Ironic, that in my homeland, I would feel like a foreigner among foreigners. As I watched the Malay dance performance, though, I could not help but feel that this was not so different from what I was used to, back in school, where Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultural performances were a guarantee at every Teacher’s Day, Racial Harmony Day, and whatever other day that the dancers could rehearse for. The cat calls and wolf whistles, the sabo-ing, even the going back for more food, was more than just Malaysian. This was a night meant for everybody to enjoy.
Everybody had fun watching the participants do the Bamboo Dance, but I felt that the Teh Tarik game was more rewarding to watch. And it wasn’t about how funny it was seeing the participants try to entertain us without spilling the tea. Rather, the best part came when we saw teamwork between the participants, helping each other execute the moves. It was touching, to see Malaysian, Vietnamese, and Chinese alike, interlocking arms, or holding cups, even if the tea did spill. Although, in this competition, there was only one winner declared, the real winner that night was the KEVIIan spirit.
Nicholas Chai in Action
And as the entire Malaysian Night Committee came onstage to sing the song that was self-composed, I was nearly moved to tears. The lyrics and melody were nicely arranged, but it was the combined voices of the 24 freshmen, singing as one, for all the world to hear, that touched me. Here was a group of young students, far away from their family, and their homes, but they’d managed to find their own family down here, and in presenting to us a successful Malaysian Night, showed that they could work together and accomplish goals together, as a cohesive unit.
But, as a senior rightly put later that night, as photographs were taken and joy was spread all around, the idea is not to be a single unit. Whatever our nation, faculty, or year, being part of this community in KEVII, we should not become an exclusive micelle that chases “different” people away. Instead, we should make use of our versatility to help the minorities feel welcome, and loved, and give them a family that they can enjoy, as much as we would like one, if we ourselves were in a foreign land. Even a simple “How are you?” or a nod and a smile, can go a long way. Let us show kindness and care to our neighbours, friends, brothers and sisters, in this place we call home.
We came to watch a performance. What we experienced, was a celebration, not just of all things Malaysian, but of love, cohesiveness, and spirit.
The Committee with Dr. Seow
Edited by: Jonathan Chan
Photography by: Kok Pun & Weiqin
KE7 News 
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