DEC 31 — I keep forgetting I’m in Sabah.
A few days back, a young boy sat in my consultation room and said, “Doc, pantat saya sakit.”
I’m not sure if you know what it means in the peninsula. If you don’t, this is a good time to find out from your male colleagues and friends.
The young man certainly gave me a jolt before my coffee did.
I looked at his name, then at him, and slowly and carefully said, “Apa?”
He said, also slowly and carefully, “Pantat - saya - sakit.”
That, dear readers, was the longest five minutes of history taking before I learnt what “pantat” actually meant to him.
It means buttocks in this part of the world.
There was another time when I dropped a coin, and an old lady with a walking stick shouted at me, “Bubut dia! Bubut dia!”
I really thought she was senile, and rallying people to beat me up. Don’t ask me why, but I thought “bubut” was “beat” when it actually meant “chase.”
I didn’t wait to find out and drove away after that.
Those who have not visited Sabah, please do so. But before you board the flight, please check your politics at the airport. You will be amazed at how similar, and yet different our Bahasa Malaysia is here.
Unlike in the peninsula, Bahasa Malaysia is widely used here in Sabah by Malaysians and non-Malaysians. Not to mention they share very similar accents. The only way to tell them apart is by their possession of Malaysian Identity Cards (ICs).
Oh, too late. Never mind then.
Sabahans, unlike their countrymen from the peninsula, know to set aside political and religious differences. I, like many Sabahans, would like it to remain this way. They are truly the embodiment of 1 Malaysia.
Though they are from many different religions and races, they are well assimilated with one another.
I have a patient who is a Christian in the morning, and dons the hijab to pray and eat in the mosque at night.
When I asked her, she said, “Semua sama bah.” (They are all the same.)
I’ve seen men with skullcaps having tea with non-Muslims in coffee shops, in Chinese restaurants, who are also able to do a poco poco and Sumazau at the drop of a hat.
They are Musa, Isa, Ahmad, Rusli, and have “bin” and “binti” after their names, but that does not mean they are Muslims.
My personal preference, opinion aside, it is refreshing to know there is a place in Malaysia where tolerance, moderation and respect is alive and well, where religion is private, freely practised without fear and remains between Man and God.
As William Shakespeare said, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
Come and experience Sabah in 2014.
Oh, and don’t forget mosquito repellants.
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
