Beginning tomorrow, our Muslim friends will be starting their one month fasting before the Hari Raya celebrations. During these 30 days, one will definitely not miss out visiting the many Ramadhan food bazaars as well as the many food eateries to savour on the local delicacies being prepared. Also during this one month, the local authorities would be making their rounds to apprehend those who are not fasting and eating in public. The fasting month always reminds me of a story my mother told me when she was still working....My mother was an ex-government servant (currently enjoying her retirement) who used to work for RRIM (now known as LGM) in Jalan Ampang during the early 70's. Coming from a Filipino-Eurasian descent, she could pass off as a Muslim lady if she wore a baju kurung (mind you of course, she is of bumiputra status as well) as she is also slightly dark-skinned. There was this one day during the fasting month where she did use a baju kurung ... went out to the eatery a few blocks away from the office to have her favourite nasi campur meal. As always, she would only carry cash sufficient to pay for her meal never to bother about her IC. As she was enjoying her lunch, two gentlemen approached her demanding that she follow them to the police station. She just gave them that "what have i done wrong" stare and asked for their identification. 
She didn't think that having a plate of nasi campur required her to go to the police station... was there an offence in eating?? Refusing to budge, the two men showed her their identification and they turned out to be two policemen in plain clothing doing their rounds to apprehend those who were not adhering to the fasting month and eating in public. She tried to explain to them that she was not of the Muslim faith and would gladly show proof if they would follow her back to the office to get her IC. Refusing her that, they took her in the back of the police van (in front of all her other colleagues who tried to reason and help her) to the station to penalise her for her actions. Once she reached the station, she requested for a phone call and called her GM to come and bail her out. During those years, it so happened that she had an Englishman as her superior and with his thick accent said, "Who the bloody hell did this to you? Don't they know how to reason and allow you to proof your ethnicity? Gimme a while and I'll come over and give them a piece of my mind!".
She didn't think that having a plate of nasi campur required her to go to the police station... was there an offence in eating?? Refusing to budge, the two men showed her their identification and they turned out to be two policemen in plain clothing doing their rounds to apprehend those who were not adhering to the fasting month and eating in public. She tried to explain to them that she was not of the Muslim faith and would gladly show proof if they would follow her back to the office to get her IC. Refusing her that, they took her in the back of the police van (in front of all her other colleagues who tried to reason and help her) to the station to penalise her for her actions. Once she reached the station, she requested for a phone call and called her GM to come and bail her out. During those years, it so happened that she had an Englishman as her superior and with his thick accent said, "Who the bloody hell did this to you? Don't they know how to reason and allow you to proof your ethnicity? Gimme a while and I'll come over and give them a piece of my mind!".Fifteen minutes later, you could hear the Englishman telling off the police officer to let his non-Muslim staff go as she hadn't committed any crime. "She's a bloody Eurasian for God's sake! Just because she's dark skinned and wears a baju kurung doesn't mean she's one! Don't you all check first before hauling someone to the station for no reason what so ever??". In less than 5 minutes my mom was sitting in her GM's car on the way back to the office. After her ordeal, she shelved her baju kurungs for the duration of the Ramadhan month just to avoid this mistaken identity again.
I've tried a few times being the ever so "naughty" girl and try the same thing but fortunately I never seemed to get caught!! Of course I'm not asking for trouble but it's the curiosity that's killing the mee instead of the cat in this matter!
I've tried a few times being the ever so "naughty" girl and try the same thing but fortunately I never seemed to get caught!! Of course I'm not asking for trouble but it's the curiosity that's killing the mee instead of the cat in this matter!To all my Muslim friends, Selamat Berpuasa! To all my other friends, Happy Eating!!! (heheheheheh)
*Disclaimer - No insinuation, harm or ill feelings towards the Muslim community and the police force in the above story*
No comments:
Post a Comment