Malaysians always lewat sikit
By RACHEL LEOW
“Sure, I’ll pick you up at 6 p.m. Outside Starbucks?”
At three minutes after 6 p.m., I’m already waiting, leaning against one of the gigantic granite pillars outside Starbucks at Midvalley Megamall.
After ten minutes or so, without any sign of my friend, I wander into the mall and proceed to browse the latest range of digital SLR cameras, get my phone battery fixed, visit the restroom, purchase and finish a drink, unearth horrific trends in teenage fashion, read the headlines of all the major newspapers, locate my favourite stores on the mall directory, and count all the floor tiles in the center court.
At 6.43 p.m., my phone rings. “Hey, I’m outside.”
The perpetrator of the above scenario is none other than Josh Lim: entrepreneur, sark-extraordinaire, and ironically enough, mastermind of the recently launched MalaysianTime.com (Celebrating 48 Years of Unpunctuality). When I got into his car, he shot me a sheepish grin. “Had things to finish up at the office, lah.”
Malaysian Time: Timelessly Malaysian
Malaysians among us will be intimately familiar with the concept of Malaysian Time. To the rest of the world, Malaysia is located at GMT +8, and “Malaysian Time” is easily calculated by adding eight hours to the base figure of Greenwich Meridian Time.
To Malaysians, and as Josh Lim has demonstrated, Malaysian Time is a random variable fluctuating wildly anywhere within the range of 60 minutes, added to the base figure of Purported Time Of Arrival. Conventional calculation is impossible (MalaysianTime.com uses Flash ActionScript code - lots of it), and incidentally, the Purported Time Of Arrival is almost certainly a lie anyway.
This random variable is inconsistently contingent on any permutation of the following factors: traffic, mood, previous engagements, logistical setbacks: for example, confusion over the agreed meeting place. If parties involved are image-conscious, so much the worse: each will attempt to arrive fashionably later than the other, and horological chaos ensues.
Perhaps to this we might add the concept of Malaysian VIP Time, which typically operates somewhere in the vicinity of Bombay time.
A Cultural Phenomenon
It’s masterfully tongue-in-cheek, no doubt, but there’s a more than just a grain of truth to it all. What makes Malaysian Time such a cultural phenomenon is its almost universal recognition among friends, family, work acquaintances, and the public in general. When a concert purports to begin at 7 p.m., people start to stream in at that time, because “Oh, they won’t start on the dot anyway.” Indeed, there will be some technical setback, and the concert grinds into motion circa 7.30 p.m. An hour later, there are still people slipping in through the back door.
So much worse, if there are VIPs scheduled (I use that word loosely) to attend. Upon asking when the VIP is due to arrive, the answer will be some variant of a shrug, and a nonchalant response: “You know lah, VIP always lewat sikit (a little late)” - for a wildly fluctuating value of “sikit” (a little). Invariably, the concert is delayed until said VIP shows up.
How did Malaysians come to accept such a state of affairs? How did tardiness become so culturally prevalent that we have a term specially coined to describe it, a popular mentality trained to factor it into all our societal arrangements - and now more incredible yet: a website celebrating it?
I sense a chicken-and-egg conundrum turning at the core of the whole issue, mainly to do with expectations. If Josh tells me he’ll pick me up at 6 p.m., but we’re both highly attuned to Malaysian Time, not only will I expect in advance that Josh will be at least half an hour late, but Josh will also expect that I will expect him to be at least half an hour late. The whole matter becomes irresistibly self-fulfilling.
Malaysian Time has thus become something of an in-joke, which only adds to its acceptance as a time-honoured (or rather, time-dishonouring) social tradition. Is a relaxed attitude to punctuality that acceptable? Should it be?
Surely not. What, then, do we do about it?
Time For A Change
A key problem is inertia. Malaysian Time is so universally entrenched that any attempt to change it requires the force of the multitudes. Anything less will result in frustration. Expectations must be collectively, and simultaneously, altered. After all, as MalaysianTime.com itself explains, there is little incentive to try to be early, when you know the other person is going to be late anyway – not even to mention the exemplary precedent set by our own VIPs.
There seems no way around this, and in fact the appearance of a website like MalaysianTime.com, while delightfully cheeky, is perhaps indicative of “unpunctuality” fast becoming a stereotypical cultural trait. Much like the “humble Japanese” or the “arrogant American,” we may be nationally headed for fame and notoriety as the “tardy Malaysian.”
Such a reputation conceivably bodes poorly for Malaysia’s goals as a nation aspiring toward global competitiveness. Acceptance breeds permissiveness: people feel culturally entitled to skimp on punctuality, and this may well be acceptable between Malaysians. But I hardly think the rest of the world would be too impressed if Malaysians decide they are “culturally entitledâ€? to subvert punctuality conventions at international conferences, multinational jobs, meetings, business lunches, loan repayments and the like.
And it would be amusing indeed if Malaysia decides it is “culturally entitled� to arrive at Vision 2020 in 2025. We certainly seem headed that way, and it would make an entertaining excuse for failure: “You know lah, Malaysians always lewat sikit what.�
Interestingly, MalaysianTime.com suggests that tardiness may be something to celebrate because it’s something we can call our own, even if it is a negative quality. But ultimately, while occasional tardiness in and of itself is forgivable (I forgave Josh, of course), tardiness as a cultural norm cannot really be something to be proud of. Perhaps it’s time for a change: that is, time for Malaysians to be on time, for a change. Like many Malaysians scheduled to be someplace at some time, such changes are probably long, long overdue.
—
RACHEL LEOW is a contributing writer for theCICAK.
Rachel is your average atypical Malaysian girl who aspires to great things, if she could only figure out what those great things are in the first place. She does History at Warwick University, and likes her ivory towers enough to consider postgraduate study. Her one journalistic triumph was an essay published in the International Herald Tribune, which she wrote when she was sixteen and cannot bear to read anymore. She is compulsively anal about apostrophes. Visit her site.
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Comment of the week
I defend my right as a Malaysian to talk about anything that concerns Malaysia.
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I’ve learnt to accept I guess, as a Malaysian. But I’m annoyed by the tardiness of some fellow Malaysians. At the same time, I’ve been guilty of tardiness some time or the other. I try not to do it often, and I dare say I rarely do it.
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hahahha… why tardy malaysians? clearly one has yet to deal with spanish timing, which in all of honesty is much more exasperating than malaysian timing. Still, most Spanish would defend their lateness as part of their cultural identity. Their argument is because such timing is universally recognised by all spaniards and it reflects the type of people that they are - laidback, so why change it? If we want to meet up at 7pm but we say 6pm, we still get 7pm right? Plus such timing is not to be confused with corporate timing where punctuality is the key. People not used to this concept of Malaysian timing (read:foreigners) may find this irksome but u know what they say, ‘When in Rome, do what the Romans do’.
I like the fact that we have Malaysian timing and I really dont want to see it to be changed. It represents the type of people that we are. Plus it does not hurt anyone since everyone expects it from everyone else. After all, if it is not broken, why should we fix it?
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check out south american timing too
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i enjoy your articles alot.
i think tardiness is a bit disgraceful esp when many ppl cannot distinguish between “corporate timing” and meeting friends. and the example set by VIP gives a bad impression of malaysians. just because there is south american and spanish timing, does not mean that malaysians can do it too.
also sowat said: “If we want to meet up at 7pm but we say 6pm, we still get 7pm right?” - i think this is not correct bcos if your friend knows you say 6pm but mean 7pm then he may think its ok to arrive at 8pm. what rachel said about “expectations” rite?it is a visious cycle.
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Someone here should start compiling a list of Malaysian characteristics….our National Identity:)
I have the following list of what makes a typical Malaysian:
1. Never particular about time
2. Don’t know how to line up
3. Love cutting queues
4. Never able to give way to others
5. Love anything free (including free food)
6. Bad road manners
7. Love to clog up roads leading to shopping malls (despite realisation that parking spaces are ltd…just look at BSC,MidValley and 1U)
8. Love bringing in outside food into restaurants
9. Don’t know how to read non-smoking signs
10. Excellent indiscriminate parkers
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hc - i thought your list was more identified with the typical Malaysian with the “first class facilities but third world mentality”
timeliness is important no doubt, i personally do struggle with the issue of timeliness in meetings and appointments. some of my friends are terribly irked by some people being super late for no apparent reason. especially for some official meetings.
i guess being on time will just highlight a statement to the rest of the people around you. it shows that - ‘i’m serious about our meeting, are you?’ especially around Malaysians who are usually late for this and that.
not to forget our good ole’ Dr. Mahathir, however much critisism he got, he was always on time for his official events during his tenure as PM. i give him credit for that. he led by example in this area.
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Malaysians with first class facilities but third class mentality belong to the majority of Malaysians. I’m firmly convinced that even senior corporates and people who completed their education in developed countries, frequently resort to road rage, indiscriminate parking and cutting queues.
My office happens to be situated near Wisma KPMG…I’ve experienced how senior managers from the prestigious audit firm resort to hitting under the belt to get their ways. So much for education in developed countries when they aren’t even acquainted with basic mannerisms and social responsibility.
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im alwiz punctual
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Tsk tsk, Josh should have called ahead to warn you he’d be late
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I still remembered what my mother told me when we were on our way to a family reunion dinner. “Its better to be late than early. You don’t have to wait.” I know its bad. But in my “families” situation, I could’nt agree better.
For Malaysians out there. Ouote : You are considered on time when you come 5 mins earlier.
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Oh my god! This article is positively hilarious. Now I have a url to backup my claims of this inherent Malaysian trait.
Good job!
Att
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well done la…this comment was at least 3 hours late…got work to do mah…what to do?
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darn funny stuff. you should write for the star or something, they could use some cleverer writers.
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i am always punctual. this is because i believe that when people are late, they either do not know how to coordinate time, are too irresponsible or are not able to perform simple addition in time units. all three of this goes to shows that the person who is late is simply incapable.
as for the laid back attitude that sowat mentioned, well, if you are laid back, then schedule your appointments with an hour of extra time! you maybe laid back, but others maybe on a tight schedule. again it simply shows incapability.
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corporate meetings and friend meetings are totally different….if u dare,try to be late for a coporate meeting and see what you get in return. in my point of view,friend meetings are slightly different because of the word “friends”….i hate it though but i have to accept it as he or she is still my friend. always have a good planning and expect the worst all the time.
for an example,u have to meet a long lost childhood close super duper buddy at one utama, get there earlier by 1 hour or so….traffic congestions in selangor and kl is a normal cycle everyday…not every malaysian has this kind of behavior.if you are really late, it is always very important to inform others first. this is who i am…
as for HC,im so sorry for you,for having that kind of attitude.especially having bad road manners and jumping queues.I am not discriminating all kl and selangor drivers.I myself have been staying and driving in kl for the past 1 and a half years, and im not a local here as well….i used to drive my motorcycle at first…but now i have to buy a car in order to make sure i have at least 50% chance of surviving road accidents with drivers like you….
at last,which came across my mind right now,unpunctual malaysians sometimes contributes a small amount of road accidents everyday….be it a normal ones and a fatal ones.
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…. and so starts the “Im on the way (even though I just got up from bed, cough cough)” phenomenon
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Great article. Hilarious and very very true.
haha. I myself was one of the them last year. I was late for everything on the average of 15 minutes. If it involves public transport, it varies from half hour to an hour.
It was so bad that I was late for everything. Classes, buses, club meeting and even dates! -.-’
Eventually I felt guilty and decided that my resolution for this year would be to be punctual. And so far so good.I havent been late so far =)
The secret is to set an earlier alarm and keep looking at your clock. haha
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