“What constitutes un-Malaysian behaviour? The act itself or the political stance of the perpetrator?” Twitterjaya asks, after Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak condemned the act of mooning by a youth on Merdeka eve as ‘un-Malaysian’.

In his speech, Najib said such acts do not reflect Malaysian values and should not be encouraged. The rhetoric has left netizens examining the question - what is our culture?

Here’s a collection of posts on social media looking into that question:

Loo Kok Leong: Fake tweets, doctored photos of the crowd in your house, sadistic police beating civilians, a government agency handling your daughter’s wedding, official plane sending you on vacation, persecuting the NGO investigating Scorpene are Malaysian culture? (By the way) when is Taib stepping down? Breaking promise also Malaysian culture?

Madcow Muar: Debate, street demos, mooning not our culture! Corruption and gangsterism our culture.

Carlo Garces: Everything you don’t like, you say it’s not our culture. Welcome to the new age, old man.

Frank Wong: Yes it’s (a) small matter. But it’s ‘your’ culture to loan RM250 million to a select few, buy gems and diamonds like buying vegetables, ‘ makan ’ duit rakyat (consume taxpayers’ contributions). Did I leave out anything?

Brett Loh: Corruption our culture? C4 our culture?

Daniel Lim: Lembu tinggal kondo mewah budaya kita . (Cows staying in luxury condominiums is our culture.)

Selvamani Muniandy: Why Mr PM never (gave a) statement when people did a butt exercise at (Bersih co-coordinator S) Ambiga’s house. Is this our culture?

Atles Foo: Mat Rempit is our culture and (is it) a very ‘Malaysian’ culture to encourage?

Shereen Chan YokeLing: Show butt cannot; show keris can! Show ‘ kepala lembu ’ (cow’s head) can! Your cousin (Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein) also supported it.

Ashleigh Kua: Not our culture doesn’t mean we cannot do. It’s also not our culture to wear coat and tie, why you do?

Thomas Balaraju: Butt (dance), pissing on posters, shit demo by Perkasa, cow-head demo, funeral ceremony for Penang CM, (our culture?) Shame of you, Mr PM.

Jin-Song Kong: We can’t show our butts, but we can piss on (posters)?

Mickey Kok: Ah Jib, is reading FHM Malaysia our culture? K-pop?

Deacon Apthomas: Making people suffer is not our culture too!

Adrian Chang: Daylight robbery (RON97 quiet price increase), scandals (NFC/PKFZ), rapists (being freed) is not how we want our country to be seen as well.

James So:

People showed (their) butts to Ambiga you never mentioned anything, (when someone) shows their butt to your poster you ‘ heboh sekampong ’ (make a fuss).

TuanHock Liew: Funny how he never criticised the acts of burning posters of opposition leaders, or urinating on their posters, or holding mock funerals of opposition leaders, splashing red paint on vehicles of opposition leaders, presenting mock faeces, etc, etc. By not condemning these acts, is he thus tacitly endorsing them?

Heavenly Trail: The old culture was fine because people were not racially polarised by the government like now, politicians were respectable before, police were respected, the failure to treat all citizens with equal rights and privileges has caused the current culture of hate.

No longer are people going to be cowed and threatened. Current bunch of so-called leaders are vile and not worthy of honour. The young generation already realises how stupid the leaders are, who say one thing while in reality it is something else.

Azmi Nordin: Having a debate is not “our” culture too. Our culture is all about looting the country dry.

Chris Wong: Everything is (labelled) culture by BN and not PR and good Malaysians. The most idiotic nonsensical nincompoop ever in Malaysian history.

Ibnu Yusoff:

The Scorpene Scandal and the murder of Altantuya is our culture?

Elle Morena: Giving contract to cronies, BN and Umno culture, corruption culture is under the leadership of Umno, showing backside to Ambiga is BN culture, making police reports out of nothing is BN/Umno culture.

Jacky Chin: This is not the kind of comment that should come out from a liberal government. Should we support this government? Please think twice.

 

Editor's note: You and your comments too can be featured in Malaysiakini 's Twitterjaya series - go to our Facebook page and drop a comment on any of the hot stories published there or comment using Twitter. Don't forget to include "#Malaysiakini" at the end of your tweet. Our story, your views.