Malaysian Mondays – My memory lah

‘To lah or not to lah, that’s the question in Malaysia!’ –Charles Cham.

We can all agree that children are very much influenced by the environment. So, it was no surprise when I picked up the ‘lah word when I was a toddler.

Addicted to this distinctive Manglish word, it seems like my life was all about lah-ing away. ‘I go first lah’ ‘You eat first lah’ ‘I don’t know lah’

The ‘lah word was practically the main focus and the shining star of my speech. Somehow, my sentence felt incomplete with its flashing appearance. Every time the ‘lah word was spoken, my little head will try to control my voice so that the intonation of the word is perfect and smooth. I remember doing so in order to make what I say sound like an important statement. To me, ‘I am about to bath lah’ just sounds cooler and more aloof than ‘I am about to bath’

Then it came a time when my parents being upright scholars of language got troubled and upset by my choice of never-ending ‘lahs. As so, they made a deal with me, that anyone in the family who said the word ‘lah was subjected to a punishment of a slap on the hand. The punishment sounded mildly severe for me, who was only 6 years old then.

The dry and boring days of ‘lahs soon began.

One day, while on the way to grocery shopping, I pointed to a big yellow school bus and asked my parents if I was going to take public transport to school the next year, when I begin primary education. Nodding their heads, they answered ‘yes, you will be taking the bus sekolah’. It was a significant moment! Dramatically I imagined a loud boom of thunder at the back of my head. Opening my mouth a perfect round I said ‘OOOOOOOOOOO!’ followed by a voice that under the deafening girly screams could be heard as ‘ MAMA, YOU SAID THE WORD LAH! YOU SAID THE WORD LAH’ Puzzled, she replied ‘No I didn’t, when did I do so?’ Unable to contain the excitement that I fianlly found fault in adults who had so much authority over the young me, I breathlessly explained ‘bus sekolah, bus sekolah, –lahlahlahlah! You said lah!’

My parents, enlightened by my reply, roared with laughter and tried to explain to me that this ‘lah is different from that ‘lah. I cried with anger and frustration, because they were being sour losers and refused to let me slap their hands. Since that day, I was insistent not to say the ‘lah word even though my parents constantly used it. When the Ice-cream uncle came with his bike and asked me what Ice-cream flavour I’d like to have that day, I would look at my feet and mumble softly ‘Vani’ only to have my dad attacked by rows of laughter explaining to Uncle that what I really wanted was ‘Vani-lla'.

There were also humiliating moments in school when I was asked to name a flower in front of my peers. I answered ‘bougainvi-‘. My kind teacher although full with wondrous amazement, helped me out by saying ‘I think what she meant was bougainvillea’

Of course, as I grew older, I was able to differentiate this ‘lah from that ‘lah lah. But the ‘lah word is definitely the Manglish term that I have most memories with.

Many have criticize ‘lah as being broken and improper. I do agree that to a certain extent, that during formal occasions and formal communication, it is important that we present the best of ourselves using what is right. But in our daily life as Malaysians, English might not be best when there’s Manglish that marks us uniquely daughters and sons of our nation.

Mandarin is good, but different dialects such as Hokkien, Hakka, Teoh Chew adds spice and flavour to its history, culture and usage. English is good too, but what fun is it without a bit of ‘lahs? I imagine myself in the streets of a foreign country, when the person walking beside me suddenly says to his phone ‘I tell you lah’. It would definitely make me smile, listening to something that reminds me of the home I miss, no?

Before I bid you bye, I would like to add that my parent’s effort in making me ‘lahness had fail. Although I use ‘lah less than others around me, BUT I still use it lah!

photo via weheartit