Malaysia is where the heart is

In celebration of Malaysia Day tomorrow, Fly FM radio announcers Maggy and Ili with their boss Seelan Paul reminisce about the good old days and their hopes for this beloved homeland, writes

Seelan Paul says his childhood experiences made him appreciate and understand the various cultures in Malaysia.

IT’S common knowledge that Malaysians love to eat and their passion for food is boundless. Who can blame us though? Our cultures and traditions ensure a wide spread of culinary delights to savour. The word Malaysia then is synonymous with gastronomic bliss. Just ask Fly FM radio announcers Ili Ruzanna Iqbal and Maggy Wang.

“You may look at my size and think I’m not a foodie but I am, especially for Malaysian grub,” says the petite and bubbly Ili, 22, who is the latest addition to the Fly family.

Earlier in the year, she won the station’s Flydol 2017 competition and recently started her own radio show.

“We’ve got all kinds of dishes and I think this relates to our diversity. To me, Malaysia means colourful,” she adds.

“Malaysia is where my heart is, it’s where my home is. And there’s no beating the food here,” says Maggy, 25, enthusiastically.

Both have done their fair share of travelling to far-off lands and admit that there’s no place like home when it comes to delectable delights.

“We have the best foods here. My favourites are nasi lemak and roti canai. I can eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, anytime,” says a wide eyed Ili.

Maggy adds that whenever she’s overseas she’ll always look forward to having local food again once she’s back on home soil.

Describing herself as a fitness and healthconscious person, she says: “I eat clean on a daily basis but on my cheat days, I love to dig into ban mee, nasi lemak or just plain old Maggi goreng.”

“I can’t live without the mamak and they’re generally 24-hour joints,” says Maggy of one of her favourite food venues that have been a gathering point for people from all walks of life.

“For me, the word Malaysia means a celebration of diversity. I see us all coming from multiple races, experiences and such into one exciting and unique melting pot,” says Seelan Paul, Media Prima Radio Networks (MPRN) chief executive officer, who is in charge of Fly FM.

This aspect is reflected in the MPRN office at Sri Pentas in Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, where rows of cubicles are occupied by a varied mix of young Malaysians from different races and creeds. JOURNEY TOGETHER

As we head over to the Fly FM studio to continue our chat, it’s evident that everyone has an interesting, if not a little familiar, Malaysian story to tell.

All three agree that they grew up colour blind as it never occurred to them to distinguish people through the lens of race and such.

Seelan, 43, who hails from Nibong Tebal, Seberang Perai, Penang says that the small town he grew up in was a fantastic example of what Malaysia is.

“In my school at that time, there was no Malay, Chinese or Indian students, only the football boys, the naughty guys and smart students. We were only segregated by social behaviour,” he says with a smile.

Describing himself as a football-crazy boy who was also good in academics, he mixed with everyone, including the naughty boys.

“My circle of friends were a very mixed bunch. I speak fluent Tamil and Malay but I was, at the time, also able to understand a little Cantonese.”

A few of his fond memories while growing up included playing football with a multiracial group of friends and cycling around.

“I remember once the three of us cycled from Nibong Tebal to Tanjung Bungah, which was about 50km away, and hung out by the beach and camped out,” he recalls of an adventure he had with his best buddies Nathan and Izra when he was 17.

“Here you have a Christian, a Muslim and a Hindu going on a trip together.”

“I had that privilege of really mixing with everybody at an early age,” he says of his experiences that made him appreciate and understand the various cultures in the country.

“Whenever we had to participate in athletics competitions, we’d stay at Izra’s grandmother’s house over in Penang Island. They treated us like part of the family and that’s where I got a better understanding of Malay culture,” says Seelan.

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

The various festivals that are celebrated throughout the year in Malaysia also play a part in bringing people together.

“This was always something that my friends and I looked forward to. Visiting each other’s houses for Hari Raya, Chinese New Year and Deepavali.”