Don't play the racial cards with me, dear...

“So how? Want to go or not?”

Union Guy asked me for the umpteenth time. He received a sms about a free voucher for a 2 nights 3 days stay at any of the SG Hotel in Kuantan, Damai Laut or KL, which need to be collected today at a mall in PJ.

I, on the other hand, never believed in all these free stuff smses. The only free thing in the world that I recognized is my mom’s wrath and my wide toothy grin.

But being a very optimistic person who had braved through many stupid things, I said okay and agreed to go. The worse thing that could happen to me and Union Guy is we have to endure lectures on the importance of joining a vacation club and how that would strengthen our husband-wife relationship. Well, on that point all I can say is been there, done that.

True to my premonition, a young chubby guy welcomed us at the entrance, took us in and started gearing into the importance of going for vacations, to be able to see the world…bla…bla…the whole work. My brain went on screaming “Shut up! Shut up!” for the whole 45 minutes as he tried his damndest best to convince us into joining the vacation club. When I asked him back, “How much is the fee to be a member?” He quickly called his manager, explaining to us that only his manager can explain to us about fees and payments as he is not authorized to do so. Oh, so he is the product ambassador. Cheh! Not attractive at all.

A woman, in her mid-thirties with a business like smile approached us. Then, the following conversation took place;

“ Ala, dik, murah je dik. Take this as an investment, kalau adik ambik Full Platinum Membership, baru RM20,000..”

Mak oii. The fried rice I ‘ve just walloped felt like coming out. RM20, 000? Was she nuts? Do we look like a couple with RM20, 000 to spend on a vacation membership? Correction. Do we look like a couple with RM20, 000 in our banks?

Seeing our looks of horror, she went in for the kill. She explained that we could pay the fee in installments. I could see RM in her eyes.

‘Err…kami datang sini pasal nakkan voucher percuma tu je.”

I tried honesty. It works sometimes.

“Takkan nak voucher je kot, dik? Ambiklah membership satu,”

She’s a seasoned sales woman from the looks of it. We might be drawn to her convincing marketing style. That was, until the following words erupted from her mouth…

“Nilah orang Melayu, tengok kene keluar duit banyak sikit, dah terkejut, dah panic. Tak pandai nak menilai kualiti. Kalau org Cina, India, senang je nak jual”.

Ewah, ewah. This woman wanted to play racial card with me now. Where did she get her marketing skill training from? A Birotatanegara Camp?

That really did it. Not because I am insulted that she thought me being a Malay, I am therefore

a). Stingy

b). No money

c). All above.

I am offended with the fact that she characterizes people. Making free judgments that people are willing to sacrifice their RM20K based on their race. I can tell her how many of my grandma’s Hokkien neighbors in Kuala Kangsar would shake their head in disapproval to this vacation membership because they need the money for food, kid’s education or a better house. Or how Indian plantation workers are only getting a raise which is less that RM2 for working like modern slaves. But that wouldn’t matter to her at all, I bet. She further hinted that we prefer to pay the full sum for a lousy hotel like The First World Hotel which quality-wise is similar to her toilet at home, rather than getting discounts with the membership she is offering. (P/S: If her toilet has AC, carpets and room service, why is she working HERE?)

I shook my head and concluded that she is just plain cruel when she got disappointed. She is not playing the racial card to win a by-election or to get tenders. She is just a mean old woman, frustrated that her Malay counterparts are not helping her in getting more commissions for the business.

But I and Union Guy would not want to give her a hard time. And we don’t talk about class or wealth distribution at 6.30 pm in the evening. I just said that I couldn’t afford the membership even though I and Union Guy had traveled to UK, Europe, India, and Canada, Korea, Indonesia, Cambodia, Bangkok and some other places. We also normally didn’t stay at posh hotels during our travel. Either we bunk in with our friends or stayed at hostels. He looked at Union Guy’s faded work uniform in disbelief. Yeah, yeah, we know…we don’t have hip cloths too.

She just handed us the free voucher and shook our hands briskly.

Thank god, the voucher was after all “free”.

Moral of the story:
Do not wear your ugly work uniform (if it’s ugly), when you want to convince people that you have been abroad. Kidding. What I actually learned is that racial card is always on the table, played by politicians or even we, the laymen; in pursue of personal interest and profit. It just gets a notch sadder when we ordinary folks also succumbed to such “poker game”.