Courtesy, decorum and Psy ― The Malaysian Insider

If one were to read Korean rapper Psy’s Facebook page, one would assume that some Malaysians out there are extremists or psychopaths who cannot accept another person’s point of view.

There are threats, praises and everything in between over Psy’s “Oppa Gangnam Style” performance in Penang during the second day of this year’s Chinese New Year celebrations.

Let’s get this straight. Psy is a professional singer who was paid to sing his hit song in Penang’s Han Chiang school field.

He and his back-up group performed the song twice. That was what he was paid to do.

So where is the love for the South Korean whose hit song has seen some 1.3 billion views on YouTube? Where was the usual Malaysian courtesy accorded to a guest of the country?

Why do we need to vent our spleen about his performance, threaten him to stop him from performing, or condemn him later for not going the extra mile to do something else beyond singing his song?

When did we Malaysians become so rude? When did we become so opinionated and passionate about our politics that we watch a live performance and make a big deal about it?

Psy came to perform. People came to watch, dance and sing along. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with him gracing Barisan Nasional’s Chinese New Year do if he was paid for it.

Nothing wrong for anyone else to hire him later, too.

What was wrong was the way we treated him on the social networks. Do these social networks bring out the worst in us and unveil our baser instincts?

Or do we want to disprove the hype that we are the happiest people, with the most dazzling smiles and courtesy in the world, simply because that is what our government says we are?

Let’s get it clear. We are Malaysians. And we are polite and courteous and we do treat our guests well. Let’s not allow politics to sour us up into grumpy, crazed extremists out to commit violence for the sake of making a point or embarrassing those we hate.

That’s not being Malaysian; that’s lunacy that no one should tolerate. Instead of celebrating Chinese New Year with entertainment, some Malaysians have made it their cause to rant and rave and show their dark side because of politics.

You shame yourself as a Malaysian for doing so. And you so shame your parents and your country in the process that it will be a wonder if anyone else will ever perform in Malaysia, no matter the fee.