Malaysian kiasu-ism - an aspect of the third-world mentality

The irony of me being a Malaysian - I don't indulge in the third-world mentality Malaysians are well-known to possess. But I do it without meaning to off and on. Not that I deliberate want to do it. I was at the supermarket in town this morning doing my usual weekly grocery shopping. What I saw was an out-of-the-ordinary scene.

There was a very long queue of people at the redemption counter. I was wondering why, when it came my turn to pay for the items I had picked out at one of the check-out counters, I found out that the supermarket chain concerned was offering a few selected items for the price of RM 1, which was really dirt cheap to the boot.

What amused and baffled me was that Malaysians would go all out to get dirt cheap offers at supermarkets and hypermarkets. Worse still if there is no capped limit to the number of items they could buy, a possible stampede would probably ensued! However, thank God that the supermarket chain management had decided  to cap the limit to one unit per item per customer for this particular one-day offer. Thus, the long queue at the redemption counter.

It is actually not a very bad thing to be kiasu at times as this would help us become globally competitive. If we do it the right way and with the right kind of attitude and mentality. But not over trivial matters like open house buffets and supermarket/hypermarket special offers. Not to mention and top on this list would be driving, and Malaysians are extremely well-known for their devilish antics on the road; that is why the fatalities pile up sky high, akin to or worse than those countries at the height of civil wars.

Being kiasu - doing it the right way, you would reap the benefits from it but doing the wrong way would result in ruined first impressions and damaged reputations. Maybe it could be a good thing if we can take the good leafs out of our neighbouring country's book on how to be kiasu the right way.