It shows that I always fall asleep during commercials… Seems these days the Malaysian Tourism board is airing a song in their campaign which is called Rasa Sayang… now I never even heard about it but then I am an expat oblivious about the underlying differences between the Malays and the Indonesians…

But the fun starts here:

According to some politician in Indonesia (it’s better for him NOT to state his name I find…) :

"So if someone wants to use cultural elements of Indonesia, there should be compensation for the government, otherwise, other countries will keep trying to undermine us,"

Fair enough: but who owns the song in the first place? Ambon in Maluku and Manado in North Sulawesi have been arguing over ownership of the song for generations.

For generations…

Just to refresh your memory: for generations there was no Malaysia and the Malays as we know them now migrated from Indonesia,
the Chinese from China and the Indians from India. Simple logic no? So if we sing a song here in Malaysia that comes from our ancestors in Indonesia, do we have to pay copy rights ????

Like saying: do I have to pay copy rights to my parents because I am using their genes ???

And do we have to pay for the smoke we get from Indonesia each year burning down the forest????

Rasa Sayang

Since it’s such an important matter for Indonesia, let me list the lyrics of this so called uplifting cultural heritage song and translate it for you, so you get a hint about what some people find important and why some people still are left out when it comes to food and education…

Rasa Sayang,
Hey rasa sayang,sayang hey
Hey lihat nona jauh, rasa sayang hey

I feel love, hey! I feel love love hey,
Hey when I look at that gal, I feel love love hey.

Rasa Sayang
Hey rasa sayang, sayang hey
Hey lihat nona jauh, rasa sayang hey

Buah cempedak di luar pagar
Ambil galah tolong jolokan
Saya budak baru belajar
Kalau salah tolong tunjukan

The cempedak-fruit tree is across the fence,
Please take a stick and poke it down for me,
I’m just a new guy trying to learn,
So if I’m wrong then please tell me.

Rasa sayang,
Hey, rasa sayang sayang hey
Hey, lihat nona jauh rasa sayang
Sayang hey!

Translated it becomes obvious why this needs a cultural debate!

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