Trying To Be A Mat Salleh

I'm going to sound like a real bitch. Can't help thinking aloud about how Malaysian women -- be they Chinese, Malay or Indian -- try hard to be so Mat Salleh when they have a Mat Salleh as their partner, hubby or whatever.

I'm going to generalise here but I do believe I have some basis for drawing such a conclusion.

I have been people-watching lately which is something I happen to do when I'm just with my latte for company.

Do you have any idea how mixed the next generation of Malaysians will be. Ok, I am exaggerating. At least, if these campur kids whose parents decide to stay put in the Klang Valley, are any indication.

I counted in one hour I was at Coffee Bean in Bangsar, more than 10 mixed couples -- local women and Mat Salleh partners -- some of whom were with children.

What really caught my eye was how these women either had their hair dyed blonde or shade of that, might as well have been naked or have that "exotic" look.

I swear one of the Mat Salleh guys must have married his maid. Please, I'm not being judgmental or mean. I have no opinion of anyone marrying their maid, unless of course he is already married which means that he was screwing the maid behind his wife's back before dumping his wife to marry the maid. But, that is another story.

Now, this guy's partner really looked like a maid --- my maid, my sister's maid, my other sister's maid, my brother's maid, my mom's maid.....

But, no. She was neither Indonesian nor Filipina. Overheard their conversation, She was Malay.

But oh you know what I mean.

So why do these women all try to be whiter than white. As though it's part of the deal. You have to look like a Mat Salleh...or their idea of a Mat Salleh.

But ok. Here's the thing. The Mat Salleh guys with these women? Ummm.....Naaah...I think these guys (to these women) must be really nice people with great personality, rich (that's, of course, subjective), or simply great in bed.

Or just that their skin is white.

I know of Malaysian women who'd fall for a Mat Salleh. Any Mat Salleh as long as he is a Mat Salleh.

Orang putih.