Alternate Merdeka Day Commercial! (for those of us in Malaysia)

“Nega” begins the Bangladeshi waiter, confidently.

“Raku” continues his counterpart from Myanmar, not sure if this is a joke.

“Tanah” trills the China masseuse, who is keeping an eye on the fountain.

“Tumpah” goes the Javenese construction worker: he’s a bit off-key and his friends laugh at him.

“Nya darahku…” sings the Filipino maid in a soaring soprano.

“Rakyat hidup” declaim the three Nepalese men who work at a carpet shop, taking more relish in their singing than you would think possible.

“Bersatu” says the apprentice mechanic from Madras, who seems to be thinking of something else.

“Dan” says the pair of Nigerian students, one of whom is much taller than the other and has to bend down to the shared microphone.

“Maju…” continues the money-changer from Pakistan.

“Rahmat” says the Vietnamese man who just made your breakfast.

“Bahagia” says the Sri Lankan security guard, who is standing proud.

“Tuhan kurniakan…” says the cleaning woman from timor Leste, standing right in front of the frame.

“Raja kita” says the young Thai man from a bakery.

“Selamat” says the Laotian to whom you just paid your parking fees.

“Bertakhta” says the Sumatran delivery man: he is framed dead centre.

Rahmat bahagia” says the two friends (one from Sulawesi, one from Zimbabwe) who work for the same packing company.

“Tuhan kurniakan” chimes in the perfume sales rep from Macao.

“Raja kita” booms the Mauritian jeweler.

“Selamat bertakhta” is the decisive close by the smiling half-Taiwanese who is between jobs.

FADE TO BLACK

LOGO & TAGLINE

END.

(excerpt from the book "Rojak", by Amir Muhammad)