Why Are We Still Queueing Behind the Rules? A Rant on Courtesy in Malaysian Public Spaces

Why Are We Still Queueing Behind the Rules? A Rant on Courtesy in Malaysian Public Spaces #

Look around. Seriously. The next time you’re supposed to be standing in an orderly line – LRT platform, toll booth, ATM, nasi lemak stall – observe the glorious Malaysian interpretation of “queueing.” It’s less a line, more a suggestive gathering, a loose affiliation of bodies with the collective spatial awareness of a startled chicken.

We know the rules. We just queue behind them, treating them like polite suggestions rather than the bedrock of shared public sanity. The elbow subtly inserted ahead? The “oh, I was just standing here” shuffle forward when the counter opens? The entire extended family materialising beside the one person who was legitimately queuing? The absolute audacity of someone walking straight to the front because their need is clearly more urgent than yours? It’s a daily, rage-inducing pantomime.

We cloak this chronic queue-cutting in layers of denial: “Tak perasan lah!” (Didn’t notice!), “Sikit je!” (Only a little!), “Dia punya hal lagi penting!” (Their matter is more important!), or the classic shrug implying you’re the unreasonable one for expecting basic order. This isn’t “being Malaysian”; it’s being selfish. It’s prioritizing your own micro-convenience over the collective minutes, patience, and dignity of everyone else who bothered to wait.

The cost? It’s the simmering resentment bubbling under the surface of every public interaction. It’s the wasted time as genuine queues slow to a crawl while gatecrashers are accommodated. It’s the erosion of trust – why follow the rules if others profit by breaking them? It fosters a toxic “every man for himself” mentality where courtesy is seen as weakness, not strength. We become a society perpetually braced for the next slight, the next queue-jump, the next minor violation of shared space.

We love to boast about our legendary hospitality, our “budi bahasa.” Yet, the simple, fundamental act of waiting your turn – of acknowledging the invisible social contract that says my time is no more valuable than yours – seems beyond us in the public sphere. It’s hypocrisy served with a side of aggressive indifference.

Enough with the excuses. Enough with the performative shock when called out. True courtesy isn’t just for guests in our homes; it’s for fellow citizens in shared spaces. Stand where you’re meant to. Wait your turn. Respect the line. It’s not rocket science; it’s just basic decency. If we can’t even manage that without supervision or shaming, what does that truly say about our famed “Malaysian manners”? Queue properly, or get out of the way. The rest of us are tired of playing this ridiculous game.