Is it a difference of culture or mindset?

Writer: Huang Xi Wen

Sin Chew, Aug 15, 2016

Divers Pandelela and Cheong Jun Hoong won a silver in Olympics Rio 2006. It was a beautiful and joyful occasion but Pandelela’s hand gesture has since become an issue. In fact, it is a misunderstanding due to cultural differences and should not have become a problem. There is nothing serious about it but some people, the sour grapes, are using it to tease, mock and make malicious criticism against her.

Now it is no more a difference in culture but a difference of the mindset. The camera which focuses on her lifted hands shows she is moving her figures as if counting money. At the first glance, one may see it as a gesture of counting money and thus, she is being criticized for being money-crazy and is trying to suggest to the TV audience that she could pocket a big sum of prize money.

However, to Pandelela, it is just a simple gesture. She is a K-POP fan and she has learned the love gesture made famous by a Korean entertainer. She just wants to show her love. People who are not familiar with Korean shows and their culture have made malicious attack against her. As a result, she has suffered because of such ridiculous misunderstanding.

When the Korean entertainer made the love gesture, nobody called him money-crazy but when Pendelela did the same thing, she was judged guilty for a non-existing offence even though she is innocent!

Her fans feel hurt and support her. They believe that she has won a silver in the highest sporting arena and she deserves the award. They say the “sour grape” attack against her is unwarranted. Furthermore, she has overcome her injuries to achieve her goal together with her partner. She does not deserve the acerbic accusation.

Pandelela has to overcome many difficulties and sufferings which only her family knows while outsiders only see the glory of her shining achievement. We Malaysians should give her our whole-hearted morale support and encouragement so that she can win a gold, instead of criticizing her in the open. There is no need for such criticism at this juncture.

We can say it is a cultural difference when the true meaning of a hand gesture by a Korean entertainer is misunderstood. However, if such criticism continues even after the misunderstanding has been cleared, then it would be a problem of the mindset.

Maybe Pandelela does not bother the small number of people who do not endorse her achievement. However, she must also know that a larger number of people are with her in the fight for Malaysia’s first gold. This is the thinking of the majority of Malaysians.