2016 was a year which saw Malaysia having its fair share of down moments as well as uplifting ones. As the year comes to a close, we look back at some of the greatest moments and candid ones that our country has seen this year.
Some would make us feel proud to say that they’re moments only us Malaysians can resonate with. Others are moments which put a smile on our face and made us feel like humanity is certainly restored. Here are 12 of the most memorable and iconic Malaysian moments in 2016!
1. Ola Bola debuted in cinemas nationwide.
When Ola Bola debuted in cinemas nationwide, it was a movie that lifted our spirits and truly made us believe again for bigger and greater things. It showcased a diverse mix of cast, dialects and backgrounds and for these reasons alone, it could very well be the movie of the year for Malaysians. Ola Bola was a movie about friendship, perseverance and fighting till the very end for what we know is right, and it certainly stole our hearts for sure.
2. Faiz Subri scored an awesome free-kick.
Penang FA’s Faiz Subri was competing during the Malaysia Super League (MSL) match earlier this year when out of nowhere, he pulled a Roberto Carlos-esque move that truly defied the laws of physics. The free-kick he scored curved straight into the goal and nobody, certainly not even Faiz, saw it coming.
3. Chickaboo sprinted down the highway.
An adorable ostrich named Chickaboo made headlines earlier this year when it jumped out of the window of the Hilux it was traveling in. The ostrich sprinted down the highway and maneuvred around the speeding traffic only to escape unscathed. Chickaboo was so popular that it even sparked the creating of numerous adverts featuring none other than Chickaboo itself.
4. Malaysians came to Pokémon Uncle’s rescue.
Uncle David Christopher is a face that most around the Damansara Uptown area would recognise. He sells a bunch of soft toys for an affordable price and gained recognition especially during the Pokémon Go craze which begun in the second half of 2016.
One day, he received an order for 250 soft toys but unfortunately at the last second, the individual bailed, leaving Uncle David stranded with the soft toys. A blogger posted about the situation on social media and Malaysians soon came to his rescue, buying the soft toys from him.
5. Starbucks Malaysia hired deaf baristas.
Starbucks Malaysia made history by being the first in the world to hire deaf baristas. The outlet in Bangsar showcased a passion and love for diversity and they work closely with the Society of Interpreters for the Dead (SID) to hire, train and coach deaf employees. As of July, they hired ten deaf baristas who work alongside the 3 hearing staff. It’s a step forward for not just Starbucks, but our country as well.
6. Malaysia achieved 5 medals at Rio Olympics 2016.
Our national Olympians competed at the Rio Olympics 2016 in August and they garnered 5 medals in total. It was amazing to see Malaysians unite anxiously in front of their telly screens as they watched the matches go down. Whether our fellow athletes won a gold, silver or bronze medal, we were no doubt still proud to see them living out their dreams to compete. Malaysia received 5 medals from the fields of diving, badminton and cycling track.
7. Our national Paralympians singing Negaraku.
Our national paralympians, Mohamad Ridzuan Mohamad Puzi and Muhammad Ziyad Zolkefli sung Negaraku at the podium of Rio Paralympis 2016 when both these athletes won gold for Malaysia. The tears welling up in their eyes registered the mixed emotions of pride and joy and they were the very same emotions that we felt on behalf of our athletes. It was the very first time that Malaysia has registered gold medals at the Paralympics but more than just garnering these medals, it was a chance for Malaysians to share in the joy of our 2 local athletes.
8. The Malaysian Women’s Dodgeball team won gold.
The Malaysian women’s dodgeball team put Malaysia on the map when they managed to beat out the Canadian team and in return, won gold for our country at the Dodgeball World Championships 2016. The men’s team too gave it their all and made us proud with their silver win against Canada. “One Gold and One Silver…next year we’ll bring back double gold. Once again we did our best and we hope we did Our Malaysia Proud,” the Malaysia Associatian of Dodgeball said.
9. Syakilla Salni ranked #1 in World Karate Federation.
Syakilla Salni Jefry Krishnan is a 25-year-old national karate athlete and she made history by being the first Malaysian to hold a #1 ranking in the World Karate Federation, in the category of women’s kumite below 55kg. It is a year of sporting victories for Malaysia and Syakilla’s victory placed Malaysia on the world map for a lesser known sport in which we are known for. The next step for Syakilla is to achieve her goal of becoming the first Olympic gold medalist in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
10. Malaysia had its first female hot air balloon pilots.
Sisters Izzati and Atiqah Khairudin had always adored hot air balloons and more so considering how they’ve grown up in the business. They proceeded to attain their pilot license in Spain and became Malaysia’s very first female hot air balloon pilots. Having attained their license, the sisters proceeded to travel around Malaysia to raise awareness on the existence of hot air balloons and its mechanism.
11. 7-year-old chef Leah baked to raise funds for sister.
This pint-sized chef stole Malaysians’ hearts when we learnt of her story in which she bakes to raise funds for her sister Adele who was diagnosed with microcephaly at infancy. As of October this year, Leah has baked and decorated over 13,500 cupcakes and raised close to RM40k for her beloved sister. Leah showed kindness at a time when Malaysians could use a little of it.
12. Malaysia was featured in Uncharted 4 and FFXV.
This year saw Malaysia being featured in classic console games like Uncharted 4 and Final Fantasy XV. In the Uncharted 4 game, there were mentions of our country in the characters’ dialogue, and there was even a scene which showed a Malaysian cell phone number with the name Hasnul Hadi, who is in fact the Director of Creative Content of MDEC, and a pioneer in the Malaysian Creative Digital Content Industry.
In the Final Fantasy XV game, the game featured a scene where the characters were chowing down on some Malaysian delicacies including roti canai and teh tarik. It’s nice to see Western games incorporating elements which we are used to and know so well.
Feature Image Credit: KBS, Ola Bola, Jeff Sandhu, World Of Buzz
