north_malaysian
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Gosh, that sounds harsh, not all Kedahan with Thai ancestry are bad. My father told me a story related to this idiom "Siam Perut Hijau". My father is a local Kedahan from Kokdiang but with Indian ancestry.
One day at nat [nut] or a morning market, there is an event in the 60s where a Siamese guy [Thai] snatching a local merchant's money and run unstopably. Unfortunately that guy was catched and beaten by the villagers near the nat area. That guy finally swallow the money and that is how the idiom "Siam Perut Hijau" starts. It means the Thai is stubborn.
This is why we feel ashame to speak in Thai in the public, because others may misunderstood us as the people without manner. To the extend where one of my friend from Kampung Asun in Jitra ridicule his own ancestry and I have to convince him that we are all muslim, have nothing to be ashame of
One of my friend who speak in Kedahan Thai is very religious. He is from Pendang, I can see that his manner's good when talking to others. Well, my mother too speak Thai and almost all of her neighbors in the village speak in Thai beside Kedahan-Malay.
Love to brothers and sisters in faith
1960s story... I thought ... it's centuries ago...
Pendang people are very religious... I knew that.
I've met a lady in Legal Aid Bureau, Butterworth saying that her ancestors came from Bangkok area... she said that most of "Penangite Malays" which have Thai ancestry came from Central Thai, especially Bangkok area. She, herself claiming her ancestors were part of Thai royal family. Many people want to kill them as they left Buddhism. They ran away from Bangkok after converting Islam. She even claimed that the Royal family sent assassins to kill her ancestors. Because of that, many Muslim Thais from Bangkok area found refuge in Penang, which is under British protection.
I'm the fourth generation living in Penang, and 3rd generation being born in Penang.
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