Understanding Malay and Chinese work ethics in Malaysia through proverbs

Abstract

Proverbs are important cultural products that both reveal and direct the values, behaviour and world view of a particular culture. This article relates the proverbial collection of two particular cultural groups, the Malays and Chinese of Malaysia, to workplace attitudes. After reviewing more than 2000 proverbs, we identified those that were most pertinent to the Malaysian workplace, based on two key categories: (i) the portrayal of work in the lives of the Malays and Chinese and (ii) the approach to workplace etiquette. Local proverbs portray hard work as an admirable quality among not only the Chinese but also among the Malays, despite suggestions to the contrary by some writers. Regarding workplace relations, proverbs again constitute a vital source of guidance for both groups, particularly the high regard for ‘face’.