Are Malaysians aware it's rude to call all Caucasians 'Mat Saleh' or 'Orang Putih'?

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BIRDY, very very very sorry if the term mat saleh/orang putih offended you ! You know I didn't mean to !

Just like some of the answers, calling westerner mat saleh is not and never an insult, what more orang putih, simply because how do the local/Malaysian know that guy is from England / German / Finland / Swiss / Holand / Norway etc etc ? Its just a common term for, you know who !
Of course I have heard of angmo guey / fan gwai / gwai lo [ Hong Kong movie uses this ], guey / gwai mean ghost ! This pharse must not be use on westerner !

If I do set foot on your counry and you call me yellow man, no problem at all since you don't know where [ which country ] I come from ! Unless its yellow ghost you mention then ............. Anyway I still respect your local culture / way of life / language until I fully aware of that such meaning ...........

SORRY FOR MY PREVIOUS SENSITIVE QUESTION TOWARD YOU ! PLEASE FORGIVE ME !

jimmy

Not necessarily. Depends on the context. Those descriptions fpr a Westerners or Caucasians are generally used by the locals because it is impossible to differentiate them between English, Germans, Australians, Americans, etc. and are used without offence or malaise. Chinese often call them "Devil" or "Read haired devil", and these ate often apt descriptions ....However, to describe them as "white monkeys" (which is also used, but not often) is too much, and is offensive because of the liken to them as animals.....

As for being called "yellow man" - if that is a normal phrase for them what is there to complain about ? They cannot tell the difference. It is much more offensive if they call you a Japanese, when you are, in fact, Chinese. If they say "yellow b*****d" it would be a different matter.

"Mat Saleh" said to be originate from Singapore for the description of drunken sailors - "Mad Sailors", and "Orang Putih" - "White Man" are often used "playfully", can be seen as endearments to Westerners....and to say otherwise is, perhaps, too sensitive.

â˜… Cik Yaya â˜…

we are veeery used to the words Mat Saleh...just like the "Indon" case. Indonesians actually hate the word "Indons", we didn't mean to insult..it's just a shortform....
orang putih, cos u are fair & lovely ma....lol..ok ok...i note that.
peace! (slap hushpuppy, not me lah!)

SBH is Shinigami

Never mind la orang itam

â™¥ Me â™¥

I didn't know that. You are the first Caucasian I know who finds it insulting being called "White". Usually in English I'll say Caucasian but in Malay it's always been Orang Putih. That's what we were taught in school... at least that's what I think unless I was sleeping in class.

handel

white skin(american, british, canadian, european, australian .etc)
yellow skin(chinese, korean, japanese..etc)
brown skin(malaysian, singapore, thailand, the phillipines, indonesian.etc)
call me Mr Brown, I'll be fine.

Fake Bean bin Laden

cool man....some chinese call caucasian "ang mo" meaning red hair, some even worst they call "ang mo kaw" red hair monkey, maybe a few hundred years ago, asian was quite surprise to see the caucasians which are quite different, they don't know how to call them, the easiest way ....red hair, maybe during the Portugese, Dutch and English occupation here, hate grew, so they just call them "the red hair monkey"

if i am not mistaken 'mat saleh" is one of the malay hero who fought the British army, maybe in the olden days, when they see a caucasian they have to ask mat saleh for help or maybe it is a way to remember mat saleh who is brave enough to fought the british army

the caucasians invaded our land, so you can't blame them for the nagative callings

ADDED INFORMATION

Don't listen to the "talkingcock" , in spore "talkcock" mean taking rubbish without any facts,

if a Sporean say "Don't "talkcock" lah" it mean do't bull shitt

that website is just full of bull shitt LOL....only suitable to translate local vulgar words such as... lan chiau and chee bai, ...just search these words in that website and u know what i mean

the below is the real history

rabitto

orang putih!

GINDURAS

yup.. believe.. i know..

Jean

I am not sure about the origin of 'Mat Saleh' but 'Orang Putih' is the direct translation/literal translation of 'White People'. I would say some Malaysians are influenced and confused by Caucasians in United States are known as White Americans. Since they don't aware the difference between Caucasian Americans and Caucasian Europeans so actually they don't aware that it's rude to call all Caucasians 'Orang Putih'

Bummer again

if you feel insulted, then i'm sorry i won't call you orang putih or mat salleh anymore..

now, what should i call you?

Kiss Me

If You're Thinkin' Of
Being My Baby
It Don't Matter If You're Black Or White...

faris

no lahh.....

kimht

sorry that how the red skin feels too
my great wall of china was built to the disadvantage of others
anyone on the other side r consider barbarians.......lol

Â©actâŠâŠaÂ®

Sorry you find the term offensive. I personally do not use it.
I used to refer to them as westerners, until it struck me that they could very well be Australians or New Zealanders. As my Geography sucks (are they in the west, or east or south..??), I decided I'd better use the term Caucasians or simply, foreigners.

yuanyuan

In my country, we call you European. We rarely use white. Sometimes I do and it's news to me that u consider it rude.

Laughingå“¥

never mind lar, don't call me a Yellow Man in front of me. And I won't call the Caucasian "Orang Putih" or "ang mor" in front of them. I call them "ang mor" when I am talking to my family,and they can also call me "Yellow Man" or what ever behind of me.

Effendi R

yakah?

Chew JL

Nah. I think it's ok. Ang mo, guai lou and others are ok too.

Tan Sri Gabby

Why is calling "White man" offensive bean?

---
i would prefer them to call me asian.. haha.

but is "caucasian" same with Spanish, British, German, etc etc? i once read that caucasian originates from somewhere in georgia?

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