MRT Aka Malaysian Rubber Time

Malaysia has always been proud of being one of the top producers of natural rubber and apparently that has affected the Malaysians to the extent that they have a rather laid-back “elastic” attitude towards time that is commonly termed as MRT (Malaysian Rubber Time). This is similiar to jam karet in Indonesia.

MRT is “elastic” and tardiness is not seen as a ‘moral crime’, as it is in much of the Western clock-obsessed world. MRT means that things in life are supposed to happen in a very relaxed fashion. Time is perceived as a gentle stream carrying everything along at a leisurely pace with little effort being made to "manage" the flow.

Malaysians are generally not lazy – they just have a different perspective on time and don’t place a huge emphasis on being governed by the clock. This is why you will find that Malaysians are seldom punctual.

In Malaysia, VIPS are almost always fashionably late to turn up for events where they are the guests of honour. I am sure most of you have experienced something similar to the following scenario:

You arrive at a dinner function 10 minutes early and take your seat. As the time ticks away, you keep glancing at your watch. Finally, after you have been waiting for over an hour, the VIP makes his grand entry with his entourage. A loud applause erupts to welcome the VIP. You then have to endure a few speeches while your stomach grumbles. Sounds rather familiar, right? Apparently your time is less precious than the VIP’s.

Chinese wedding dinners will probably take the crown for always starting late. The wedding invitation cards state that the wedding dinners will start at say 6.30pm. You arrive 20 minutes early so as to get a good parking spot. You then proceed to the restaurant where you hand over your angpow to those tending the registration counters. They ask for your name and then search the guest lists. Upon finding your name, they tick it, indicating that you are attending and have given an angpow (they may even make a note of the amount that you have given in your angpow when your back is turned). You then make your way to your assigned table (though at some dinners, you may be free to sit where you want except for a few tables reserved for the hosts and their families). You can count yourself lucky if the dinner starts at 7 pm. More often than not, the dinner will start at 7.30 pm or in some cases as late as 8 pm. I have never attended any wedding dinner which started on the dot.

An expatriate, not knowing how Malaysian interpret time, would probably be puzzled and annoyed with the general acceptance of tardiness in this country considering that the rule of thumb in many other parts of the world is that time is money.

More than two decades ago, I had to pick up an Australian speaker for a MLM function. I arrived at his hotel about 15 minutes before the function which was being held at a venue about 5 minutes’ drive from the hotel. On the way to the venue, the Aussie was apprehensive about arriving at the function venue late. In an attempt to make him feel more at ease, I told him that most people would arrive at the function late. He was perplexed, asking me why I said that. I told him about MRT and he got a bit annoyed. He asked me whether these same people would go to the airport late when they are catching their flights.

The Aussie was right. Why can’t we Malaysians be punctual when attending functions when we can be punctual when catching our plane flights?