Have you noticed how common stereotypes are here in Malaysia? Be a Chinese female up to a certain age and inevitably you’ll be tagged “Ah Moi”. Maybe its me, but I feel a certain bristling when called Ah Moi because:-
(a) No Chinese calls a girl Ah Moi unless that’s her name
(b) It is usually accompanied by a leer or jeer
Besides, I don’t call a Malay lady a “Siti” or an Indian lady a “Rani” so why call a Chinese an “Ah Moi”?
Anyway, racial ranting aside, I was thinking about this because I was called an “Ah Moi” this morning by the cleaning lady in the office building. I did not bristle, mainly because there was no leer or jeer to her friendly tone. To her I suppose it was a way of identifying myself to her. Which I suppose in the end, is the same for everyone else (leering and jeering aside).
Though how “Ah Moi” stuck as a reference or description for a Chinese female is beyond me. Anyone has any ideas?
I suppose I should be grateful I’m not known as an “Ah Lian”! 
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14 comments ↓
I think Ah Moi definitely sounds more flattering than Ah Lian (no offence to Lilian)
Ah Moi conjures the imagination to someone pretty
yes, nothing wrong with being called ah moi. lucky still ah moi & not ah lian like the one I saw yesterday!
As long as it’s not Auntie (called by some teenager. Bugger) or Ah Sou, I’m happy
I agree with you that most times being called an Ah Moi is accompanied with a leer or jeer. And I would dearly love to boff those who call me that on the head with a handbag nicely weighted with a ton of bricks inside. LOL.
Pablo: Heh… good to think so!
wuching: LOL I saw your post. So lian!
Tine: LOL I get what you mean. Auntie kills me
rinnah: Yes yes! Let fly with that heavy handbag!
I don’t like being called Ah Moi also, but I do get it all the time….these days, I am just happy I can be considered Ah Moi
“They” refer us as Ah Moi too here in Indonesia. I would love to say something rude back. But I have limited vocabularies. LOL.
Yes, I get offended too when addressed as Ah Moi.
Excuse moi? Who are you talking too????
Lucky you were addressed as Ah Ngow! Imagine that!!! Anyway, sometimes you’ve just gotta let it go.. especially when you’re really up against some racists chants in Europe.
oops, I missed out a ‘not’ somewhere above!
i’m a Malay and i call my sister Amoy simply because she looks like Chinese-no offense intended.
i guess i’m used to calling young Chinese ladies ‘amoy’ whilst the not so young would be called ‘ah soh’.
it’s akin to calling the Malays ‘kak’, ‘adik’ ‘kak long’ makcik’……once people starts calling you by differentiating the age, that’s the bummer part
Eh hello… better than being called Ibu. LOL I know it’s a polite term here in Jakarta and Indonesians are so very much more polite and friendly than we are but it just seems so very odd to my ears. I’ll have to get used to it, I suppose.
Malay and Indian people used to call me “ah moi” all the time, until recent years they call me “puan” !
So, enjoy being called “ah moi” while it lasts, no one calls me that anymore!
Hey PB, thought you might to know that today the housekeeping at the hotel addressed me as “Nyonya”. LOL okok.. it’s a polite, nice term here in Indonesia but I’m just not used to it and it sounds odd to my Malaysian ears.
Hehehe…my sister’s name is Rani and as Paris knows, we’re not Indian but more Indonesians (putra bumi)!