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“The Malay Soul is Deep Within”, Rita Kalsom Rafi @ Mangan” Column: Wawansabda Bahasa Editor: Yusaida Yusof Writer: Rosli Mohd Nordin Concept, Stylist & Art Director: @roslimn Photographer, Videographer & Visual Editor: @azrul_azizi_aziz Location: Taman Burung, Kuala Lumpur (Thanks to the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park Communications Manager, Taufik Sharif) Magazine: Dewan Bahasa Publisher: Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka, DBP Issue: April 2023 “The Malay Soul is Deep Within”, Rita Kalsom Rafi @ Mangan” By: Rosli Mohd Nordin On the 2019 Aidilfitri holiday, a video of a conversation between a teenage boy and a Mat Salleh girl who spoke very fluently in the northern Malay accent or more precisely the accent of people in the state of Penang went viral on the Facebook platform. The general public was not surprised, because the owner of this brown hair, when seen and observed, did not at all appear to be a mixed-race child of a Penang Malay woman and a British man. Rita Kalsom Rafi @ Mangan just laughed when many people were surprised to learn that she was fluent in Malay and was a Malaysian. More affectionately known as Rita, this woman who is a Health-Yoga Teacher and entrepreneur, besides being more comfortable communicating in Malay, her identity as a Malaysian also makes Rita very proud to be a citizen of this country. Follow Rosli's interview with Rita to fill the Language Interview section. Rita's academic background. This 173-centimeter tall woman received her early education at Sekolah Kebangsaan SMK Saint George, Balik Pulau and Convent Light Street School, George Town. When she was 10 years old, Rita moved to North East Lincolnshire, England because Rita's father lived in the village. The reason Rita's father did so was because Rita did not speak English well. When she first moved to the school, Rita was a bit awkward to adapt to the school because of the cultural differences, especially the language and the weather. However, the situation was slowly overcome when Rita and her older sister and younger brother also lived with her. After finishing primary school, Rita continued her secondary schooling at Healing Comprehensive School, North East Lincolnshire. Rita's academic background did not stop there, she continued her diploma studies in Photography and Geography at Franklin College (Grimsby). After considering her interests and the needs of the job market, Rita decided to continue her degree studies at the University of Hull in Marketing and Administration. Follow the Wawansabada Bahasa Podcast, specially brought to you by Dewan Bahasa magazine published by Dewan Bahasa & Pustaka (DBP).