Ah Beng

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ah Beng is a term commonly given to a member of a group of young Chinese men in Southeast Asia, particularly Singapore and Malaysia. These Chinese men, whose age range from their early teens to late 20s, usually centralise in the busier and more developed cities in the region, but are usually seen as originating from smaller or more rural towns. Ah Bengs typically speak local slang, which is Hokkien or Cantonese mixed with English and Malay, such as Manglish or Singlish. They are often stereotypically portrayed to be anti-intellectual, superficial and materialistic and shallow. These values often lead to a lack of culture or indulgence in criminal activity or being involved in brawling or arguing out of disagreements with other people. Ah Bengs are also sometimes associated with extensively-modified or zhng-ed cars, [1] and are stereotypically seen as being excessively flashy and show-offs. Ah Bengs are often seen decked out in gaudy floral shirts, tight jeans and sneakers, and often carry around plastic combs.

The term 'Ah Beng' is also sometimes used to describe young Chinese men in Southeast Asia who cannot speak fluent English and/or have graduated from the secular Chinese education system of the region.

In Malaysia, the term 'Ah Beng' usually refers to males who have unusual styles and tastes. And the term 'lala-zai' refers to males involved in stereotypical gangster activity or fashion such as the dyeing of hair.

Contents

[edit] Etymology

Ah Beng comes from the romanization of the Hokkien pronunciation of 阿明 (POJ: a-bêng). 明 is a word commonly used in the names of Chinese males in the region; it means 'bright' in the sense of intelligence. In Malaysia, Ah Beng is also known as lala zai. 'Lala' has no actual meaning in itself, while 'zai' (pronounced 'chai') means 'boy'. 'Lala zai' refers to individuals who speak Manglish and possess a strong preference for gaudy fashions or hairstyles.

[edit] Cultural references

Ah Bengs have been featured in several Singaporean films, including:

  • Army Daze (1996) — A play, later made into a film, depicting the melting pot of National Service in Singapore. One of the characters is named after the term.
  • Money No Enough (1998) — [2] a film exploring the trials and tribulations of the Chinese-speaking people of Singapore
  • 15: The Movie (2003) — "The adventure of five fifteen-year-old boys in Singapore: estranged to every social reference, except for that of appearance and close friendships, they live their lives distant from their families and school, passing their days in a complete state of indolence in the search of experiences, at times even physically painful (tattoos, piercing, wounds)." Official website at Zhao Wei Films
  • S11 (2006) — [3] another film.

The stereotypical Ah Beng was played by Gurmit Singh in Phua Chu Kang on MediaCorp TV Channel 5 until 2006 as well. The fact that Gurmit Singh has a mixed ancestry including Indian, Japanese, and Chinese blood makes his convincing portrayal of an uneducated Chinese man even more notable. And Chu Kang's brother, known as Phua Chu Beng, is an articulate, educated architect who is known as Ah Beng in the show. His character though is that of an anti-thesis to an Ah Beng.[4]

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ mrbrown, "Browncast: Zhng My Car" (10 October 2005, accessed 4 September 2006).
  2. ^ Qian Bu Gou Yong from IMDB.
  3. ^ Tan Dawn Wei, "Ah Beng Rulz Liao", The Straits Times (2 August 2006).
  4. ^ Mak Mun San, "I'm a Paid Extrovert", The Straits Times (28 August 2006).

[edit] References