KUALA LUMPUR: The bar in Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur, is crammed, chairs lined at least 10 rows deep. And each seat is fitted with a young man or woman, drink in hand, ready for the opening kick-off of the European Championship final between Italy and Spain. Blue and red jerseys mark the bar, each person showing their support for a European country most have never been to. But it doesn't matter, football is the great unifier here in Malaysia. While the match was uneventful, the bar had a cheerful, joyous atmosphere as the patrons enjoyed the game, and their company. “It is always a great time to come out to a public place to watch some football,” said Chen Yu An, a Malaysian of Chinese decent. “I love being able to be with my fellow Malaysians. Here, while we watch football, politics are not important and we all get along so great.” Over the past few weeks, political leaders in the country have warned of a rise in ethnic tensions, arguing that the upcoming general election to take place by early next year would see ethnicity be a major part of the campaigns. Here in the capital, however, politics were nowhere to be found. “This is football. Sport brings us all together in a great way and this is what Malaysia is about. Unity is the future of this country,” Usamah Mahammad told Bikyamasr.com, slapping his friend next to him on the back. “See, I support Italy and he supports Spain, but it doesn't really matter right now because we are just enjoying ourselves,” he added. After it became clear that Spain was to dominate the final, winning their third successive major trophy, the tension in the air that could have been expected made way for laughter and conversation. For the patrons in Malaysia, like other countries across the globe, football was the great unifier on Sunday evening. “We are just Malaysian, so we can't really get angry for our friends and fellow citizens rooting for the wrong team,” added Chen. “Life is good in Malaysia and I always enjoy seeing our country come together like this,” he continued. While there were some disappointed faces after Spain pummeled Italy 4-0 in the final, the overall atmosphere showed a different side to Malaysia, one that politicians rarely see for themselves. Football brought the country together.
