Ah Chong, Ali and Muthu
6 comments
Malaysians. A typical feel-good advert on the telly will feature 3 Malaysians of different ethnic origins – a Malay, an Indian and a Chinese. Funnily, the rest of the country are not usually featured. In case you are clueless, I am talking about the indigenous people – the Senois, the Negritos, the Ibans, the Dayaks, the Kayans, the Kenyahs, the Penans, the Orang Ulu, the Kadazans, the Bajaus and many others. Anyway, I am quite envious of the rest of the country.
Whereas those of the main ethnic groups are not just known as the Malay, the Chinese and the Indian, back in many homes and micro-society (if there is such a word), phrases like “lazy Malay”, “Chinese conmen” and “Indian liar” are used with impunity. Afterall, such phrases are almost exclusively used within a community of the same ethnicity in a hush-hushed tone unless one decides to make a grand shocker in public. It is puzzling indeed that people react with anger and revenge in mind when they hear such things called about their race or ethnicity. Perhaps, the amount and regularity of “Cina babi” and “Chinese conmen” levelled at my kind has made me numb so much so that it goes into one ear of mine and gets out in one breath. In a sense, it is a waste of time asking for apologies when my own kind also degrades others in a similar fashion. You can’t ask for an apology to a whole race when some within the race also does the same thing to others. Get it? Not unless you can prove that no individual within the whole race which was being ridiculed has never made a racist remark.
No, it is not nice to say such things especially to generalise one whole race with a stereotype behaviour or character. I don’t condone it. But equally, it is not so nice to react as if it is the first time you’ve heard such taunts in your whole life especially if you call yourself a Malaysian. Let’s get real. Unpleasant racist taunts and ridiculing has been around our society for as long as I can remember. Or have I missed something? That the Malaysians that I know have suddenly woken up in solidarity against racist taunts and stereotyping and I have been sleeping all these while? Have we reached a truly Malaysian race where none of us – save for the individuals in the media limelight recently, and I mean absolutely none of us could be caught slacking off the other race with some slurs or even had momentary thoughts about it?
Pray tell.
Oct 6, 20082:23 pm
KY : Because we Malaysians are a fantasizing lot. We pretend we are a beautiful people when in actual fact, the majority of us are ugly. Just take a look at the numerous blog posts cursing “racist Sammy” with some wishing that she will be the one who gets knocked down by a car instead. Makes them no different from “racist Sammy” in my opinion.
Oct 18, 20081:01 am
Hey, you forgot about the Eurasians who are almost ALWAYS represented by the Portuguese in costume! LOL
Oct 28, 20087:35 pm
Sometimes I find that I myself am guilty or being somewhat racist.
I subconsciously feel threatened when I see Indian men walking towards my car. I usually remind myself to lock the doors as a precaution.
It’s actually quite interesting when I think about it. Would that be being racist? I currently work in an institute of higher learning and my colleagues are a melting pot of all races and I get along well with all of them.
Sometimes I also tell myself to watch my belongings (wallets and phone) whenever I see members of a different ethnic origin around. (I’m chinese). In my defence, my area has been hit by a lot of thefts involving people of other races and I’m not sure if that is what adds to my xenophobic condition.
Sometimes its the foreign element that bring in the problems with them. If an Indian from India were to resort to snatch thefts, my personal logical conclusion would be ,”Indians steal” Which I know is wrong for I am judging an entire race based on the actions of a minority.
Just a bit of honest self-reflection.
I can only strive to make sure that this is not passed on to future generations.
Feb 26, 200910:14 pm
i think it will take another 2 generations before we can move out from stereotyping race. it’s just to easy to refer to someone and then narrow down the description to … oh, he is an indian / malay / chinese.
Feb 27, 20098:40 pm
We cannot generalise like this. Not all Indians are liars and thieves. Not all Chinese are malicious and money minded and cruel to their kids. Not all Malays are lazy and expect others to do their work. A few bad apples have spoilt the crop but sadly this state of racism has endured down the decades. I remember crying in a kindergarden in Malaysia in the playground while other kids danced around me singing Black Gorilla because I was a dark Indian with fuzz in my arms. Some memories are hard to forget.
But forgive we must if we want to evolve as human beings. .
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Malaysia, oh, Malaysia, ke mana engkau pergi??? Sigh...... - EMBEE on Ah Chong, Ali and Muthu :
We cannot generalise like this. Not all Indians are liars a... - zewt on Ah Chong, Ali and Muthu :
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10:42 am
why concentrate on these “race” thingy when we could all be Malaysian, or just merely human instead?