Friday, 29 March 2024
Kampung A Relevant Life Skin and school
Skin and school PDF Print E-mail
Thursday, 23 December 2010 10:18

SABM-RACISMBy the “Angler”

 

Hello, people.

 

For obvious reasons, I can’t tell you my name. What I can say is that I am 15 years old, in Form 3 and a part of our flawed educational system.

 

As a student, I face problems any other student would. Too much homework,overly-strict teachers, and living up to parents’ expectations (ai caramba!*) are all daily problems. And then, there is also racism.

 

It’s completely standard for me, really. Nearly everyone in my school is a racist, and those that aren’t racists to begin with but are friends with racists end up that way themselves as an attempt to be accepted. If you want proof, just head on over to my school for a day. You will be treated to underage racism at its finest.

 

During recess, in the canteen, the students will sit together based on their race. In class, the students will sit next to those only of their own race, and most would rather sit alone than with someone of another race.

 

Even the teachers are no different. In the lounge, they will mingle and joke around almost always with colleagues of the same race, talking to those of another only on official school business. Imagine, the very people who are supposed to be teaching your children, not merely subjects, but also moral values, practise something so medieval.

 

And yet, the problem is ignored.

 

Branded as a “sensitive issue”, racism is something no one is allowed to talk openly about, about what’s really going on, while school officials and higher-ups yap on about how strong inter-racial unity is here under 1 Malaysia. And all the while, the problem swells, like a shadow hanging over us, growing by the day, swallowing more and more people into its ranks.

 

My own best friend, whom I also cannot name, is a racist of a completely different level. You should hear him going on about how much he hates Malays and Indians, because to him all Indians are dirty and all Malays are lazy. A bit hypocritical, seeing as I’m one. His excuse is that seeing as I’m exactly that, a mix of both, I am therefore neither and so he does not hate me. There is no hope for some.

 

But for those with hope, for those with a chance, we must spread a message to them. The message that there is no importance in one’s race whatsoever. In fact, to me, there is no such thing as race at all, there are only people.Take for example, a certain fish from Lake Malawi in Africa. It exists in multiple colour forms, in multiple different geological locations, they can all show natural interaction between one another. That’s kind of a weird example, but I think it’s a precise one. That’s what we must be like, existing in multiple-colour variations, spread out over different geological locations, and yet, still showing normal interactions between one another because deep down, past all the petty differences, we are all the same, we are all people.

 

To quote the back of my favourite t-shirt, “One People, One Nation.”

 

* Spanish for aiyoh-aiyoh!


Comments
Search RSS
Only registered users can write comments!
Alison Murugesu-Ghani |2010-12-23 17:00:00
I read this with great sadness. After 10 years away from Malaysia, we came back late last year and placed our 6 year old in preschool.

During his 1st week, Adrian came home excited to be a part of a race - some competition, but what of, he w...as not too sure. I asked his class teacher the following day about this race my son was asking about, only to find that his classmates wanted to know what race he was. Adrian has only ever known himself as a Malaysian. Nothing more. Nothing less.

A few weeks later, he came home upset, as his best friend, Mohd. Daniel, told him he could not be in the same team, as his (Daniel's) skin was 'peach' and my son, Adrian's was brown.

Before the end of the school year, he was called stupid by his classmates as they had a lesson on festivals celebrated in Malaysia. When asked to put up their hands to show who celebrated Christmas, Chinese New Year, Diwali or Eid, Adrian had his hand up for all 4....simply because we DO celebrate all 4 festivals, either as a family, or with our friends.

This is what is happening in a well established preschool, amongst it's 6 year olds. Can you imagine how much worse it gets as these kids grow up?

If all Malaysians were more like the African Cichlids, we may actually be 1Malaysia!
Hardev Singh |2010-12-24 14:07:48
A good person. We have many among us who are like him. There is still much hope and I trust my thoughts on this that our country will be better.
passion 1 |2010-12-25 10:24:58
“One People, One Nation.”

This is a very familiar slogan to Malaysians living in the south. From Muar downwards,they can receive Singapore TV channels.
And Singapore children are being taught to dutifully protect their Nationality and country, and they are very proud to do just that.
AgreeToDisagree  - The Dangers of Oligarchy and Nepotism |2010-12-25 15:11:47
A very heartfelt and meaningful article.
:cheer:

:cheer:

I'd also like for the young people of today to consider the below issues which we also have to always be on guard against.

Note that like the "BN Establishment Clique", that the "Pakatan Establishment Clique" and have vested interest in their own hopes to reserve an MP's or Assemblyman's seat for the family for themselves.

The people must be aware and must allow no dictatrship via Oligarchy, Singapore or North Korea style. Those MP's seats and Assemblymen's seats belong to all.

If every former MP's children are MPs or the have more children to become MPs, then Malaysia will be run by several families of MPs in no time who will further reserve MPs and we will end up having family fiefs of RESERVED SEATS.

Let Pakatan entrench it's Oligarchies and reserve MP seats long enough and you will see a second BN arise.

If every former PM's child or CHILDREN get to reserve an MP's seat simply because his father was MP, by the 222nd Election there will be 222 MP's seats reserved by families or less if all of an MP's children also reserve MP's seats! They, like UMNO, would end up fighting like Pak Lah-KJ and Mahathir-Mukhriz and write bad laws that NOBODY could remove because the seats are reserved!!! It is the base nature of man, and in not even endorsing TERM LIMITS for MPs and Assemblymen, we already know what they intend AGAINST the Rakyat!

Know you the foolishness of those who accept or promote people like Nurul-PR or Khairy-BN (probably for your own ends at the expense of the Rakyat) Study the picture links by googling "Unmoderated Malaysian Comments". The charts and facts to prevent conflict of interest via Nepotism and Oligarchy are very clear.

Their faces may be smiling and nice now, but when in power long enough, you will see the Mahathiru in them shine through the facade that is the supposedly benevolent Anwar, Lim and Karpal Dynasty today. Protect the citizens, share the seats and DISALLOW ALL OLIGARCHY!!! Do not take away democratic checks and balances by not declaring assets or endorsing term declarations!
:angry:

:angry:



So please support KITA and MCLM in removing the OLIGARCHS or vote against the OLIGARCHS! BN or PAKATAN, OLIGARCHS are OLIGARCHS!

This country and it's MP's or Assemblymen's seats are for everyone, and the best way to do that is to prevent Oligarchy and endorse TERM LIMITS, both of which Anwar, Lim and Karpal family fief and supporting cliques today DARE NOT implement!
:!:

:!:



"The tyranny of the many would be when one body takes over the rights of others, and then exercises its power to change the laws in its favor." - Voltaire

Prevention of the above via TERM LIMITS and prohibitions against Oligarchy/Nepotism is the only check and balance that can be applied, so be wary of this problem ALWAYS and keep he seats in the Malaysian parliament accessible to all than reserved by a handful of cliques and family fiefs.
:idea:

:idea:

D Lim  - re: The Dangers of Oligarchy and Nepotism |2010-12-27 08:04:39
Children are not born racists. They are colour and religion blind. They learnt from their environments. Unfortunately, growing up in country where highlighting ethnicity and supremacy is a political game and part of life, this is what we get. We bear the fruits from the seeds we sow. To build a nation where people look at each other not from colour, religion and ethnic glasses, we need to emphasise morals which are universal. Until we sew new seeds of understanding and acceptance, we will continue to bear the fruits sown from former/past seeds.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 27 November 2012 23:46
 

Your are currently browsing this site with Internet Explorer 6 (IE6).

Your current web browser must be updated to version 7 of Internet Explorer (IE7) to take advantage of all of template's capabilities.

Why should I upgrade to Internet Explorer 7? Microsoft has redesigned Internet Explorer from the ground up, with better security, new capabilities, and a whole new interface. Many changes resulted from the feedback of millions of users who tested prerelease versions of the new browser. The most compelling reason to upgrade is the improved security. The Internet of today is not the Internet of five years ago. There are dangers that simply didn't exist back in 2001, when Internet Explorer 6 was released to the world. Internet Explorer 7 makes surfing the web fundamentally safer by offering greater protection against viruses, spyware, and other online risks.

Get free downloads for Internet Explorer 7, including recommended updates as they become available. To download Internet Explorer 7 in the language of your choice, please visit the Internet Explorer 7 worldwide page.