Race Relations Still Very Good In Malaysia?

I don't like to talk about race. I don't like to refer to other people by their race. And I certainly don't like people being stereotyped by their race.

But something happened recently which showed me that no matter how much I try to be a true colour-blind Malaysian, certain quarters are hell-bent on doing just the opposite.

The other day, a Malay family came to ask about the programme I offer in my centre.

The mum had called me earlier to ask about the programme and I had explained briefly over the phone. I invited her to visit my centre with her children to find out more and she agreed.

When she arrived, she brought her 2 sons along. As I opened the door for them, the first innocent words out of the kids mouths were:

"Eh...! Cina?!"

I smiled and pretended not to have heard. So did the mum.

I said hello to the kids and offered to shake their hands. The kids looked bewildered and turned to their mum, saying clearly:

"Eh! Tak boleh salam! Dia tu Cina!!"

The flustered mum quickly told them that it was OK to shake hands with Chinese. Thank God they listened to their mum! So the racist poison was not yet permanent in them and they could still be corrected! I hope that these kids will continue listening to their mum and not the others who planted this thoughts in their head.

But who put this idea there in the first place?

Their parents?

I doubt it. If it was, they would not have brought the kids to my centre as they knew I was Malaysian-Chinese.

So where else could they be influenced with such thinking?

In their schools, most likely. They learnt either from their teachers or their friends.

Or both.

Who can I assign responsibility for this sad state of race relations?

Who else but the racist UMNO/BN government? They control the media, they control the schools, they even control religious education in this country. They have so much access to the minds of our children.

With all that access, is this is what our children are being taught? To be suspicious of other races? To hate others if they are not of the same race? To believe that other races are too "dirty" to shake hands with?

Why are our schools used to poison our children's minds to be so suspicious of their fellow Malaysians that they cannot even offer a polite salam!

I have said it before - education should be directed by educationists and academics, NOT politicians! Schools should be for education, NOT indoctrination! Children should be taught to improve themselves, not hate others for no reason!

But UMNO/BN has chosen to use schools as a convenient indoctrination tool to create a new generation of zombies who are conditioned to unquestioningly follow the UMNO/BN agenda.

With this kind of poison fed to our kids day in and day out, what kind of society will we have in 5 years time?

10 years time?

20 years time?

20 years from now, these kids will grow up and they will be the ones responsible for building this nation. What kind of country will they build if they continue to have this kind of mentality? I shudder to think what would happen if someone with such thinking becomes our Prime Minister one day!

Will all non-Malays then be herded into ghettoes and concentration camps? Will there be a "Final Solution" in Malaysia?

I pray not...

Most importantly, we have to ask ourselves - do we want to continue having a government that promotes and nurtures such intolerant racist thinking? That carelessly uses our kids to maintain their grip on power? Can we trust our kids be safe in the hands of such unscrupulous politicians?

It's time to stand up, rakyat Malaysia.

I have seen many of my very successful friends taking their talents and money and migrating overseas because they cannot tahan the bullshit politics here anymore. In their place, who is the UMNO/BN govt bringing into the country (and giving Bumiputra status, to boot)? Unskilled Indons - by the millions!

Such utter bullshit! Reject your own talented citizens while giving privilege to foreigners who bring no value to the nation!

So these friends of mine choose to run and escape. I respect their choice. Sometimes I wish I could join them too.

But this is MY tanahair. I will not run. I will not abandon my home and my brother and sister Malaysians.

Why should I give up my home just because some a**holes push us around? THOSE a**holes should be the one given a swift kick in the nuts and sent packing!