on racism and bigotry.

Last night my future housemate's parents were in town. He invited a number of people to dine together with his family. Me being me, I'd be hard pressed not to pass up a free meal. So I went. Despite off-schedule assignments and all.

The meal itself was alright, chinese food in western countries is just that. It's never better than the real stuff. But yeah. Halfway through the meal they started chatting, and it was about many things, but mainly about papa and mama's trip in Europe. they talked about various, nothing particularly exciting, as my tone would imply, but then they got to Spain. Short rambling about siestas, cos in spain, there's a period of time in the afternoon, for about 2 hours, where nobody opens shop. I'd never seen it, but I'd expect Barcelona at that time to be quiet, desolate, with the sound of winds singing their painfully tone deaf serenade, citing loneliness. The 2 hour lunchbreak where everyone sleeps is called a siesta.

They likened the Spanish to Malays, and citing the horrible stereotype that all Malays are lazy.

Now I can't fucking stand racism and Bigotry, so I tried to defend the Spaniards by saying that it's hot blah blah blah, but imagine my surprise, when it was the son's turn to speak, well technically he never fucking shuts up, but it was his turn, he went on about how his flatmates(coincidentally were all of south African descent) were nasty, unclean, unhygienic etc etc.

I was surprised but I realized I shouldn't be. Why?

Cos fucking 80% of the Malaysian population is racist. This skin color labelling is really, really getting on my nerves. Would it make any difference if the unclean flatmates are chinese? Or if we saw chinese teenagers loitering a bout the roadside would we fucking call them names? I'm citing the chinese as an example because I'm one, and those whom I speak about are as well.

It's been what? About 50 years since May 13. Too me it's gone on for long enough. I cringe at racist and bigotry statements. These people think it's alright, and unknowingly, they pass it on from generation to generation. It doesn't help either that the kids are too stupid to think for themselves.

I remember years ago, when I was sitting in the car with my mom. She'd come across some malay guy in a car and would say things like "malay pig!" In fact. I don't know if the malays know this or not. but in the chinese community "pig" has come to mean "malay". God knows the other races call each other in secret.

Yes hell I know the wounds of May 13 runs deep. But things going on the way they are the wound is not healing. I'd even go as far to say that the wound is splitting itself, into 3 distinct parts. Each one having a different interpretation of it. Time heals they say, but that doesn't hold true here.

You can go on and talk about how the government policies are all ethnocentric, and that Mahathir's "The Malay Dilemma" has been compared to Hitler's "Mein Kampf". Or you can be like my parents last I spoke to them "If you want to live in Malaysia, you got to accept that it has race problems"

But Accepting doesn't mean we can't change it. I believe everything starts at the individual level. We must believe, and have faith. But at times it's hard, when everyone turns their back to you. It feels like we're all backstabbing each other. But it doesn't have to be this way. Start by saying hi to your next door neighbour, help one another, be polite. Engage in friendly conversations, talk about our differences, understand each other.

Love can still foster if we let it. I almost think I'm mad for saying this, but it's been in my mind for far too long. Cowering, pupating itself, waiting for the right time, to erupt. I don't know how many people will read this. But if reading this spurs you to think, then I think I've done an adequate job. I've ranted on long enough. My blood still boils, but I think I'd stop here.

Malaysia Boleh.