2 Comments

1. #1 CS
   on May 12th, 2009 at 6:04 am

   This one hits the nail on the head with the political complexities in Malaysia. The ethnic biases that permeated through all systems, especially the educational system, were the very reason why my parents got us out of Malaysia at a young age. A political time bomb waiting to explode, my dad still believes.

   I haven’t lived in Malaysia for a long time, so I am not in the position to validate my father’s remark in today’s context. What I do know, though, is that despite massive progress in larger states and cities (like Kuala Lumpur), very little has changed in the state I was born in - primarily a state that is controlled by the fundamentalist muslims. For example, the only Chinese-Malaysian shop owner in the central market in Kota Bharu is made to feel marginalised by the other shop owners (who were ‘Bumiputras’) in the hope that she would give up her shop. They didn’t allow her to use the public restrooms, gossiped about her, treated her as an out-cast, etc. I hear these stories first hand during my last two visits to my hometown.

   I do not regret that I don’t have emotional ties with Malaysia other than those childhood memories I hold dear, and for this nostalgic reason alone I have a certain affinity for the country. I do hope that the racial issues will be resolved in time to come, but I think it will take at least another generation of new leadership and thinking for that to happen.

2. #2 shapeshift
   on May 12th, 2009 at 7:36 am

   Thanks for commenting on this, Chaun. I was hope you would since I figure you are at least closer than I am. I suspected this is the environment in Malaysia when my Chinese born in Malaysia friend told me her childhood stories but there is no way to validate it is so in recent years.

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