General Elections
As a Malaysian, I’m fucking appalled at the cheap, low-blows that our Goddamn government is resorting to just to win at any cost. Bringing in immigrants and having the police force protect them from being reported, “indelible ink” that can be easily washed off, phantom voters, blackouts during vote-counting, sudden victories after recounting and whatnots, God knows how dirty and corrupted Barisan Nasional is. To the Prime Minister of Malaysia and the government:
I hope all of you get lupus and die in a fucking ditch.
Please sign the petition so bastards like BN will NEVER be in power:
An Affirmative Reaction?
In Malaysian society, one’s ethnicity and religion are intrinsically linked. Malays comprise more than half of the country’s 28 million citizens and, according to the constitution, they should all be Muslims. The government is secular, but Sharia law is implemented as well.
Malaysia is a melting pot of different ethnic groups, a sign of its tolerance and progressiveness as a nation. But in reality, interactions among these groups are limited. This has become a source of tension, sending confusing signals to the youth. Is one ethnic group “more Malaysian” than others?
The Malays have long been the majority. In spite of this, they have always been poorer than the minority groups who controlled most businesses. This led to the 1969 riots which targeted the ethnic Chinese in particular. Dozens were killed.
To increase the Malays’ share in the economy, the government began a policy of affirmative action. Rather than drive the Chinese and Indians out of the country, the Malays were given preference in the allocation of services and resources. For instance, housing was made cheaper only for them. Malays were always the first to get admitted into prestigious universities and hired by big companies.
After four decades of affirmative action, Prime Minister Najib Razak admits the policy is still necessary because the Chinese and the Indians still control the economy. This doesn’t mean the Chinese and Indians are all too happy about it. They have long felt that they are being treated as a lower class of citizens.
This sentiment was made evident during the 2008 elections. Opposition groups took a third of parliament and the Malay coalition, for the first time since independence, lost its overwhelming majority.
Many highly educated Chinese and Indians have left the country, causing a brain drain. This can seriously hurt Malaysia’s dreams of becoming an industrialized nation by 2020.
Najib said Malaysians need a new perspective. Times have changed. The UMNO, the Malay party that has dominated politics for 40 years, is no longer right all the time. The opposition is stronger now.
Of course, this is easier said than done. For a long time the Malays have been told to protect their interests because the Chinese and Indians are going to take it away from them. But now the government is saying Muslim Malays should listen to those who do not share their faith. Malaysia isn’t theirs alone.
We're the kids in Malaysia
Whoaooh! On the occasion of Malaysia Day on September 16, Komunitikini’s semua taruh Dan Lain-Lain section is proud to present a snapshot of the country’s cool young things with a cause, in their own speak (and text). So, thank you for finally deciding to repeal the ISA, Mr Prime Minister Najib Razak Gorbachev; this generation might thank you for it. The future’s so bright, we gotta wear shades.
Lovingly compiled by Temily Tianmay Jaya Gopan
Rick Daeg
My dad’s Kenyah and my mum’s Bidayuh, both from Sarawak =D
I’ve always believed tolerance and understanding are key to solve all issues =)
Luqman Sheikh Ghazali
Malay + Chinese + Indian + Arab + Indonesian.
Gotta love having 1Malaysia in your own blood.
Ravin Kumar Balbir Singh
25% Chinese + 25% Punjabi + 50% Indian = 100% Malaysian! :)
Prema Krish
(Chinese+Indian) with her family
“Prejudices of all kinds – religious, racial, national, political, etc – are destructive of divine foundations. All the warfare and bloodshed in human history have been the outcome of prejudice. This earth is one home and native land.
“God has created mankind with equal endowment and right to live on earth, just as a city is the home of all its inhabitants, even as each has her individual place of residence therein, so the earth’s surface is one wide, native land; home to all humankind.
“Racial prejudice or separation proceeds from human wants and ignorance. All are the children and servants of God. Why should we be separated by artificial and imaginary boundaries?
“In the animal kingdom, doves flock together in harmony and agreement. They have no prejudices. We are human and ‘superior’ in intelligence. Is it befitting that lower creatures should manifest virtues which lack expression in man?”
- quoted from The Promulgation of Universal Peace by ‘Abdu’l-Baha
Nuril Junaidi Sim Al-Yahya
25% Arab, 25% Malay, 25% Chinese, 25% Portuguese. Still Malaysian ;D
Jojo Lyons
25% Indian, 25% Thai, 25% Chinese and 25% British. 100% Malaysian :)
25% Berawan, 25% Kelabit, 25% Sarawakian, 25% Malaysian = 100% Human
Diana Maria
3/4 iban and the other 1/4 chinese=). and i’m proud to be malaysian=)
Z-lynn Ruth
i’m half kelabit+half kenyah, truly malaysian ♥
Qyira Yusri
Half-Malay, Half-Chinese and fully proud ;D
Danutcha Catriona Singh
Indian + Irish. But I always refer to myself as Malaysian first =)
Edmund Jonathan Ignatius
Stranger: So what race are you?
Me: Malaysian.
Stranger: Haha, come on. Really now, what is your race?
Me: Ok, I’m 1/4 Portugese, 1/8 Punjabi, 1/8 Indian, 3/8 Bidayuh and 1/8 Chinese.
Stranger: …
Me: Well, in short, I’m Malaysian :)
Joshua Benedict
Malay-looking, Chinese-speaking Indian!!!! Beat this ONE MALAYSIA!!!
Roya Astani
Indian (but really Ceylonese) + Persian = Pindian.
(tho ppl think im Chinese when i speak Malay! )
“The earth is one country and mankind its citizens”
Adonis Bhullor (Punjabi+Chinese)
There’s nothing better than a lil bit of this and a lil bit of that, topped off with a lil more of those, and sprinkled with a tinge of that.
Justin Choy
Sino-Kadazan mixed with Chinese + ? My grandfather was adopted so I don’t know what I really am!
Muhammad Hakimi
Indian + Indonesian + Japanese
Nick Lazaroo
Straight-up Serani :p with a bollywood and gong xi gong xi twist.
Jayne Gomes
My dad is Indian Portugese Chinese Thai and my mum is Chinese Filipino Spanish. Guess I am also rojak!
Nikolaus Sivaloganathan
Mums german, dads from Sri Lanka, and i was born in KL :)
Jonathan Doraisamy
mom filipino dad indian, i’ve been called ‘findian’, ‘indino’, and lots more. lol
anyways, call me watever u like, i’m still a MALAYSIAN. :)
Paveena Janard
Dad’s Indian Japanese.. Mom’s chinese indian.which makes me…half indian quarter chinese quarter japanese which makes me a… Chipandian?Chindpanese?
Oh well…whatever terms there are me still anak Malaysia!
Izra Jasmine
My dad has some north indian/pakistani thing going on, my mum’s all chinese. My boyfriend’s dad’s pakistani and mum’s chinese. Might’ve been why we were attracted to each other… Proud of our heritage, we’re Malaysian! :)
Melor Zulkifli
Mixed race kids like us can be either fit in both cultural differences from the parents. We stand on the fence and never take sides, agreeing each races strength and weaknesses. As first generation of Malay-Chinese, I’m proud preserving my parents culture and next will continue cultural mixture for my next generation:)
Hazwan Faizul
Your heritage is a part of you that you can never remove, but by no means let it define you. My mum’s malay-minangkabau and my dad’s an indian muslim. Maybe it was because I had hardships in fitting into any specific group while I was a kid that had caused me to be more open and attentive to the people around me while growing up. It led me to conclude that race is just superficial, skin-deep. Instead, it is the individual life-stories and personalities in the people around me that I found joy in. What’s great about Malaysia is that We are all similar in that we are different, but nevertheless we respect those differences and accept and love each other anyhow (or atleast, that’s how TRUE Malaysians should be). That is the basis in which I define myself now, and I can say I’m pretty happy :)
Leroy Wong
1/2 Chinese, 1/4 Swiss, 1/8 Italian and another 1/8 Dutch
Marlene Miranda (Indian+ Korean)
Proud to be Malaysian. Thumbs up.
Khaz Krazy
My mum’s British, my dad’s Malay… But I was born and raised in Malaysia, so I’m pretty much as Malaysian as you all are! :)
Colleen Daphne Chung
Dad (Chinese) & Mom (Indian + Portuguese) = Malaysian!! :)
Kalaichelvi Shan
Dad’s Indian, Mom’s Chinese. People Say I look Malay. I think I look Malaysian, rojak style :)
Adrian Gradinko Tan
Mum’s Ceylonese, dad’s Chinese. So according to the periodic table of mixes, I’m under Chindian Malaysian.
Jessica Mia Dias
Both my parents are portuguese and my whole life in high school I’ve been under the category of “lain-lain”… wasn’t a nice feeling knowing you’re an ‘other’ and don’t belong… the whole race category is uncalled for… We’re all human. We’re all Malaysian.
Nalina Nair
Mom is Chinese, her parents were born here… dad is Indian, his parents were born in India. In legal documents, I am Indian. I find this insulting towards my maternal roots. When my parents got my birth certificate registered, they were told they could only choose one race and only of my father’s. I am neither Chinese nor Indian, I am both! What i want is to be able to see that the “race” and “religion” column be taken out. There is no need for such things anymore, for we are all Malaysians!
Elaine Fernandez
Dad’s Indian, Mum’s Nyonya - which makes me 100% Malaysian!
Scott Lee Yuen Mann
Hai :) My dad is Chinese. My mother is Kadazan. So, it’s called Cizan? But I answer to Malaysian all the time. How one generation loves, the next generation learns.
Levin Kesu Belani
It is our diversity that makes us blend in so well in society. It has always been a great pleasure being one… especially when we get to celebrate more than 1festival…I’m Chindian.
Jillian Chahil
Dad’s pure Punjabi. Mom’s 1/2 Punjabi, 1/2 Chinese. That makes me; 75% Punjabi, 25% Chinese And 100% Malaysian. Cheers!
Bawanie Rachel
My father’s Indian, my mother’s 3/4 Iban and 1/4 Chinese, which makes me 1/2 Indian, 3/8 Iban and 1/8 Chinese. I don’t quite identify with being purely (whatever it truly means) Indian, Chinese or Iban. I also believe there’s a very distinctive mixed race culture in Malaysia (so someone should do research on us). What’s for sure is this - I know I’m Malaysian! :)
Marsha Ann Mascringhas
Dad’s Indian and mum’s Filipina. Basically, I’m Philindian and proud to be Malaysian!
Xaviera Cheryl Riji
My Ah Ma is a product of a Chinese father and Malay mother. She later married my Chinese granddad who later produced my mother. My father is Kelabit. My husband’s father is Eurasian (Chinese+Caucasian) and his mom is Malay. We are expecting a child. Our son will be a ‘rojak’ like us. We come from a long line of mixed parentage and we are proud of our colourful heritage.
Gayle Brani
My dad is Indian and my mum is Chinese=) Although I believe my dad is more Chinese than my mum. Hahahahaha! He’s the one that thought her how to eat Bak Kut Teh=) Colour does not matter=) I am Malaysian through and through.
Sharmin Devinder
Punjabi father, Nyonya mother. Through & through Malaysian
Alexander Jacobs
I’m an indian chinese hybrid…i feel privileged growing up with both cultures. it certainly has made my life colourful and has moulded me into the man I am today. Us mixed raced kids contribute to the ethnic assimilation identity of malaysia
Ian Mark Santa Maria
Portuguese + Indian.. aku anak Malaysia
Jeremy Little
my dads English and my mum is half malay half chinese.. and i’m proudly Malaysian :)
Sanjiv Wei Xian Singh
Dad’s punjabi, mum’s chinese.
People should not be differentiated by race because we are all humans. Nothing different.
Sukhvir Campur
Mom’s chinese, Dad’s punjabi
People should realise that there is only one race - the human race, and that we are all members of it.
Fadillah Sokong Parlimen Belia
Ketua Pemuda BN Negeri Sarawak menyambut baik cadangan kerajaan yang akan menubuhkan Parlimen Belia. YB Datuk Haji Fadillah Yusoff selaku Ahli Parlimen Petrajaya P194 dan merangkap Ketua Pemuda Barisan Nasional Negeri Sarawak akan memberikan pandangan khususnya dari segi mekanisme dan struktur perlaksanaan dasar Parlimen Belia.
Dear Najib Razak
200702 twin towers (Photo credit: iambents)
Dear Najib Razak. I am not able to vote in this elections. Since I am not Malaysian.
It has been over two years since I landed in this beautiful country. The Land of the Green blessed with rain. Beauty of…
Najib, Perdana Menteri boneka
bm.malaysia-chronicle.comHampir empat tahun BN menerajui negara selepas pilihan raya umum Mac 2008 dan tidak dapat dilihat UMNO atau Najib membawa negara ke landasan yang betul. Populariti mereka seolah-olah menurun.
Banyak masalah sosial dan ekonomi yang berkaitan dengan hubungan antara kaum, agama dan ekonomi telah disajikan kepada rakyat jelata. Rasuah semakin menjadi-jadi di kalangan mereka yang berkuasa dan lebih kerap ia disapu di bawah permaidani atas sebab-sebab politik.
