Jaguh Kampung of the Month – Jeer-On, A Miseducated Malaysian Gone Worse

The internet, in particular the blogosphere, has been a timely instrument of liberation for countless Malaysians, who for decades were stifled from expressing their views by the selective and sychophantic local media. Over the years we have witnessed the proliferation of blogs such as my own, commenting on Malaysian society in our collective, though sometimes conflicting, effort to change the direction of the country as we see fit.

It is a dilemma of democracy, especially in the internet age, that respect for individual expression means that pretty much everyone, regardless of the validity of their argument, receives an equal platform to propagate their views. As we currently see in America, the far-right movement gives itself free rein to disseminate lies about healthcare reform and mock the president in a manner that is puerile at best and just dirty at worst. There is a major distinction between difference of opinion and downright slander, and in this instance the conservative movement, bereft of valid arguments, prefer to indulge in the latter.

The same is true with the socio-political scene in Malaysia, although in place of left-right bickering is a political landscape that is largely marked by racially-based ideology. While there are genuine efforts by Malaysians to create an honest, open discussion about racial divides and economy iniquity, there are also those who choose to use their blogs as a public avenue to vent their frustration and air their deeply-held prejudices.

Recently, through pure misfortune, I came across a blog by Jeer-On, who debuts into the Malaysian blog scene intent on “pouring out his disgust to the world around. What I have in mind can never be contained anymore. I am burning with flame and I know sooner or later the truth will reveal itself…” This is obviously a man or boy who is consumed with anger and bitterness and, like many angry Malaysians he chooses to channel his frustration towards, oh who else, those Malays.

In his new post entitled “The Malays or the Malas” (yes, how clever…) he starts off with that predictable diatribe about the lazy Malays. “It is the (sic) fact that how (sic) the Malays in this country are no longer the Malays whom (sic) they used to be. The Malays are plain lazy and thus they deserved to labeled as one” asserts Jeer-On. Truth be told I have no objections to such a statement, generalised and grammatically-incorrect as it may be. I do however, take umbrage when this guy produces grand rhetoric without being able to back them up with facts.

“Look around you, how many Malay graduates are really holding high positions in most corporate companies in this country based on their own effort and skills?” he asks. He says “most corporate companies” because he doesn’t really know how many; in fact probably not that many if we are to go with his own assertion that “The Malays are working for the so called “immigrants”, the Malays live in houses and land belong (sic) to the so called “immigrants” and the food, the clothes and even almost every thing the Malays have to buy or get the supplies from (sic) the so called “immigrants”“. But see, it doesn’t matter if what he says is the truth or not, because it conveniently feeds into his stereotype about The Malays and that’s good enough for him.

Not content with pouring his anger at Malays, he chooses another easy target, oh who else, Womankind. He may be a blog debutant, but he’s wise enough to know that a grand introduction breaks or makes a post, so he starts off with an intro of biblical proportions thus, “It’s all started since Adam and Eve. Men are seen and regarded to be superior to women since the dawn of civilization. Men are the breadwinners for most of the families in the world. Women on the other hand, are regarded to be the caretakers of the household chores”. Never mind that many of us, having been enlightened by years of proper upbringing and education don’t actually share his view; this is how he sees the world and that is how the world is thus.

“Every day, women all around the world are trying their very best to be equal and to topple men’s positions in the society. Perhaps, the hunger of power and authority in them has grown slightly bigger than ever. It makes them sick and if they sit and be quiet about it they might just blow up like a bursting balloon”. Yes, that’s what women are – devious, power-hungry, conniving monsters out to put man in his proper place. Such cave-dweller views would be laughable if they were fictitious, but unfortunately this guy is for real.

It is tempting to dismiss such imbecilic views, on both a community and a whole gender, as just-another-frustrated-Chinese or guys-being-guys. But as we have seen in the United States, silence gives consent and when we allow a bunch of idiots to use the same platform to voice their prejudices, we move a step closer to tolerating stupidity. And that’s just plain stupid.

Men in skullcaps drag cow-head in protest against Hindu temple

On Thursday morning I woke up to an sms from mom to say that our beloved cat Comot has died. I was devastated to learn the news, particularly since it was only three weeks ago that I last saw her, during my recent trip back to the family home. I will miss the way she would scratch my face as I incessantly kiss her, the way she bites my hand with her small set of teeth as I vigorously pat her head, unable to contain myself over how adorable she is. She grew tired of me after five minutes on my lap but I never tire of her.

As sad as it makes me feel, I take her death as an inevitable part of life, for despair is the matching partner of happiness. If we had never taken her into our home we would be spared this pain, but we would also be bereft of the joy her presence brought us. Other than the sad news, the first week of Ramadan has been a spiritually enriching journey for me, as I join Muslims the world over in our individual and communal effort to increase our good deeds and try to be a better person in the remembrance of God.

Therefore, it was with extreme outrage and disappointment that I read in the Malaysian news that earlier today, on the holiest day of the week in the holiest month of the Muslim calendar, a group of zealous Malay Muslims chose to protest against the relocation of a Hindu temple to their neighbourhood by parading a severed cow’s head during their demonstration after Friday prayers. Already there are suspicions that the demonstration is a perverted ploy by interested parties to stir racial unrest among the Indian Hindu and Malay Muslim communities in Malaysia, and that the protesters weren’t in fact residents of the neighbourhood known as Section 23. Regardless of whether it was a conspiracy or not, the protestors remain as Muslims and for that they should hang their heads in shame for publicly desecrating the Muslim faith in the holiest of months.

I am reluctant to comment about matters pertaining to Islam because I am neither a religious expert nor do I consider myself a pious Muslim. But to remain silent would be a betrayal of my conscience, for these vile actions affect me deeply as both a Malaysian and a Muslim, however flawed I may be.

The spokesperson for the protesters claim it is inappropriate to relocate the Hindu temple in a neighbourhood where 80% of the residents are Muslim. This argument is both disturbing in its simple foolishness and flawed outright. What is so inappropriate about building a house of worship for the remaining 20% of the residents who are not Muslim? If we go with the simple man’s logic, would it then be “inappropriate” to build a mosque in a predominantly non-Muslim neighbourhood? I would hope not. No one should be denied their right to perform their religious obligations, particularly when it does not intrude upon others. I recall this flawed argument being used by residents in the Sydney suburb of Camden against the building of an Islamic school sometime last year, with the rabid protesters deeply disturbed at the prospect of the Islamic school blemishing the Anglo-Saxon character of their locality.

It pains me to note the utter disrespect these Malay Muslim protesters showed to the Hindu community by dragging the severed cow’s head along the streets, wearing skullcaps and chanting “Allahu Akbar!” (God is great!) as if they were the last defenders of Islam. They were obviously aware of the symbolism, but have they forgotten that the cow is sacred in Islam too, as are all creatures created by God? They demand the meat they consume to be halal, that is, to be clean and pure, treated with dignity and respect from birth to the moment of slaughter, yet they parade the dismembered animal with the joy and enthusiasm of barbarians, thoughtless in the sanctity of animals from the Islamic perspective.

They may wear their skullcaps and parade their piety in full display, but I take heart that Islam does not condone such callous acts of disrespect towards those who do not profess our religion from these verses:

Say, O you disbelievers
I do not worship that which you worship
Nor do you worship what I worship
Nor will I ever worship that which you worship
Nor will you ever worship what I worship
For you your religion, and for me my religion

Surah Al-Kafiroon (The Disbelievers), verses 1-6
109: 1-6

Follow what is revealed to you from your Lord, there is no god but He; and turn aside from those who join gods with Allah;
And if Allah had pleased, they would not have set up others (with Him) and We have not appointed you a keeper over them, and you are not placed in charge of them;
And do not abuse those whom they call upon besides Allah, lest exceeding the limits they should abuse Allah out of ignorance. Thus We have made fair seeming to every people their deeds, then to their Lord shall be their return, so He will inform them of what they did

Surah Al-An’Aam (The Cattle, Livestock) verses 106-108
6: 106-108

Flip-Flopping in Malaysia: Should We Revert to Teaching Science and Mathematics in Malay?

In July this year, the Malaysian Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin announced a decision to reverse the 6-year experiment of teaching Science and Mathematics to school students in English, citing research findings which showed low levels of proficiency among both teachers and students, particularly those from rural or disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds. Teachers’ inability to communicate effectively scientific and mathematical concepts in English compounded the students’ difficulty in understanding said concepts, leading to low levels of participation and enthusiasm in Science and Math.

The policy of Teaching and Learning Science and Mathematics in English, known by its Malay initials as PPSMI, was initiated by then premier Mahathir Mohamad to arrest the declining proficiency of Malaysian students, partly caused by the earlier policy of designating Malay as the medium of instruction in national schools in newly independent Malaysia. Prior to Independence fought from the British, the primary language of instruction was English, thereby creating a preceding generation more fluent in the language than the current crop of Malaysians.

The most strident opponents of the policy of teaching Math and Science in English are the giants of the Malay literary scene, most notably National Laureate A. Samad Said and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, the Malay equivalent to France’s L’Académie française. Their grievance is understandable, for it is true that teaching and learning Science and Math in English would decimate any prospect of Malay as a significant scientific language. But common sense must prevail, and it is imperative for us to acknowledge that the Malay language never had a chance as a medium of the sciences. Even at its peak during the Malacca sultanate when Malay was the lingua franca of the Malay archipelago, its function was to facilitate trading between peoples, not to exchange scientific knowhow. That is not something to be ashamed of; we were and remain to this day a trading nation and our Malay language is a living testament to that proud heritage. But we cannot keep deluding ourselves into thinking that Malay can and will be a medium of the sciences when we are merely translating and borrowing hundreds of terms from English and creating none of our own.

Meanwhile, a small but vocal section of the Malay community, in a defiant display of misplaced arrogance and uncensored infantilism, continue to chastise those in favour of the English language policy by labelling them ‘celup’ (dipped, as in brown Malay skin ‘dipped’ in white Anglo-Saxon cast) and traitors of their people. It sounds preposterous because it is; a Western European doesn’t transform into an Indian simply by eating curry; likewise Malaysians don’t become less Malaysian just by conversing in English. This sort of narrow-minded logic is usually thrown aside as stupidity, but this stupidity is unfortunately extremely prevalent in Malaysian society and continues to shape public policy designed by politicians more interested in keeping the votes.

A more valid reason to oppose the PPSMI are rural parents’ and students’ real concern that their low proficiency in English will seriously impede their academic achievements in Science and Math, and in a worst case scenario, possibly hinder otherwise interested rural students from taking up tertiary studies in scientific and technical fields such as engineering and medicine. They further argue that the government is taking a hasty and haphazard approach in arresting the decline of English proficiency; rather than teach Math and Science in English, the best way to improve the standard of English is by increasing the time spent teaching English as a subject on its own. It is easy, this group asserts, for urban, middle-class Malaysians such as me to support the use of English in Math and Science since we would not be faced with the difficulties of having to learn not just a subject (Math or Science) but also a language at the same time.

I agree with their assertion to a degree and I sympathise with their predicament. But as a Malaysian and a Malay, I support the use of English in Math and Science not because it would be easy for people like me, but because not doing so would make it harder in the long run for everyone, in particular those from low socioeconomic backgrounds. Most of the world’s scientific references today are expressed in English, and the dominance of the Internet over printed publications means that it would be virtually impossible for Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka to translate even a fraction of the scientific knowledge that is out there. By refusing to learn in English, we are effectively limiting our ability to absorb and transmit scientific knowhow. By delaying the teaching and learning of English from school to tertiary level (because eventually Science and Math will be taught in English at universities), we are only making it harder for ourselves.

Postponing the challenge of acquiring a language only makes it more difficult later on. In any case, the previous generations of Malaysians had even lower levels of exposure to English to start with, yet they survived, even thrived, in the English-dominated education system brought on by the British. We Malaysians, particularly Malays, seem to make ourselves appear stupid by propagating this idea that we are perpetually unable to learn in English, but let’s face it, we’re not that stupid. We will become more fluent eventually. The government can make the transition easier by assigning additional tutorial assistance to rural students who have difficulty with English, and intensify the immersion of the language through various media – the Internet, video, television and print.

We are a small nation in an increasingly intertwined world. In order to succeed we need to be able to understand and communicate effectively with the world around us. Science and Mathematics are the fields which will ensure the continued prosperity of Malaysians, and if we continue to shelter ourselves from the tide of English for the sake of convenience, we risk drowning in the sea of globalization, with the world oblivious to our torment.

Ray, Brunswick

Brunswick, on Melbourne’s inner north has long been overshadowed by the more artsy Fitzroy and the very Italian Carlton, despite arguably having the highest concentration of specialty groceries, Middle Eastern bakeries and a plethora of restaurants serving Turkish, Afghan, Lebanese and Greek cuisine. This could be due to the sheer long stretch of Sydney Road, the suburb’s main artery, which makes walking the whole strip practically impossible.

Of course, the key to appreciating Sydney Road is not to ‘do it’ in 1 day, but to savour its different pockets over time. Sydney Road actually cuts through three suburbs – Brunswick, Anstey and Coburg – although Anstey is not really considered a suburb in its own right and is conveniently lumped into either of the bigger suburbs. The furthest reaches of the road in Coburg is home to many of the traditional Turkish restaurants and stalls selling succulent doner and shish kebabs, while in the Anstey portion halal butchers sit alongside Middle Eastern bakeries selling the famous Lebanese meat pizzas, baklava and zaatar spice mixes made of dried thyme, oregano and sumac berry powder.

The Brunswick part of Sydney Road is experiencing a sort of makeover that is also being felt in the once-sleepy suburbs of Collingwood and East Brunswick. Small, funky little cafes are mushrooming in little corners off Sydney Road that are obscure enough to be slightly mysterious yet easily accessible for inner city folks hungry for a bite or a strong, full-flavoured cuppa to unwind. The same forces that created Fitzroy’s rejuvenation, the rather adversarial combination of gentrification and cash-strapped students forced out from living in the city, are responsible for this timely addition to Brunswick’s street scene.

For these cafes deftly mix all the different elements of the suburb’s culinary heritage – Italian, Turkish, Lebanese – into a uniquely Australian interpretation that the inner north of Melbourne can claim as its own. Ray, one of the first of these cafes to open up shop, boasts on its menu board baharat baked beans with chilli labna and toasted pide; Arabian-style bircher muesli with cream, pistachios, poached fruits and honey; poached free-range eggs with capsicum pesto, spinach, fetta and dukkah and lamb kofta with hummus and lemon honey yoghurt, just to name a few. Common enough to not intimidate, but peppered with one or two unfamiliar ingredients to entice and excite in equal measure.

I’ve only recently discovered Ray, despite it being in such close proximity to my house. But I guess that’s part of what keeps Melbourne’s café scene so interesting. And it just goes to show that all that effort in remaining incognito – the unassuming exterior, the lack of signage, the off-the-beat location – actually does work! The coffee is supposed to be excellent, although on both visits I had tea – an act of rebellion perhaps, although one that I’m afraid is without cause. The next time I pop over at Ray I’ll be sure to get a coffee, and try more of their exotic fare.

Ray
332 Victoria St
Brunswick VIC 3056

Posted in Food | Tagged: Brunswick, inner north suburb Melbourne, Melbourne, Ray, Sydney Road | 1 Comment »

La Paloma, Brunswick

Posted by kampunghouse on July 15, 2009

Tucked away on an anonymous spot on Albert Street, a few steps shy of the traffic rush descending upon Sydney Road, La Paloma is like a little slice of Buenos Aires in bohemian Brunswick. Housed in a building that looks like it has seen better days, distressed walls with patches of stripped paint, weathered door and quaint wooden stools provide subtle clues to the atmosphere inside the café. The gleaming glass frontage and jade green tiles hint to a café that takes pride in itself.

Inside, a small blackboard announces the menu of the day. There are three or four dishes and two sweets – churros topped with dulce de leche and cake. I’m usually a sucker for sweets, but on this day I’ve come for the salad roll, which has received ecstatic raves in Melbourne food blogs. How often does a salad roll elicit such excitement as to compel people to wax lyrical about its merits? At first glance it looks innocent enough – tomato, cucumber, whole lettuce leaves, mashed seasoned avocado and a delicate layer of beef pastrami tucked into a rustic bread roll. It’s one of those things that make you say, “Pfft. I can make this at home” until you take a bite and realise, no, probably you can’t. The whole lettuce leaves provide visual novelty from the common chopped lettuce treatment in other salad rolls while the creamy, comforting avocado provide textural and savoury contrast to the crusty bread. But it is the beef pastrami which hands down steals the show, punching way above its weight in depth of flavour. You can opt to omit the pastrami, but you seriously are missing out.

The walls are painted Argentine blue, bullfighter red and Hispanic terracotta. There are small frames of Expressionist paintings of Spanish bulls, a little girl in a blue dress and a South American Indian man with a wizened gaze. The whole place drips with effortless charm and understated lust that marries the uninhibited passion inherent in the Argentine spirit and the whimsical eating habits of residents in Melbourne’s inner north. La Paloma is one of those cafes you want to adopt as your own, but how long can you hide the guilt of hiding it from everyone else?

La Paloma
259 Albert St
Brunswick VIC 3056

Posted in Food | Tagged: Brunswick, inner north suburb Melbourne, La Paloma, La Paloma Brunswick, Melbourne, mini cafe, new Brunswick, rue bebelons, Sydney Road | Leave a Comment »

Scenes from the Souk

Posted by kampunghouse on June 18, 2009

The main shopping thoroughfare in Damascus is the venerable souk al-Hamidiyya, named after the Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II and forms one of the main entrances to the medieval Old City of Damascus. Under the corrugated iron roof lie rows of shops selling jewellery, clothes, leather bags, Arabic perfume and embroidery competing for the masses of locals and tourists alike who have come to experience and contribute to what is part of the world’s oldest continually inhabited settlement.

The holes in the roof, lasting imprints of bullets fired from machine guns by French fighter jets during the Syrian nationalist revolt of 1925, create the illusion of a star-studded sky during the day, as rays of light pass through and illuminate the expansive souk, dark and sombre but for the loud chattering of the throng of shoppers. Intermittent electricity cuts are an almost daily phenomenon here, and during such times the whole souk will be abuzz with the drone of electricity generator motors coming from the wealthier shops, while the poorer stalls are left stranded in darkness.

The souk becomes a vantage point from which to observe the variety of people who form a parade of humanity along the winding thoroughfare. Young Syrian women wearing incredibly high heels, headscarves neatly tucked into their leather jackets, their male counterparts in rugged tight jeans and slicked hair; Iranian pilgrims covered rather clumsily in their chadors, middle-aged men constantly flicking their prayer beads, reciting the 99 names of God. Gulf Arab women can easily be identified by their abayas, black free-flowing robes concealing the female form, allowing only for subtle – but sufficiently visible – displays of wealth; the Gucci sunglasses, gold and silver bangles and glittering sequins across their abayas. And then there are the freckled-face, red-haired Arabs, a common enough occurrence in the Levant, the Arab region comprising Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan, but which still provoke bewilderment to the first-time visitor accustomed to the conventional stereotypes of what an Arab looks like.

A familiar sight throughout the souk, even in the biting cold of winter, are shoppers licking the ubiquitous bouzat haleeb, milk-and-rosewater-scented Arabic ice-cream generously topped with pistachios. There’s the slightest whiff of almond essence, and you’re trying to figure out why the ice-cream is rather gummy. And then you realise it’s not the usual sort of ice-cream, and this is not the usual sort of shopping mall.

Posted in Syria | Tagged: Arabic ice cream, bouzat haleeb, Damascus, shopping in Syria, souk, souk al-Hamidiyya, Syria | Leave a Comment »

Shopping in Syria

Posted by kampunghouse on June 17, 2009

Let’s ignore the global financial crisis for a while, and pretend we actually have money. The natural reaction is to go on a shopping frenzy. This makes perfect sense, because despite calls from financial advisers and ethicists to cut down on spending or worse, eliminate conspicuous consumption altogether, it’s hard to deny that shopping makes us happy. What do you do after getting fired or finding yourself unemployed for the last 6 months? Go out and buy something of course, if only to avoid the looming depression.

Dubai has often been promoted as the shopping mecca of the Middle East. I find this is only true if you have the salary of the Hiltons or the Beckhams. For the rest of us who can only afford to fantasize about living the glamorous life, the most we can do is window shop. The truth is, when it comes to shopping in Arabia, you’re better off in Syria. Years of being relegated to international pariah status has meant that it has largely escaped the onslaught of giant shopping malls seen everywhere else in the region. Instead, shoppers throng through medieval bazaars spread across labyrinthine alleyways, studded with discrete nooks and corners for the curious consumer intent on an expedition as much as scoring a bargain.

Getting a bargain in Syria is an art in conversation, requiring polite banter, a little bit of deception and mutual respect between buyer and trader. In one of the embroidery shops we bargained our way through a cup of strong Arabic coffee provided by the hospitable owner. Having been accustomed to stationary SALE! signs in Malaysia and Australia, I was initially reticent at having to be an active participant in our mission to get a discount. After a couple of attempts though, you start to get the hang of it and haggling suddenly becomes a thrilling revelation. The shopping mall experience of getting your desired item and handing it over to the cashier for scanning now seems passive and sterile in comparison. I guess it’s a bit like comparing between hunting for food and buying it from the supermarket – the latter is more convenient but oh what joy it is to do it the old fashioned way and chase after your meal.

Having said that, just when I finally gained enough confidence to try to haggle without the help of my mum, none of the traders would even move to give me a discount! So just a tip for all the guys out there, if you intend to shop, always bring a female companion with you. Unfortunately gender discrimination against men is still a widespread problem in bazaars and flea markets across the world, and for now I can only dream of a day when all men can haggle independently without the help of their womenfolk.

Posted in Syria | Tagged: Damascus, haggle, haggling in Syria, shopping, souk, Syria | Leave a Comment »

Stupidity and Racism Go Hand in Hand

Posted by kampunghouse on June 8, 2009

Melbourne has been witnessing a sickening spate of attacks targeted towards Indian nationals, the latest involving a man who was bashed unconscious while walking home from a train station in St Albans and cars belonging to students torched outside their home in Springvale. The government has been quick to manoeuvre a public relations strategy to control the damage on the lucrative international students’ market, up there among Australia’s biggest export earners besides coal and metals. Australian leaders could have shown more concern by perhaps visiting the injured students at hospital, or having roundtable discussions with student leaders, but no, export revenue comes first and so they spent more time assuring prospective Indian students that Australia is still safe.

The police meanwhile, fending off accusations of indifference towards the attacks, have religiously maintained that the crimes are largely “opportunistic”, rather than racially-motivated. This despite the fact that only Indian students seem to be so consistently robbed and punched and threatened and stabbed over the past month. Thankfully, the Victorian Attorney-General has used the occasion to expedite the creation of hate-crime laws which would cover harassments based on race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. It is quite clear that the legislation is aimed at preventing attacks against any race, so it came as a bit of a surprise when a concerned Don Bruce of Watsonia sent a letter to the The Age (June 4, 2009) claiming that “your hate crime legislation seems to cover everyone except white Anglo-Saxon males, Rob Hulls. Apparently my safety and that of my son is considered to be of less importance”.

The wording of the proposed legislation made public so far goes along the lines of “”hatred for or a prejudice against a particular group of people”; it doesn’t actually highlight any race, so how is it that this legislation would not cover white Anglo-Saxon males? One gets the impression this particular Don Bruce is feeling a bit left out from all the media attention and public sympathy the Indian victims are getting. I could almost hear him cry “Oh poor me and my white Anglo-Saxon heritage! Take pity on me!”

And there has been widespread condemnation of those attacks by Victorian politicians, from both left and right, as well as the general Victorian public. The state has a long and proud history of multiculturalism and while there is an undercurrent of racism in Australian society, it is not unique to the country alone. What is interesting is that a significant portion of criticism hurled towards Indian students – while they are being the target of attacks – come from Indians themselves. They are usually Indian Australians hailing from upper middle class backgrounds who perhaps, through their criticism, wish to reaffirm that they are distinctly different (read: better) than their foreign counterparts. One Rahul Kapadia, from the millionaire’s suburb of Toorak, wrote in (June 7, 2009) to blame Indian students for the attacks, due to “their loud talking habits, lack of etiquette and lack of courtesy to fellow passengers, coupled with loudly playing iPods and shoving themselves into trains and trams in a “me first” attempt”.

I don’t know how much of it is true and how much is simply his own distorted stereotype of Indian nationals, but that can hardly justify the senseless bashings and stabbings being committed against them. The rude behaviour that Rahul lists could easily be ascribed to anyone in Australia, not just Indians. He further declares that “when such students, who also flaunt their wealth by wearing gold chains around their necks, decide to walk from desolate stations at odd hours in the early morning, hoodlums would attack such people regardless of whether they are Indian or not”. That’s not true. The closest thing to bling I see Indians sport are religious gold chains; they’re not flaunting their wealth, they’re affirming their faith. And no, they are not choosing to walk from desolate outer suburb train stations at odd hours in the early morning, they are forced to because that’s the only work shifts they can afford to do without clashing with their classes. But I wouldn’t expect Rahul from Toorak to understand the circumstances faced by people living without the luxury of private automobiles and an inner-city address.

Posted in Melbourne | Tagged: Australian Indians, curry-bashing, Melbourne, Springvale, St Albans, violence against Indians | 1 Comment »

How Do You Spell Race?

Posted by kampunghouse on May 31, 2009

In the run-up to the European Parliament elections on June 4, there has been concern over the potential rise of far-right parties which have been gaining foothold in European countries. In cash-strapped UK, the whites-only, anti-immigration British National Party has been channelling public anger over Labour’s mismanagement of the country’s economy towards its hope of securing seats to the European Parliament. This is a party whose constitution declares to “stand for the preservation of the national and ethnic character of the British people and is wholly opposed to any form of racial integration between British and non-European peoples. It is therefore committed to stemming and reversing the tide of non-white immigration and to restoring, by legal changes, negotiation and consent, the overwhelmingly white makeup of the British population that existed in Britain prior to 1948″. In plain terms, if it was given the power, it would drive out all those people unfortunate enough to be born with colour from Britain. “Legal changes, negotiation and consent” really mean, by hook or by crook.

Even in Switzerland, a country typically associated with measured, rational thought, the ultranationalist Swiss People’s Party has emerged to become the country’s most popular party, keen to rid the nation of its pesky immigrants, imaginatively portrayed in a campaign poster as a black sheep being kicked off the Swiss flag by a white sheep. There seems to be an overwhelming desire to recreate the comforting, picturesque vision of rose-cheeked Swiss farmers milking cows on lush alpine mountains like the covers of Swiss chocolate wrappers. The message to foreigners seems to be, by all means, munch on our delightful milk chocolate, but stay away from our land.

But Belgium takes the cake for the abject pettiness of its squabbling citizens who intend to split the country into two after failing to resolve linguistic differences between Dutch and French speaking Belgians. Decades of feuding between the two tribes over the cultural and linguistic superiority of each other has reached melting point, with Dutch-speaking mayors boycotting the European elections and the Francophones mocking their neighbours with shouts of “Comprends Pas!” (Don’t Understand!)

We Malaysians, with our almost infinite array of racial profiles after generations of inter-marriages, may be less paranoid than the Europeans but we are not immune to the kind of prejudice and hatred that accompany racial bigotry. We have seen over the past couple of years, a breakdown in race relations, particularly between Malays and the Chinese and Indian communities over the long-standing preferential socioeconomic policy which most Malays still see as being vital to their progress but which non Malays perceive as being discriminatory.

The government didn’t help matters by refusing to address the concerns of the people, Malay, Chinese or Indian, choosing instead to stoke anger and anxiety among Malay constituents and giving mixed signals to non-Malays, in a political manoeuvre that is reminiscent of the ‘divide and conquer’ strategy employed by British colonialists.

Thankfully our mighty oil corporation Petronas is here to save the day. In the absence of any significant cultural entity to serve as a mirror to our society, Petronas has assumed the mantle of Unofficial Cultural Agency, besides being the country’s chief money-making machine. During special holidays – Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year, Merdeka – Petronas would commission TV ads that are less public service announcements than award winning short films. This Merdeka Day ad features two primary school friends being interviewed, presumably to assess their potential as spelling bee participants. Against a backdrop of a typical school canteen, the ad brings back memories of growing up in a country blessed with people of so many different shades, colour and character. What makes Malaysia so special is the wealth of cultural heritage which we have accrued over the centuries, making us accustomed to people of different backgrounds while some Europeans are still coming to terms with the idea that a brown person can marry a white person and live happily ever after. Racial diversity is the basis of our national character and collective identity. Take that away and we end up being a poorer version of one of those racially paranoid European countries.

Posted in Petronas | Tagged: Belgium split, British National Party, Brussels, Chinese, European Parliament elections, Flanders, Malay, Malaysia, Petronas ad, racism in Europe, Swiss People's Party | Leave a Comment »

Malaysian Gets Costly Lesson on Proper Wages

Posted by kampunghouse on May 15, 2009

Malaysia’s The Star daily today featured a report on a restaurant owner who has been fined by the Melbourne Magistrate’s court for underpaying his employees. Hong Poh Meng, owner of Penang Kayu Nasi Kandar Ltd which operates a restaurant here, Kayu@Boxhill, was fined A$180,000 for breaching 11 Australian work place laws. These include paying a chef brought over from Malaysia less than A$10,000 over 18 months, which amounts to a staggering underpayment of A$76,000 or less than 12% of the minimum amount the man was entitled to. In addition, two 19-year-old casual waitresses were underpaid A$4876 and A$899.

Among the Malaysian international student community here there is widespread perception that Asian employers, including Malaysians, will generally underpay their workers, and the working conditions will not be as hospitable as would be expected in businesses run by Australians. However, for many students they have little choice but to endure those conditions because 1) they need the money; 2) many restaurants in the Melbourne CBD are run by Asian employers; 3) the students are not able to meet the language expectations of Australian proprietors.

I was fortunate enough to work for an Australian food business during my student days that paid above the minimum rate and provided excellent working conditions for its staff. My experience should not be the exception, rather the standard for the food service industry in a country as prosperous as Australia. Hopefully this court outcome will serve as a reminder to other businesses to treat their employees with the respect they deserve.

Posted in Labour Issues, Melbourne | Tagged: Kayu Nasi Kandar, Kayu@Boxhill, underpay | Leave a Comment »

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