Deeply hurt by racial and religious slurs

FIFTY-one years of Independence and yet the majority in Malaysia still continues to racially stereotype her Indian citizens.

As a schoolboy, I was constantly referred to as “budak Keling”. They never understood that the cow was sacred and eating beef is haram for Hindus.

Worst are the usual myopic questions like “Which estate are you from? Do you walk to school?”

This happened despite my best intentions of explaining to them that my father is a lecturer and my mother a respectable staff nurse and we stayed in the city and travelled by car.

At times, a teacher will choose to unleash cynical remarks like “Kelas nampak gelaplah bila kamu ada” (The classroom is dark because of your presence.)

Once I informed my teacher that we Hindus observe strict vegetarianism on certain days. The teacher was baffled as to what vegetarianism meant despite the global understanding of such observance. To rub salt into the wound, they served me vegetables fried with beef during one school lunch gathering.

I explained to them Hindu practices and beliefs, both theologically and philosophically. And yet they still believe that we are praying to rocks shaped in various animal forms.

Now, I am a respectable medical doctor serving in Sabah. I can’t help but feel hurt by so many of these racial and religious slurs continuously hurled at us.

Since primary school, we are taught the racial and religious sensitivities of the majority, but they seem uninformed about ours.

Are we second-class citizens of Malaysia? Have we not fought together for Malaysian Independence? Didn’t we strive for the continuous development of Malaysia? Didn’t we contribute equally to the process of nation building?

Didn’t we help to put Malaysia on the world arena by conquering Mount Everest and also brought fame in badminton and hockey?

Despite all this, the common misperception of the majority towards us still prevails. Mohandas K. Gandhi once said: “The test of the majority lies in the treatment of the minority.”

Every day I pray that one day all of us will join hands regardless of race, religion, creed or colour and, for once, proudly identify ourselves as Malaysians.


DR M.A. KUMAR,
Tawau.