Race? What’s that?

The Star,

As Malaysia today is a melting pot of race and culture, many of us are not defined by ethnicity anymore. We’d rather be Malaysian.

It’s quite difficult to tell the races apart from looking at faces nowadays. And people with a name like mine usually get curious stares from people who have difficulty trying to figure out what we are.

Is she Chinese? Is she Malay? Is she mixed?

Young faces of Malaysia: We’re Malaysian, that’s all that matters. — G.C.TAN/The Star

I have been ticking the Lain-lain box when it comes to filling out forms here, and I’ve always wondered what the big deal is.

Why do I have to tick that box when others tick different boxes? Aren’t we all the same? Perhaps it’s for data collection purposes, rather than to segregate us, but I can’t help but feel that we should all be known as just Malaysians.

We talked to a few “race-ambiguous” Malaysians who grew up embracing their Malaysian identity to see what they have to say.

Regina Goh, 30
Consultant

“Both my mum and dad are of Peranakan descent but I don’t look Chinese at all because of my dark complexion. It was fine when we were growing up because children generally accept each other, but it was a different scene all together when I started working.

“People will say things like: ‘Wah, you Chinese, ah?’ or ‘What race are you?’ I’ve been mistaken for a Malay (‘Eh, you bukan Melayu?’) when wearing a kebaya, Chindian (at an Indian wedding) and even Punjabi (they thought my surname was Kaur!).

“Once, while I was crossing the Thai-Malaysian border, the Thai customs people thought I was Thai and triple-checked my passport. Another time, my cheeky friends told some new acquaintances that I was of Cherokee descent and these people actually believed them!

“I usually tell people I’m Chinese, but they’ll retort with: ‘Are you sure you’re not mixed?’ Sometimes, I just smile and reply that I’m Malaysian, or tell them: ‘Whatever you think I am’.

“Most of the time, I laugh off the misconceptions but sometimes, it’s tiring having to repeat myself, especially when speaking Hokkien while ordering food in a Chinese kopi tiam and the seller ignores what I’ve just said and replies in Malay.

“I don’t see being race-ambiguous as an advantage or disadvantage. Rather, it’s more about being able to adapt to different cultural situations and environments. Having grown up with friends of different races and beliefs, I’m comfortable being around people, regardless of race or religion. I guess the best part would be that I’m able to blend in easily.

“My view on the 1Malaysia concept? Do we really need 1Malaysia when we grew up in a muhibbah environment from young? The Government should instead revamp the education syllabus to promote a more muhibbah melting pot culture and take small steps like removing the race column from forms.

“It should be a Malaysia for all Malaysians, not Malaysians of different races or religion.”

Jojo Struys, 34
TV host

“Mum is half-Chinese and half-Scottish, while dad is part-Asian, part-French, part-Dutch and maybe Portuguese. I’ve been told I look Mexican, Thai, Indian, Chinese, Arabic, Filipino, Hawaiian, you name it!

“I seem to always get asked: ‘Where are you from?’ and ‘What’s your mix?’

“I don’t take any offence, though. When I was shooting an Indian music video, I had really dark kohl around my eyes and the crew kept saying: ‘She looks like Catherine Zeta Jones with this makeup’.

“Looks are so subjective, like the cliche has it: beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

“In modelling, it (the ambiguity) has made me more versatile. I could be made up with light colours to look more Asian or heavier, smokier eyes could make me look more Caucasian. It’s an advantage when doing regional advertising campaigns because the ‘mixed look’ can be adapted across markets. I also can’t be racist, being so mixed myself.

“The disadvantages? My father looks almost pure Caucasian so I don’t look like him. When we walk together, my hand would sometimes be on his arm, and we would get all these awful stares when we’re walking alone. I think I need a placard with an arrow pointing at him saying: This is my Dad.

“I think the 1Malaysia concept is ideal to form a united, peaceful and prospe-rous Malaysia, with abundant opportunities for all. I would like Malaysia to be a multicultural place where people respect each other’s cultures.”

Sharyn Lisa Shufiyan, 24
Conservationist
(Tunku Abdul Rahman’s great granddaughter)

“Both my parents are Malay. My mum’s heritage includes Chinese, Thai and Arab, while my dad is Minangkabau. Due to my skin colour, I am often mistaken for a Chinese.

“I’m happy that I don’t have the typical Malay look but I do get annoyed when people call me Ah Moi or ask me straight up: “Are you Chinese or Malay?”

“Like, why does it matter? Before I used to answer ‘Malay’, but now I’m trying to consciously answer ‘Malaysian’ instead.

“There’s this incident from primary school that I remember till today. Someone told me that I will be called last during Judgement Day because I don’t have a Muslim name. Of course, I was scared then but now that I’m older, I realise that a name is just a name. It doesn’t define you as a good or bad person and there is definitely no such thing as a ‘Muslim’ name. You can be named Rashid and still be a Christian.

“I’ve heard of the 1Malaysia concept, but I think we don’t need to be told to be united. We’ve come such a long way that it should already be embedded in our hearts and minds that we are united. Unfortunately, you can still see racial discrimination and polarisation. There is still this ethno-centric view that the Malays are the dominant group and their rights must be protected, and non-Malays are forever the outsiders.

“For the concept to succeed, I think the Government should stop with the race politics. It’s tiring, really. We grew up with application forms asking us to tick our race. We should stop painting a negative image of the other races, stop thinking about ‘us’ and ‘them’ and focus on ‘we’, ‘our’ and ‘Malaysians’.

“No one should be made uncomfortable in their own home. A dear Chinese friend of mine said to me once: ‘I don’t feel patriotic because I am not made to feel like Malaysia is my home, and I don’t feel an affinity to China because I have never lived there’.

“I know some Baba Nyonya friends who can trace their lineage back hundreds of years. I’m a fourth generation Malaysian. If I am bumiputra, why can’t they be, too? Clearly I have issues with the term.

“I think the main reason why we still can’t achieve total unity is because of this ‘Malay Rights’ concept. I’d rather ‘Malay Rights’ be replaced by human rights. So unless we get rid of this bumiputra status, or reform our views and policies on rights, we will never achieve unity.

“For my Merdeka wish, I’d like for Malaysians to have more voice, to be respected and heard. I wish that the Government would uphold the true essence of parliamentary democracy. I wish for the people to no longer fear and discriminate against each other, to see that we are one and the same.

“I wish that Malaysia would truly live up to the tourism spin of ‘Malaysia Truly Asia’.

Jacqueline Rinda Siow, 23
TV host/student

“My mum’s family is from Betawi, Indonesia and my dad is a Chinese from Negri Sembilan. I used to have a hard time mixing with people but as I grew older, I had a balanced mix of friends of various races.

“Nine out of ten people will mistake my race. Am I Chinese? Malay? Eurasian? My reaction? I am Malaysian.

“Because of my name and the fact that I speak fluent Malay, I am always mistaken for a Malay or Muslim. Though I’m Christian, I have difficulty buying meals, especially during Ramadan.

“I am used to the misconceptions and am more amused than annoyed. People assume my mum is Malay, so it’s normal for me. After explaining my heritage, people usually understand and treat me the same as anybody else.

“Being race-ambiguous is not a big deal for me as I have many friends of mixed parentage. It helps me to blend in easier, understand other people’s culture and respect each other better. There are disadvantages, though, as some people think that life is easier for those who are race-ambiguous as we get whatever we want. This is not true.

“We are the same. In fact, due to the misconception and also the prejudices, race-ambiguous people have to work twice as hard to prove their ability and their skills.

“Regarding the 1Malaysia concept, I think it will bond people together, regardless of their ethnicity or culture. It focuses more on who we really are, what we can do for the country and how we can unite and stand strong together.

“This concept of encouraging unity should begin in schools as the young ones are the key to our future. Everyone needs to play a role, especially parents and teachers, to teach the children not to be judgemental or racist. I would like Malaysia to be a more free-spirited country, a country which treats its people equally.

“I am happy that we have no wars. Respect and courtesy is the key to a successful country.”

Paul Naquiddin Stewart Mohammad, 29
Graphic designer

“My mum is a Malay from Johor and dad is from Scotland. I lived abroad until 2001 and came back to Malaysia after finishing my studies in Australia. Even though I was in other countries, I have always been proud to say that I’m from Malaysia.

“People here look at me weirdly and ask: ‘Where are you from, you look a bit Malay, but different’.

“I think it’s my Australian accent that sparks this. It’s quite funny, actually. Some of my friends whom I’ve known for years just recently found out I am Malay-Scott. They thought I was Chindian or Sabahan the whole time! I’ve never been annoyed with these misconceptions. It feels quite good when people ask about my background. I’m always very proud to tell them.

“The advantages to being race-ambiguous would be that I’ve got the best of both worlds. My Malay and Scottish sides are rich in culture, which I feel very lucky to experience.

“I think the 1Malaysia concept is good as it brings all races together, to patch up all the holes and to help Malaysia become a brighter place to live. I think the Government should give equal rights to all. Regardless of what race we are, we are all Malaysian citizens and hence, we deserve equal rights.

“I wish for Malaysia to be a very developed country. I would like to see people of all races help our very diverse country to achieve such possibilities. Malaysia Boleh!”

Mariam Bee Osman Ally, 60
Retiree

“My mum is Chinese while dad is Indian-Muslim so I’m mostly mistaken as Chinese, Portuguese, Burmese or Thai. During my school years, mixed parentage wasn’t prevalent so it was quite disturbing when some Malays were not friendly with me because my mother is Chinese hence I had more Chinese and Indian friends.

“Malays would talk to me as if I were Chinese. The Indian-Muslims would look at me in a weird way, asking in Tamil what this Chinese lady is doing here, not knowing that I understood Tamil. I enjoy being ‘mistaken’ as I find out a lot of interesting stuff because they don’t realise I can understand Tamil and Chinese. It’s great to be of mixed parentage as we have the best of both worlds.

“In this age of globalisation, it helps to be sensitive to other religions and cultures, and I think being exposed to Indian, Muslim and Chinese cultures has made me a wholesome individual, which I hope is true of my children as well.

“The disadvantage is that because we look ‘ambiguous’, the public, or at least those who like to stereotype, give passing comments, especially insensitive ones touching on religion and race. I remember my father being derogatorily referred to as tau see (‘black bean’ in Cantonese), much to his anger because he understood Chinese even though he was mamak.

“1Malaysia is not a new concept. Back in the 40s and 50s, we were all One Malaysia. Nothing new. I just hope this campaign will make some difference. Somehow, over the years, there has been increasing segregation among the races. Perhaps our politicians are manipulating it, or some higher authority, but seriously, we are reinventing the wheel again here.

“I think the government should go back to basics. Give everyone equal rights regardless of race. We are Malaysians, made up of Chinese, Malays, Indians and others. I find it weird that we call ourselves Malay-Malaysian, or Chinese-Malaysian when we are, in fact, all one.

“I would like equal opportunities for everyone. Democratic governance where the voices of the people are taken into consideration and not where politicians have fancy campaigns and throw words around. We need to build a nation where knowledge is provided fair and square, and where we develop a new generation of high achievers — academically, emotionally and psychologically.”

Farrell Tan, 34
Company director

“My parents are both predominantly Chinese, but I have Portuguese and Dutch ancestry, courtesy of Malacca’s rich cultural heritage. In terms of the way I look, depending on how much time I spend in the sun, I am sometimes mistaken for a Malay, Filipino or even Chindian.

“It has never really perturbed me, and, coming from a family of mixed marriages and having friends of many different races, I am a firm believer that the world is a giant melting pot, and that to move forward, one needs to embrace diversity in all its shapes and sizes.

“When I was a lot younger, I found it annoying because people found it hard to pronounce or even spell my name. It’s definitely a lot better now, and to a certain extent, I have to credit Colin Farrell for breaking into Hollywood! At least now my name doesn’t sound so strange!

“I’m mostly amused by these misconceptions as some people act differently when they find out about my race or upbringing. Mostly, they are intrigued but sometimes, due to lack of know-ledge, they stereotype me. So part of the ‘fun’ is trying to alter their perception.

“About the 1Malaysia concept, the thought process behind it may be noble, but I think a lot of non-Malays are slighted over the fact that they have been given ‘minor’ roles and are relegated to becoming bit players. They do not want to be accorded second-class status; they yearn to be treated as equals in the only country they call home.

“I think the Government should walk the walk, and not just talk. They need to refine the concept by taking into account that Malaysia is made up of many different races. Everyone needs to feel that they matter and that their contributions count.

“It is an uphill task and the pundits will be out there waiting for the Government to fail, but I think that if the people see the positive efforts and results, then half the battle is already won.

“I would like Malaysia to be known as a TRULY multi-racial country — not just by definition, but by its actions. Everyone should be given equal opportunities to excel in whatever field they have chosen to embark in, and merit should be awarded to those who truly deserve it, not because of their race.”