Communal Representation and Its Evils
By Michelle Yoon
Not too long ago, a report in the newspapers stated that a secondary school teacher had verbally abused her students, calling them names that are so offensive, I will not repeat them here. Suffice to say, these were degrading words that should have never been uttered, much less in a school, and much less from a teacher's mouth. The teacher, for the purpose of the point I am to make in this article was a History teacher, of Malay ethnicity. Her students were of Indian ethnicity.
A police report was made, and investigations were carried out. Eventually, the teacher in question was transferred to another school. No disciplinary action was taken, and the transfer letter did not mention what she had done that brought about the transfer. In fact, the reason for her transfer was said to be for her personal safety, as the new school (a smart school, no less) was nearer to her home. All these details point towards one conclusion: the teacher was not punished for what was an unforgivable act. Soon after, there was much public outcry over the mere 'slap on the wrist' the teacher received for a rather serious matter. Individuals, NGOs and even government bodies stood up in protest against such leniency.
What is interesting to note is that the many who protested, most of them NGOs and government bodies, were of Indian ethnicity. As a cursory glance, this comes as no surprise. In fact it has been a norm in Malaysia, that if a member of a particular ethnic community is deprived, shunned, facing hardship, or harmed, the NGOs and government bodies that 'represent' these ethnic groups will stand up to voice their discontent and/or support for the victimised person.
To take a more recent and dramatic example would be the issue of Ahmad Ismail labeling the Chinese as 'penumpang', or squatters in Malaysia, during the campaigning of the Permatang Pauh by-election. Without delving into the details of whether he was quoted out of context, the general reaction of the public, or rather, its representatives, was also one formed out of 'communal interests.' This time, the MCA, Gerakan and DAP, which are all viewed as Chinese-based parties were the most vocal. Here again we were faced with a classic case of the respective 'representatives' of the Chinese, who were the subject of 'discrimination' standing up to 'protect the community.
The problem with this routine practice is that it makes obvious one of the key by-products in the practice of race politics - the false belief that a person of a certain ethnicity can only be represented by his or her ethnic group during times of trouble or strife. But surely we cannot believe that each and every one of us only care for those who are 'our people'?
As in the aforementioned case of the Indian students, can we believe that only those from the Indian community were concerned? Or in the case of the Chinese being labeled 'squatters', can we honestly believe that only the Chinese cared? In both of these cases, and many other such examples, can we truly believe that our fellow Malaysians did not feel the pain and agony as felt by the particular ethnic group that was targeted?
No, I cannot believe that this is true. No matter how disappointed I was with Persatuan Kebangsaan Pelajar Islam Malaysia (PKPIM) when they claimed that the Constitution states that scholarships should be provided to all Bumiputera students without exception, I cannot believe that PKPIM agrees with what the teacher did to her students. I do not believe that as the younger generation of Malaysians, they can accept that the actions taken against the teacher in question were in any way a form of punishment for a grave injustice that was committed.
No matter how low I felt when MIC Youth only stood up to defend the Indian students, but not to defend the citizenship of their fellow Malaysians, I cannot believe that they, in their silence, condoned what was being said of the Chinese. I do not believe that as citizens of equal standing in Malaysia, they can accept this kind of name-calling without also feeling the hurt that is hurtled not only towards the Chinese, but to all right-thinking people who call Malaysia their home.
But if this is so, why did so many remain silent? Why did they not voice their concerns? Why did they not stand up to be counted?
My only conclusion this: We have become so accustomed to having only the so-called representatives of our community to stand up for our rights, that it has become second nature for us to think, "I don't agree with what that person said, but that person was not targeting 'my community. I think that person should have been punished more severely, but that person is of my 'own community, so I best be silent on this." Is this what Malaysia has become? Have we become so polarized that we will only stand up for the rights of 'our own people?'
Once again, I hardly believe that this is the case. In fact, it is my firm belief that there is no real racial divide amongst the people on the ground. Malaysians of all shapes and sizes basically go about their daily lives, paying very little attention to the colour of their neighbour's skin. The racial divide seems to be pushed forward by the very people who are supposed to 'represent us,' perhaps because these groups suspect their life expectancy rate to not last very long, should we realize their true nature.
In fact, the very make-up of these associations is biased. Even their names are biased. In essence, these associations and bodies fight to protect communal rights and not to protect truth and justice, as it should for all of us.
To me, Malaysians are by and large, a loving people. When we can get our 'benefactors' to represent us for who we are, and not a fallacy of what we are, perhaps we can see a more unified Malaysia where we celebrate our differences, and find strength in our diversity.
Michelle Yoon is a second year architecture student in Auckland, New Zealand. Other than her assignments and the regular part-time jobs she undertakes, she jots down her thoughts regularly at http://malaysianpolitics.wordpress.com/. She believes in a Malaysia that can go beyond the usual "tolerance" to achieve a truly unified and diverse society.