Comments, opinions and an occasional ramble
Racism in Singapore
After reading a blog entry by a Malay guy called Ridzwan (I presume that is his name, going by the name of his URL), I must say that racism in Singapore is something that is still very much alive, although in appearance, everything looks nice and well.
I am not sure why some Singaporeans, especially the Chinese Singaporeans, take such a negative view towards fellow Singaporeans of another race. I speak from experience. I graduated from The Chinese High School, a school where you almost have no students from other races. I went on to Hwa Chong Junior College, where the situation is slightly better, but not much. I do notice that many of my friends who have been through 6 years of education in both Chinese dominated schools are somewhat racist.
I must say that the kind of racism I’ve seen is not the extreme kind (by that I mean actual and negative physical action against someone of another race). More often, it’s an extremely strong opinion about a race having certain characteristics and making unsavoury or even derogatory remarks.
Despite 6 years of schooling in institutions where there were few students of other races, I somehow didn’t turn out racist by any measure. I don’t know why, but I just think that it’s not right to make certain conclusions about people based on their race. While it is true that people of a certain race have slightly different habits and customs, it does not make them any less a human being.
It’s just plain unfair to think of certain races as inherently being more lazy, more unpatriotic, more prone to causing social problems etc. It’s always easier to demonise others because that makes self-reflection unnecessary. By casting others as the problem, we escape from having to consider whether we are problematic. Face it, for whatever labels that are cast on non-chinese Singaporeans, I bet to my last dollar that you will find many Chinese Singaporeans that fit the label exactly. Before Chinese Singaporeans think badly of other races in Singapore, they ought to make sure that they have the moral authority to do so.
I had the benefit of being in the minority when I went to the UK for 3 weeks in 2004. When I was there, I truly understand how it feels to be in the minority. You are always conscious of yourself because you look different from most people around you. It gave me an invaluable lesson. I think that most Chinese Singaporeans should go spend some time in a place where they are the minority and see how it feels. Nothing teaches better than actual experience.
Of course, that’s not a feasible option for everyone. I don’t think that having Racial Harmony Day is a feasible option either. What can one day of celebrations do? What is really necessary is for people of different races to come together for an extended period of time. Understanding is not forged in a matter days. It takes years. And, it better start from young. As the saying goes, old habits die hard.
Perhaps the first step in the right direction is to dismantle the SAP school system. The SAP schools focus on teaching excellence in Chinese, and students are usually Chinese. How can we reduce racism if we have such schools? I came from one such school, and I see for myself that such schools, more often than not, produce students that harbour some form of racism. And, it doesn’t help that most of these schools are academically strong institutions that attract smart students. This means that their graduates are likely to be future leaders of society, and I am not comfortable with these future leaders harbouring some form of racist ideas.
I think I’ve stirred a hornet’s nest by suggesting the dismantling of the system that I went through. I have to admit that there are exceptions, and not every graduate from an SAP school is racist. However, the odds of producing a somewhat racist person is higher in an SAP school. By the same token, I think that muslim schools (called madrasahs if I am not mistaken) should also be looked at. These schools should be confined to strictly teaching religion, and learning other subjects should be done in government schools. If we want to tackle the problem of racism and maintain racial harmony, we really need to take the necessary steps, even if they might not please certain groups of people.
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about 5 years ago
Why did Hitler have a problem with Jews? Do you think it is because of a lack of interaction? Do you think you can write volumes about the problems Jews bring without having spent time with one?
One SAP student to another, I do not believe the school is to blame for racism. Chances are it is the racist parents who would choose to send their kids to SAP schools, not the other way around. If anything, my alma mater taught me to be proud of my heritage, and it is with this pride that I can under and respect the heritage of other races. If you succumb to the mainstream attitude to hide our racial identities in the name of racial harmony, speak English, dress western, then the converse it that, you will subtly begrudge those who speak Malay and dress like an Arab.
I love Indian food and once, I chided for stupidly eating the colourful stuff I am unable to name on my plate, by someone who was from a secondary school of a decent racial mix compared to any SAP school. That same person also declared he will never touch any Malay/Indian food because it was prayed over and offered to foreign gods.
You can bask in your halo of politcal correctness, but when you are old enough, you will realise this whole world is racist, including yourself. It is not a problem anyone can fix. But it is a hatred any loose cannon can stoke, especially those eagerly offering a solution.
Have you heard of the genocide in Rwanda? Hutus killing Tutsis? Do you know that they were originally one race, but were labelled Hutu or Tutsi based merely on physical traits by the Belgians? If the two races so closely related can breed such immense hatred, what chances do those with clearly distinct appearances have?
The key to combating racism is tolerance for diversity. That include tolerating SAP schools and madrasahs. If you were to force politcal correctness across the board, demanding say, racial quotas in schools the way we have racial quotas for HDB flats, the ultimate victims could end up being the racial minorities. Just ask any Malay family trying to sell their flat in Hougang.
about 5 years ago
Sorry, I’m going to digress for abit. I’ve always wondered how come Chinese families have so few kids despite a fairly reasonable income. Whereas Malay families have many kids despite a much lower income? Is it a cultural thing?
about 5 years ago
Hi Jimmy,
I do not think I am, in your words, “basking in the halo of political correctness”. I see that SAP schools have a higher tendency of breeding racists, compared to those from non-SAP schools.
It is interesting that we have differing experiences, but I don’t think that it makes either you or me wrong. It’s something worth exploring.
However, I disagree with you that the key to combating racism means tolerating SAP schools and madrasahs. The reason is because these institutions are to skewed in the kind of races that they attract. How can you ever seek to understand another race if you don’t even get a chance to interact with them in the first place?
I never said that I am for a quota system. I am just saying that we should not be allowing schools to segregate races. I came from a government primary school where there were Malays and Indians in my class. If it can be done in some schools, why not across the board? My point here is that we should look at our society and reduce the opportunities for people to develop racist attitudes.
I am glad that you appear not to have turned out racist, even though you came from a SAP school. However, my observation is that, not everyone is like you, in your words, “my alma mater taught me to be proud of my heritage, and it is with this pride that I can under and respect the heritage of other races”. My opinion is that you are the exception rather than the norm.
And, since you said the key to combating racism is tolerance for diversity, how do you think you can develop tolerance if you don’t even have an opportunity to interact with people of other races? Do you think you can develop tolerance without understanding first? I don’t think so.
about 5 years ago
Hi Chris,
I am not sure why the Chinese these days don’t have many kids. It wasn’t the case during the time of our grandparents.
I suspect that it’s not a cultural thing. I think that it’s a general phenomenon that with increasing education and affluence, people are less likely to want more kids because of greater understanding of the costs involved in bringing up a child.
Perhaps the problem seems more acutely manifested in the Chinese people because the proportion of Chinese in Singapore is very high, and thus maybe you hear more stories.
about 5 years ago
Hi Andy,
You see thats the thing. Alot of people come to the conclusion that Malays are ‘lazy’ and they ‘don’t study’. It’s a scathing accusation which is passed down from generation to generation in SOME Chinese families.
Yes, Chinese families have less kids nowadays because they are more educated (so to speak), and they have better financial planning to indicate how many children they should have(very few), in order to have quality-of-life.
SOME Malay families place less emphasis on family planning, they don’t exactly worry at the very beginning how much they will be able to offer their kids as they grow up. If 4 kids is a good number for them, then they will have 4 kids (despite a low income).
As a result, SOME Malay families are unable afford sending their children to higher institutes of learning. Its a vicious cycle and because of this, some Chinese like to label Malays as ‘uneducated’. Which is obviously unfair.
What do you think?
about 5 years ago
Erm, I’m Aaron, not Andy.
I agree with you completely that many people come to the conclusion that Malays are ‘lazy’ and ‘don’t study’ and that such perceptions actually perpetuate in Chinese families.
My own family is an example. While I don’t think my parents are extreme, they do have some deep rooted notion about Malays in general. Even when I point out that their notions are also common among the Chinese, they would defend themselves and say that it’s not as bad. I still cannot understand why they think like that.
And yes, there is certainly a vicious cycle going on. I do think that our education system lacks one aspect of teaching, and that is financial education. In the past, we emphasize on a good education so that we can get high paying jobs to get rich. Now, we emphasize on entrepreneurship to get rich.
Unfortunately, while we have taught our people the importance of getting rich, we have forgotten to teach them something even more important, and that is how to spend their money wisely.
I suppose the vicious cycle is not a matter of education per se, but rather, lack of knowledge on financial planning.
Of course, there are people who just want big families, no matter the cost. I believe everyone should be allowed to make their own choice, and we just have to help the less fortunate along, instead of branding them as “uneducated”.
about 5 years ago
Hi Aaron, I’m sorry I got your name wrong..haha
From a different perspective then..
Some people want big families despite low income (eg.sub 2k hsehold). They embrace the idea of having many children to support them when they’re old, fully aware that their finances dangle on being chronically insufficient. Predictably, years before reaching such a stage where their kids are old enough to support them, they are unable to cope, lamenting a lack of support from the Gahmen.
In a way, they can be seen as architects of their own downfall. Of course, in the course of being a giving and gracious society, we should strive to help these people. BUT..would they really have been “poor” if they had lived within their means?
about 5 years ago
sorry, i wasn’t done yet, accidentally clicked on “submit comment” haha. Yes continuing on my last post.
Yes, people the right to choose how many kids they have, we’re aren’t China with some draconian child policy. But you see, SOME malays are caught up in this vicious cycle ,in a problem thats been inherent in many malay familes for years.
You can’t say “I’m sorry, I couldn’t plan my finances for my family because they failed to teach me “financial planning” in school. Being born and bred in Singapore, the high cost of having a child doesn’t border on the unknown, on the contrary, its common knowledge.
I have many malay friends, and unlike their parents, they are more financially savy than their parents’ generation. They plan to have small families and offer their future kids the best they can give them…..not the best I can give them divided by six. Things are improving and hopefully, such notions that malays are ‘uneducated’, ‘poor’ or ‘lazy’ will gradually fade away.
about 5 years ago
Great point, Chris. I completely agree that most of the “poor” people are usually the architects of their own disaster. This is why I always tell my friends that they should go seek a good financial planner and learn how to take care of their finances properly.
I’ve talked to my fiancee a few times on how we (as in people of our age) are in the transitional phase of our society. Our parents expect us to support them because their financial planning mentality is to depend on the kids. However, we have our own debts and problems to carry as well (housing loan, car loan, study loan and whatever other things you can think of). We are really stuck in the middle.
I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t have a choice. It’s just too bad. What I can do, however is not to perpetuate the cycle by breaking my own dependence on my kids in future. And, I think that it is important that the young people these days are educated on this.
You’ve given me inspiration for my next entry. I’m going to sleep on it a little tonight and write about it maybe tomorrow. The lack of knowledge of financial planning among young people is something that has been worrying me.
about 5 years ago
I hope that the notion goes away too. I have a number of Malay friends and acquaintances, and I am dead sure that they are more brilliant than many people of other races that I know. It’s just a shame that there is this general untrue perception about them which I don’t know where it came from.
about 5 years ago
Great discussion Aaron, kudos to u.
about 5 years ago
It was nice to have you inspire me too. Cheers!
about 5 years ago
“Do you think you can develop tolerance without understanding first? I don’t think so.”
Are you implying that anything you cannot tolerate anything you dont know? I dont think so. The essence of tolerance is to give the benefit of doubt not when you know, but when you DONT KNOW. When you get older, you will realise how little you do know, even of things in your immediate surroundings.
How much do you know about Islam, for example? What constitutes halal food? Is the the absence of pork and lard sufficient? Did you know that while most Muslims in Singapore consider shell fish like mussels halal, it is not necessarily true for other Muslims?
If you dont know any of those I mentioned, does that make you a racist? I didnt learn all that from a Malay. I read it from here and there. If you have a genuine interest in learning, why would you be fenced in by a SAP school or a madrasah?
There are many reasons why people turn racist, but a chief cause is that people feel their racial identity is under attack from another race. This is exactly what you are trying to suggest. Make a Chinese less Chinese, make a Malay less Malay, make an Indian less Indian, and we will all live in blissful harmony. You want to know what can happen?
Consider the example of our neighbour, Indonesia, a populous land of diverse race, language and religion. (What? Indonesia is all Malay? Trust me, most Malays will proudly tell you if they have Boyanese or Bugis blood in them.) Indonesia, in their effort to achieve unity, forced all Indonesians to speak Bahasa, a language even the ruling Javanese do not speak. The Chinese in Indonesia must have been particularly because the Indonesian went so far to ban all Chinese literature. And then they tried to migrate the races around to dilute the ethnicity of any one area.
Today, Indonesia is the poster child of racial harmony, right? You want to spend a Christmas in Ambon perhaps?
about 5 years ago
oops typo in the first line. Should read
“Are you implying that you cannot tolerate anything you dont know?”
about 5 years ago
Jimmy keeps using the phrase “when you get older, you will realise….”I honestly wonder how old you are Jimmy, but you don’t have to phrase it like we are just young punks are we don’t know anything.
Respecting “elders” isn’t easy if they have so much disdain for youth.
about 5 years ago
damn typo “i meant you don’t have to phrase it like we are just young punks and we don’t know anything”
about 5 years ago
I am not that young but I am not that old either. The surest sign of unbridled youthfulness is the belief that you almost know everything. Everything is either right or wrong.
It is humbling when you finally see the real world in ugly shades of gray.
In the exchange between the two of you, your ethnocentricity is clearly exposed. You think that financial planning, family planning is the only way to happiness. In your world, is there enough room to tolerate people who believe that a big family is happiness in itself? That spending a lifetime cleaning toilets is not degrading?
about 5 years ago
Hi Jimmy,
I think there is a huge world of difference between knowing and understanding. I never said that you need to know before you can develop tolerance. I said that you need to understand.
Tolerance is indeed about giving the benefit of the doubt about things you don’t know. But, what is the basis of tolerance? It is still understanding.
You can know everything, but at the same time you can choose not to understand and accept what you know. The next question of course would be how do we develop understanding?
I have no clear answer to that, but what I do know if that it is easier to understand if people actually talk to each other more. If people don’t even get the chance to talk to each other, would they have a chance of understand where each other is coming from?
And, I never suggested that we should reduce the racial identity of any race. I encourage each race to be proud of their identity and heritage. There is nothing wrong with that. What I think is wrong is to have specialised institutions that effectively shuts out another race in practice, although not in theory.
I don’t think (and I never said) that not having SAP schools will make a chinese less of a chinese, or that not having madrasahs will make a Malay less malay. That’s taking what I said to the extreme.
I only that the probability of developing racism is higher in an environment where you don’t have other races to interact with. Why can’t we have institutions where people of all races sit together in the same class and then have teachers teach about the heritage of everyone’s race all in one sitting? Must we segregate in order to learn one’s heritage?
about 5 years ago
If the lack of socializing is the cause of racism, it is rather simple to solve. One could either abolish SAP and/or have racial qouta for all schools just like what we have for HDB flats. It may even work better than HDB qouta as students spend a greater part of their waking hours in schools!
But seriously, I suspect that this has to do with the enforced racial and even religious harmony in Singapore. People try to minimize any confrontation or percieved confrontation between different groups. In the end misuderstandings are left unchallenged or unexposed by being unexpressed.
In a civil society, people will step on one anothers’ toes once in a while. But if all are reasonable people such interactions may potentially yield true understanding and respect. The contact would also force people to abandon any unrealistic preconception of one another.
Instead in Singapore, there is only OB markers and emphasis placed on the CMIO classification of races. They discourage interactions and helps to reinforce unrealistic stereotypes of what each artificially created CIMO group is like.
Hope that made sense
about 5 years ago
Quoting Jimmy,
You think that financial planning, family planning is the only way to happiness. In your world, is there enough room to tolerate people who believe that a big family is happiness in itself? That spending a lifetime cleaning toilets is not degrading?
I don’t think anything was said to the effect that only small families bring happiness. I was only theorising that one of the key reasons that result in the constant vicious poverty cycle is lack of financial knowledge.
I fail to see where did I claim that financial planning is the only way to happiness. As a critical social science student, I am not so naive. My point is that if people are more financially aware of the cost involved, they will make better decisions.
Should they choose to still down down the path of trying to raise 6 kids on a $2,000 monthly income, at least they know the likely consequences.
I reiterate that you are enititled to your opinions, and I am entitled to mine. I never claimed to know what is right or wrong, and in anycase, the truth is relative. What I said is the conclusion of what I see.
about 5 years ago
“Why can’t we have institutions where people of all races sit together in the same class and then have teachers teach about the heritage of everyone’s race all in one sitting?”
Because people dont want to. You will have to force them, with quotas, just like HDB flats, or the racial mix will never be right. Birds of a feather flock together. And people forced into doing things will not be happy doing it. You cant force people to be friends. Think Yugoslavia. As soon as the totalitarian regime fell, the races start slaughtering each other, after decades of racial harmony.
Let me sum up all I want to say in one sentence:
You cant hate people you dont have to spend time and share space with.
about 5 years ago
Are you not making an inherent assumption that people don’t want to? Going by your logic, should we just leave things as it is, just because “people dont want to”?
You don’t have to force people to be friends. That will never succeed. What I’m merely saying is that we should not be providing an environment that increases the probability of developing racism.
Going by the theory of probability, most things are usually distributed normally. There will always be extreme cases, but as the normal distribution curve shows, these are the minority. Most people tend to fall in between, and those are the people we should be working on.
Fundamentally, ideas about race and ethnicity are nothing but social constructs dreamed up by humans. What we understand of race and ethnicity today is the result of ideas that were passed on down to us.
As human beings, we are capable of higher order thinking and shouldn’t we question why things are they way they are, instead of making assumptions like “people don’t want to”. It is not justifiable to continue something that is wrong because some people are resistant to change. If everyone had such a mentality, we would still be living in caves.
And, your one sentence summation sounds really odd to me. It seems to me that in your opinion, only hermits and anti-social people don’t hate others.
about 5 years ago
Hi YCK,
You hit the nail on the head. In Singapore, the racial harmony we haveachieved is not on the basis of understanding, but rather avoidance.
We avoid issues that might cause unhappiness and discomfort, but this is just stopping the symptoms, and not solving the problem. The problem of racism still exisits, and to cure that, we really need people to talk, and not avoid the issue.
If we keep avoiding the issue, one day, when there is no longer a strong government, this ‘racial harmony’ will just fall apart.
about 5 years ago
Quoting Jimmy:
In the exchange between the two of you, your ethnocentricity is clearly exposed. You think that financial planning, family planning is the only way to happiness.
———————————————————–
I don’t think Aaron’s and my comments are ‘frog-in-a-well comments.’ I’m not exactly young, I’m a working adult. Not to say I’m a genius, but you are being a tad condescending in your efforts to get your point across.
I never mentioned that family planning or financial planning is the only way to happiness. But I believe its one of the primary causes which unables some malays to break out of the poverty cycle. This is quite valid.
Lets face it: why bring a kid into this world if you can’t give him the best. In Singapore, the attainment of a degree is simply mediocre, its not like majority of degree holders can afford extravagant lifestyles.
Times have changed, in our fathers’ generation, it didn’t use to be this way. Now, Singaporean society is continually striving and improving and the PAP always keeps repeating like a skipping pirated VCD : You must re-train yourself to assimilate yourself back into the workforce, age is not a barrier” (its a load of crap to be honest)
That is why, a lot of Malays are being left behind, its not that they don’t want to embrace the changes coming into effect. Its simply not within their means. Unless they break out of the cycle, they will always be ‘bums’ in the eyes of many biased Chinese people.
about 5 years ago
damn another typo..must be lack of sleep i meant
“But I believe its one of the primary causes which prevents some malays to break out of the poverty cycle. This is quite valid.”
about 5 years ago
I suppose then, in your book, someone from a monolithic racial environment will have a higher chance of being a racist? How much more really? 10%? 20%? 99.95%? Then you better inform our good government to stop importing PRC students, since they would have no understanding of Malays or Indians, and will be the worst perpetrators of racism against the minorities. Is that the truth? I dont think so.
PRC students, like SAP students, are acutely aware that we know nothing about the ethnic minorities, and should be more likely to be careful in our interactions. In contrast, my observation is that those who mingled with the minorities since their playground days and had bad experiences first hand, will have pretty fixed racist ideas that will be hard to erase.
And as you stated, racism is something passed from generation to generation; it is something that parents instill in their children. Did your teachers at Chinese High tell you over and over again that xxx race are lazy bums, yyy race are drunk wife beaters? Then where did you get those ideas from? You think someone from non-SAP school has more trouble matching the letters to the race?
So why blame the SAP schools?
Chinese High was a all boys school too. Does Chinese High have a higher than average proportion of homosexuals? I spent a total of ELEVEN years in my all boys SAP school, from Pre-Primary to Sec 4, but I had no problem befriending Malays and Indians (or girls) in JC, because I have no prior racial prejudices to speak of. In fact, I feel I have more racial prejudices today than when I was 17, as the bad experiences accumulate.
Like I said, you can bask in your halo of political correctness for now, but someday, when you find it financially prudent to have children, I dare you to send your children to schools that have higher than national average proportion of minorities. More minorities, more opportunity to bond, right?
about 5 years ago
Chris,
have you considered an alternative worldview, where children are not seen as financial liabilities or investments, but as a blessing from God. More children means more blessing from God. And if God willing (or Insha Allah, as a Muslim would say), the children will grow up and be successful. We should not worry about what to eat, what to wear or what we put on our feet. God will provide for His children, as long as we faithfully worship Him.
You probably think that is naive superstition right? That those who believe in this shit is in for some big financial troubles? That’s ethnocentricity. BTW, this is really a Catholic world view, not Muslim, but I dont think it is far off the mark.
Aaron,
since you are so much into understanding other races and financial planning, I suppose you know a lot about Islamic banking perhaps? That Muslims are not supposed to collect interest on their loans, and therefore bank accounts are technically forbidden, but tolerated, but buying “normal” bonds are a definite no-no. Muslims are not supposed to pay interests for loans as well. But hire-purchase is a workaround. That Muslims are not supposed to gamble and therefore forbidden from buying life insurance, because that is tantamount to taking a wager on their lives. Anything wrong?
about 5 years ago
Hi Jimmy,
Once again, you are putting words in to my mouth. I never said that SAP schools teach their students to be racist, or anything to that effect. I have reiterated time and again that it’s an unhealthy environment because you don’t get the opportunity to understand each other.
School is not just about time in class. You don’t need teachers to teach racism in class. All you need is for some students, out of ignorance, to perpetuate these ideas outside class, or out of sight of the teachers and the ideas will just fester.
I find no other plausible reason to explain why some people I know from my school are racist, even though it was never taught in class. And, it’s not just an isolated case. It’s a whole group of friends who share similar ideas.
And once again, I reiterate that these are my observations, and I am not going to argue with you over percentages. It seems to me that you are out not for intellectual debate, but to get personal. I fail to see how statements like these help to advance your points.
“Like I said, you can bask in your halo of political correctness for now, but someday, when you find it financially prudent to have children, I dare you to send your children to schools that have higher than national average proportion of minorities. More minorities, more opportunity to bond, right?”
You are welcome to continue commenting, but I think I’m pretty much done replying because I see no intellectual value discussing with you. Thanks for taking the time to write. I appreciate it.
about 5 years ago
I dont believe the comments were personal, yet, but I can try.
First of all, the only way your own argument sticks is that you yourself is afflicted with racist ideas because of your SAP schooling. If you are not racist, even though you are surrounded by racists, what made you different? Enlightened parenting? Racially harmonious primary school environment? If you are somehow immune, then you probably have the cure at hand, unless you insist that your genes are superior. That will be a bit harder to fix.
Secondly, so your SAP school obstructed you from understanding other races. What have you done to catch up? Signed up for Silat classes in your community centre? Learn to play cricket in university? Shop in Little India? Watched a Bollywood movie?
Think about it: the problem is with the school or with you?
about 5 years ago
Aaron,
I was directed here by the Intelligent Singaporean, though this is the first time I am here, I do find the writings pretty substantiated by your personal experiences, interesting if not enlightening, which emphasized on an issue which had been prevalent within our society that we close one eye to.
I guess we do not pretend that racism do not exist in Singapore. It does and it happens all the time, minutely, implicitly, but yes, still there niggling and nudging our senses from time to time. As we can see from the classified advertisements from time to time where only chinese speaking candidates are allowed certain jobs, friends fielding derogative jokes about other races, parents objecting to inter-racial relationships/marriages, and so on. I do not name these examples from thin air, but from personal experiences from young, and with other people.
Looking at SAP schools, their primary purpose originally was to instill interest and further encourage chinese students to pursue their mother tongue. Resulting in a chinese dominant population within these schools, while I would not say that to focus on their mother tongue would directly result in students developing into racist adults, I do agree with you that providing an increased multi-racial element might encouraged better understanding between students of different racial origins. Instead, I feel that most race prejudicial opinions or notions are passed on through the family structure. Too often, the slightest passing comment of those ‘lazy bums’ at some minority race smoking at a park bench, or that disdainful look from our parents when passing by a less than well off minority sets off the tone of how we look at our minority neighbours from young. I am instead of the thought that SAP schools do not have to be abolished, but perhaps introduce other racial elements within the curriculum to expand racial understanding.
Although subjective, better understanding does not necessarily translate to acceptance, but it’s easier to dismissed racial or religious practices through ignorance than understanding them.
Jimmy,
It seems that me that you harbor pretty extreme views with regards to Aaron’s statements. I do not disagree with you that this isn’t exactly a perfect world which we are staying in, and we do not live in an illusionary trance that Singapore is a multi-racial utopia, we have our problems, and certain actions and/or policies could help better the situation.
Right from the beginning, you’ve mentioned of Hitler’s problems with Jews, and his constant interaction with them which brought about his hatred through time. My point of contention here is, you had used a person whom had deep seated anti-semitic views brought about by racial superiority ideology. He had brought about policies which not just persecuted Jews, but the disabled, homosexuals, blacks, Jehovah Witnesses, Free Masons, Catholic and Protestant clergy as well. Your view of identifying problems committed by a racial or a religious group due to constant interaction and prejudices ensued due to differences and friction forged through time, is therefore extremely flawed when tied to a man whom had a flawed ideology to eliminate humans of different racial, ideology, physiology, and religious standings, which he deems flawed. And since you subscribed to the use of the word problem within your comment instead of issues, which therefore means you felt the same as Hitler did, would you care to illustrate further what or why had caused you to feel the similar sense of prejudicial bias towards other humans?
As for you viewing this entire world as racist, I could probably see from your point of view of where that came from. As I’ve mentioned right from the start, we don’t live in a perfect world where everyone could accept anyone for their differences. Here and there, we see signs of racial/religious/nationalist bigotry over the world, from the United States, France, Thailand, South Africa, and the notorious Rwanda genocide, the fact remains that they have their own problems, and more often than not they closed an eye to the situation, and as emotions build and explode in their faces, we have circumstances which even the authorities could not control. But, let us not be eager to brand every single person as a racist, until you have seen, touch, and known every single person upon this world, to even start naming one whom you do not know of as a racist, you are projecting yourself as ideological bigot by dismissing those whom are offering honest views to a situation.
And perhaps to correct your facts, with regards to the Rwandan genocide, the Tutsis and the Hutus were originally of linguistically separate groups and migrated to Rwanda from different regions and timeline altogether. Since the 15th century, the Tutsi clans merged to form a single kingdom, ruling the Hutus even when they were the minority within the country. The fact that the Tutsis controlled the military and land ownership since then, systematic marginalization and disenfranchising the Hutus both socially and politically had caused deep seated racial bias. It was when Rwanda was ceded to the Germans (Not the Belgiums) in 1885, the Germans chose not to colonize Rwanda themselves, but instead chose the Tutsis to rule in their stead, which further exacerbate the divide between the two races. It was only after World War 1, did Rwanda became a protectorate of Belgium, and they followed the German example by allowing the Tutsis to rule. Which until 1959 when Belgium granted Rwanda self government, the democratic elections that followed finally empowered the Hutu majority politically. Years of racial speculations promoted by the Tutsis and colonial masters to justify the Tutsi rule had ingrained a deep racist schism between the two groups, which finally imploded into the Rwanda genocide in 1994. While the two racial groups do have certain physical differences, do perhaps get it clear that it had been politically motivated policies which had caused such deep seated ingrained racism between these two closely related groups, thus causing the genocide in the first place.
While one of the few points which I do agree with you, is tolerance for diversity. We live in a world of differences, differences in appearance, social status, wealth, faith, cultural inclinations, ideological and philosophical views. The fact that the world had advanced technologically quickly, and we could move from one end of the world to the other within hours, we are still trying catch up in terms of social advancement, to accept and tolerate differences. We are seeing such advancements around us, not too long ago, Singapore was a cultural brewing pot, differences are abound, and friction inevitable, resulting in racial/religious riot. That has come to pass, and here we stand as a single nation, while we retain our differences, tensions were lowered by education, understanding differences, and not ignoring them. While our political leaders have done a good job till now, it’s perhaps time that we should start talking about these so called ‘taboo’ topics instead of avoiding them. Better understanding of what is different from you allows frank and open discussion with regards to why such a practice was there in the first place, such as to why Muslims are not allowed to touch dogs, simply because back then in the 6th century, plagues were common and canines had been known to transfer rabies and sicknesses, Mohammed declared that dogs were impure and anything a dog touches must be washed seven times is a matter of hygiene, as such is the same reasoning for the consumption of pork. If you do not have that understanding, and opted to dismiss or object a religion’s practices due to unconcerned ignorance, it has nothing to do with acceptance, but of blatant moral inconsideration. I do not assume that being in a SAP would make you racist as I’ve reiterated, but the allowance of diversity within the course of study, to increase the level of awareness of the diversity, therefore lowering the chances of friction resulting from ignorance. While you chose to attached Aaron’s idea of abolishment of SAP School system as making Chinese less Chinese as a form of racial motivated attack on their identity is of absurd linkage, if you have understood his words in context was to increase students awareness of diverse multicultural in a non-SAP system. I may not agree with his suggestion to stop SAP but to improve on it, I would not even consider his words in that form of provocative train of thought. Jimmy, you’ve displayed incredible knowledge on social matters and news of our world, yet, you had equally astound me with your lack of understanding on the context of someone’s words.
And the fact that you’ve understood that this world is gray, even written laws of constitution could even be subverted with prevarication. Aaron and Chris might have proposed that better financial planning would allow individuals to better cope with difficulties due to economic situation, which in fact would refute some of the racial bias resulting from poor economic situation linked to certain racial groups. And it surprises me that you had failed to see that, and though I agree with you that a better economic situation might not alter the situation, but it would discount the very argument which certain bias had originate from in the first place, as such bias loses credibility in the face of continuous reality, it loses leverage and therefore would be discarded as time goes on. No one could change or alter one’s perception with a snap of a finger or an implementation of any policy. But it could help, that what matters and what we are trying to achieve, to better the situation, and not pour cold water or blemish the motivation with accusations of ethnocentrisms
As I further my evaluation of your comments, it seems to me that you are pronouncing support of totalitarianism as a basis for racial harmony? No totalitarian government could stop or halt the progression of racial schism or prejudice; it merely serves to sweep the problem underneath the mat with threats of violent retaliation or oppression against any possible racial violence. With the lack of proper open discussion, or the dissemination and education of the society to the differences that exists within the relevant community, subdued frictions served only to propagate the hidden tensions beneath the surface, until it erupts into a flourish of mindless hatred and violence when the regime ends, as was evident in Yugoslavia – Serbs and Albanians, Rwanda – Hutus and Tutsis, Iraq – Sunnis and Shiites, and the escalating violence in Sudan with the lack of an impartial governmental control. No nations, countries, empires, kingdoms had stood the passage of time, what transcends, are the descendents, of humans reliving an unresolved conflict inherited from ages past. With your final word, which had totally thrown me off with its unfettered truthfulness yet lack of foresight, in this world of technological advancement, how many could say that one could avoid another unless he chose to cut himself from the rest of the world? In this current age of globalization where economics, politics and social structures are dependent on the co relationship and cooperation between states, you had in one sweeping comment, determined that social acrimony would not arise with the lack of interaction, you may be right, but that possibility is far-fetched if not incredulous within this time and age. Avoidance seeks to sweep the problem underneath the mat, open and rational discussion allows solutions to be found across the population spectrum, as a society, as a community.
Let it be known that China, is not a monolithic culture, while there are a large majority of Chinese within its borders, the minorities consists of the Zhuangs, Manchurians, Hui, Miao, Uyghur, Yi, Tujia, Mongolians, Tibetians, Buyi, and even immigrant Koreans. Each and every single one of these minority groups might be minorities within PRC, note that their population demographics exceed Singapore’s total population many times. And with regards to religious diversity, you are looking at Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and many others, and what gave you the impression that PRC students inherently do not know of their own country’s ethnic cultures and religious diversity? Such comments had so expounded your single minded ideological bigotry based on stereotypical observations of a country which you perceived of as a monolithic population. As I’ve stated earlier, racial bias outlook could be adopted or passed on by their parents, as they are the very first to communicate social outlook to their children, as a child, one would have no inkling as to that are the social norms or cultural etiquette in relating to one of another ethnic race, one could only receive that information from their parents, before moving on to schools where they would have possible interaction with others, and from there, as any humans capable of higher thought, determine if the indoctrinated social outlook of their parents were correct or in context. SAPs do not cause racism; they merely serve to lower the possible interaction between students of diverse cultural or racial descent, thus not improving on the chances of a student to review his/her social outlook towards others of differing cultures, which may result in increase misunderstandings due to ignorance that may lead to racist views. And on as an appropriate end to this point, I have no reservations to sending my child to schools of higher proportion of minorities, in-fact, as long as the course of study is relevant, he could be in a class of Indians/Malays/Filipinos/African Americans for all I care.
I realized the further that I dissect your comments and remarks; I realized how pointless this exercise has been. And perhaps now I finally understood how you’ve felt Aaron, *smiles* nonetheless Jimmy, you are a very intelligent man, your capability to assess information which had been laid available to you, had somehow perhaps mould your perception to this particular point. You may choose to refute the above points that I have stated here (Aaron you would not mind right? *chuckles), if you wish, I could even email you the information which I had acquired within those arguments which I had placed forth as annexes for your information.
The fact that we as humans of logical thought sitting before our comps and exchange rational thoughts and views is something for which I am glad for, something which the less fortunate might not have able to enjoy. Treat each other with respect, and you will be respected, even if you chose not to subscribe to another person’s views, do object with in a civil manner and present your views in a considerate manner.
You may choose not to accept another’s views, just do not subvert words and brandish another as someone whom he/she is not without substantiation. With that, don’t expect anyone to return with civility, but pointed, sharp, vociferate replies.
Aaron: Pardon this particularly long comment, I had been a little pricked by Jimmy’s obtuse replies. *bows*
about 5 years ago
Well Azmodeus, of course I don’t mind. I am honoured that my little blog is deserving of your time to write such an extensive and detailed reply.
I agree that Jimmy is an intelligent person, but he appears to hold some very deep rooted notions and that he’s not willing to budge on them, to the point where it seems to over-ride his rational capacity.
It’s been a fruitful discussion so far, and I certainly wish we will eventually have a world where we will not judge others by colour, or any other physical characteristics for that matter. I would like to think that human beings are higher up on the evolution ladder. Therefore, while birds flock together, man doesn’t necessarily have to, beacause man can think.
about 5 years ago
Wow, its the best comment yet by Azmodeus..Its reallly well written.
about 5 years ago
Hi Aaron, I enjoyed reading your entry, they were very thought provoking so I decided to drop you a comment. I believe that the whole society, including friends, parents and teachers can all be the influential factors which cause a child to become racist.
One thing which is lacking in Singapore school is the teaching of Cross-cultural or Intercultural Communication. Most people would think that living in the same country, the way they communicate should be the same but they neglected the fact that underlying values and beliefs within ethnic cultures are different and that may affect the way we perceive certain things. Stereotypes normally occur because people are not taught how to be cultural sensitive in the society and do not understand the other culture. (They tend to generalize certain groups of people or race from what they hear or see from one or two person. ) But instead the whole issue is being ignored by preventing any discussion about it. Many people also tend to understand only the objective culture but not the subjective which gives them the knowledge to empathize with the other culture.
I think that the responsibility of such cultural education lies within the family (the parents) and also schools but to change the entire mindset of people who are already brought up in a certain way is seemingly difficult. What is worst, people tend to be very critical there which means a discussion of such may bring about a series of debate which will not produce any good result.
about 5 years ago
Certainly, many factors influence the development of racist mentalities, and schools are just one of the factors. The reason why I brought it up is because I have seen it for myself how the lack of diversity has resulted in the development of racist ideas.
Teaching cultural sensitivity (by teaching I mean the usual teacher in classroom style) is a good thing, but unfortunately, sometimes the best lesson is to experience being discriminated against. It is said that the wise learn from other people’s experience, while the not so wise learn from their own experience.
Taking into consideration the normal distribution, most people probably fall into the not so wise category and the best way to teach them is to let them experience being discriminated against. Nothing works better than that.
Alternatively, we can simulate some degree of simulation of discrimination as a form of lesson, especially in schools. I was very inspired watching “A class divided” because the effects of that one lesson was carried on through the adult lives of those kids. We really should think about doing something like this, before the kids start developing hardcore racist ideas.
If you have not seen the video, you can watch it here.
about 5 years ago
Making people get along through homogeny is an inferior solution considering what you give up.
People should not be denied their culture. What have you really achieved when you strip people of their culture just so they get along.
You can do all you can to educate people, but you still have to let them make their own decisions. Decisions such as choosing to send their children to madrasahs, SAP schools, Catholic schools, Japanese schools, schools with specific cultural value that help make this pluralistic society that we value.
At the end of the day, everyone has the right to go to hell in their very own hand basket. If people don’t have the freedom to make the wrong decisions, the right decisions that they make are meaningless.
Correcting racism by getting rid of madrasahs and SAP schools is like achieving world peace through nuclear holocaust.
We want to learn to live respect and live with these differences, not eliminate them.
about 5 years ago
I do hope that you read the entire post in its context. I suggest dismantling such schools because they provide an unhealthy environment for racism to fester and grow.
I never said I was for denying culture. I think that every group’s culture is important because it’s something to identify with.
While it is true that “everyone has the right to go to hell in their own hand basket”, then why does the state do things like compulsory education? Those who are not interested can just “go to hell”, no?
I’m just of the opinion that each society has something that they value and steps should be taken to try and attain those values. People should be given freedom to make decisions, but at the same time, as I always say, it should be an informed decision.
If after mixing together with people of other races, talking to them and having a better understanding still leads to the choice of racism by the individual, then, fine.
about 5 years ago
Hi Aaron!
I, too, blame avoidance. If there isn’t frank exchange of views on “taboo” topics such as race, how can we understand each other better? Censorship of all things racial and religious is not going to foster harmony. It’s merely pretending that such fissions don’t exist.
about 5 years ago
Well said Joey.
Censorship is no way to address racism. Especially not entire schools! Getting rid of is in fact an act of deniance.
Aaron, like you, I think having frank exchanges is absolutely the way to go to foster understanding and respect. It’s crutial to addressing racism.
Like you, I had the SAP experience. (For 10 years) Like you I went to live in a foreign land were I was the minority and I realized how yellow my skin really is, and for the first time in my life it made me very conscious of my race.
All that has led me to embrace the wealth of colours that the different peoples of the world bring to the this thing we call humanity.
People should be free to celebrate (or not celebrate) their diffrences. People should open their arms to others to celebrate with them.
People should NOT be afraid to be different and be reduced to midocre homogenety so that some might have a false sense of harmony that is not based on true understanding and respect.
Just like there is nothing inherently wrong with being of a certain race, there is nothing inherently wrong with wanting to go to a majority Japanese, Malay, Chinese, American, Korean, Indian, Catholic, Islamic, Buddhist, secular, whatever school. (All these schs exist in Spore)
You seem to suggest that such schools are hot beds of racism just because they are “different.”
School certainly did not stop me from being curious about other peoples’ cultures. I’d go as far to say that school (yes, the SAP one) encouraged me to be curious about other cultures. School also provided opportunities for me to get to know people of different cultures. Some kids didn’t see the opportuniteis or didn’t care. You can’t force it.
Schools with certain cultural leanings/heritage do not, by virtue of having strong cutural identities, cause racism to flourish. It’s idividuals who are ignorant and/or lack respect that perpatuate racism.
Families do exert a very huge influence on any child’s developement too. In fact, I suspect that identifying parents who perpatuate racism will be more effective than getting rid of heritage schools. Now then, do we go around getting rid of families that exhibit racist tendencies?
Besides, there is so much more to life than the institution of “school.” No doubt, in Spore’s case, school to most kids encapsulates more or less the entirety of their childhood experience. Still, school is not the beginning and the end of a child’s or anyone’s existance.
Opportunities for genuine cultural exchanges are there in our everyday lives. What’s there to stop anyone from making friends with all the different people we meet everyday? … blame society?
That said, I do agree, that formal education in Spore is relatively centralized and can serve as a very effective catalyst to foster true respect and understanding of issues pertaining to racism.
I remain unconvinced though, that getting rid of heritage schools is an effective way to achieve that goal.
Getting rid of heritage schs is a gesture much like banning liquids on airplanes. It’s very visible and high profile, but is ultimately futile. It only inconveniences good people and dosen’t begin to address the problem.
I think you’d agree what’s infinitely more effective is to promote critical thinking. So that people will learn to seek knowledge and see truth. So that people may decipher for themselves what respect and harmony and all that good non-racist stuff is. Only then will racism be truely eradicated.
about 5 years ago
Dear Chiaw,
Well, like you, I didn’t turn out racist although I came from a SAP school. What bothered me was that a large proportion of my friends turned out somewhat racist.
In a environment where we don’t have other races around, it’s very easy for racist ideas to perpetuate because people don’t see a need to be sensitive. I mean, there’s no one to take offence and so students don’t really think that much about making racist remarks.
A couple of remarks in jest is fine I suppose, but the danger is when it spins out of control. It is debatable whether closing down schools that have a high proportion of one race is the best solution, but it doesn’t take away the fact that such an environment certainly doesn’t help at all.
I guess we need some brilliant ideas on how to educate our people, just like the brown eye/blue eye idea.
about 5 years ago
Like the famous DM song from the 80s go,
“I can’t understand what makes a man,
hates another man,
help me understand!”
about 5 years ago
Thanks to Ridzwan, we’re finally nudging the OB markers.
I too came from SAP primary and secondary schools, have tonnes of racist chinese friends, managed to go overseas, though for many more years, and return a better man.
On the very first place, the notion of “race” is scientifically disputed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Race
The institutionalisation of race in Singapore is one major problem. It is anthropologically wrong to classify us as “Chinese”, “Malay”, “Indian”, “Eurasian” and “Others”.
By the way, there’s no such thing as a “Chinese” race! “Chinese” is a nationality. The correct term is “Han”.
Then many of our “Malay” friends are not even Malay, but Javanese, Bugis, Bawanese etc.
My point is that there is over simplification of the highly heterogeneous society in Singapore. Instead of admitting the chromatic pluralism of our population, the government chose to compartmentalise us, and thus led to reinforcement of prejudiced generalisations, the key to racism.
As for SAP schools, its main raison d’être is political – to satisfy the needs of the majority Chinese population just after independence. It is still a sacred cow today.
The ironing out of intra-community differences during post independence days – banning of Chinese dialects, instauring Malay and Tamil as lingua franca for the respectively (heterogeneous) community – has brought about the side effect of contrasting inter-community differences.
Today, government efforts like Racial Harmony Day are constantly highlighting these differences (Wear your ethnic costumes and bring your ethnic food!).
Could real racial harmony come about when Singaporeans start appreciating not differences, but our similarities?
about 5 years ago
“As for SAP schools, its main raison d’être is political – to satisfy the needs of the majority Chinese population just after independence. It is still a sacred cow today.”
I totally forgot about this. Thanks for pointing it out, quzy.
about 5 years ago
Hi Chiaw,
If “heritage” schools are indeed nothing more than heritage schools, then getting rid of them would be censorship. However, I wonder if these schools are actually serving a very different purpose of (intended or otherwise) racial segregation. If so, I’m all for getting rid of this racial segregation.
I agree that schools are not the be-all-end-all of a child’s education. Which is why I think we can all learn to love our heritage outside of schools. It’s not something that can be learnt anyhow. So why the necessity for “heritage” schools?
I’m not saying that SAP schools encourage racism but that it does nothing to counteract (what you suggest is influenced by the family – and I agree it might be so) racism. Having come from a secondary school with different races and then gone into a predominantly Chinese (except 2 Eurasians and 1 Indian) JC, I do miss the interaction with non-Chinese.
about 5 years ago
Jimmy Mun said:
Today, Indonesia is the poster child of racial harmony, right? You want to spend a Christmas in Ambon perhaps?
Hi Jimmy, do you know why you said that? Why not you say “spend Hari Raya in Ambon perhaps?” because majority of Amboneese are Christian?
I believe you know that the people of different religions in Ambon have been living peacefully for hundreds of years until somebody using religion to create this trouble recently?
By the way, why you have mixed up religion and racist issue?
about 5 years ago
i think it’s ironic that what we have here, is a case where the majority is arguing about raceand racism in Singapore.
No offence meant by that btw – It’s just funny to me, an Indian girl.
To my way of thinking- If you want to know is SIngapore is truly racist and paternal, please watch “I Not Stupid” -which was hailed as THE representation of Singaporean Society. There were no indians, no malays, and no girls.
And when i raised this issue to my friends all they could say was, “er…it was targeted at the majority wat”
And being an indian girl in Singapore that disturbed me beyond belief, for in one fell blow Jack Neo had managed to wipe out everything i ever stood for and identified with. And alienate me in the process by using chinese. Now i was not only an outsider, i was never going to be accepted into that community til i spoke the language too.
Before this, i never believed Singapore was that racist, it’s never been a issue with me. But now i might be beginning to think otherwise.
about 5 years ago
Hi kayjal,
I don’t think “I Not Stupid” is not the representation of Singapore. It’s clearly slanted towards the chinese, and it is a chinese production. I fail to see how does it qualify as an accurate representation of Singapore.
As someone from the majority race, I think surprises you why I would argue against racism. I think it’s not a matter of race here. It’s a matter of logic and rationale. I argue against gender discrimination, I argue against age discrimination of workers, I argue against discrimination of the poor. The point here is that fundamentally, regardless of what physical or societal characteristic, no one human being is beneath another.
I’m thankful to see, based on comments to my blog, that there are still people in the majority who think like I do. We should all help each other to make our society a better place, regardless of one’s affiliation, gender, race, religion or whatever.
about 5 years ago
My apologies for the late reply, as I had not dropped in since my last reply. And my apologies if, in my poor choice of words, seem to be promoting segregationist policies.
To Azmodeus, I did some reading and although there is no clear evidence that your theory of the development of Hutus and Tutsis are necessarily more correct than mine, I can give you the benefit of doubt. That said, it doesnt detract from my basic point that the two races are practically indistinguishable, and yet they still found the capacity for immense hatred. And your example of minorities in China is a straw man. Yes they exist, but they are almost entirely packed into the border provinces. Try and befriend an average PRC student ask if he had met any of those races in life before.
First off, let me explain to you why I am so disgusted with this blog post.
Now if a non-Chinese expresses concern about SAP school, I can understand, because SAP schools are almost always 100% Chinese. But for an SAP student to accuse SAP schools as a breeding ground for racists, is an utter disgrace, not least because it is untrue. For starters, perhaps Aaron can detail to us what scientific methods he used to deduce that SAP students are more racist than non-SAP students. In my working life, I have met many highly racist people, none of them from SAP schools. What Aaron Ng said of SAP students, is no different from Straits Times suggesting IJ convent girls are easy. Are we racially insensitive, yes. But more racist? Please prove it.
Even though the Chinese is the majority race in Singapore, the Chinese in power are not from the Chinese schools. The Mandarin speaking Chinese community constantly feel under siege by those who dislike our “Chineseness”, and when we get too pushy with issues, we get labelled “Chinese Chauvinists”. This is where I feel solidarity with the Malay community, because they too are constantly cautioned from “playing the racial card” when they are seek to assert their racial identity.
Some people see SAP schools as evidence that the Chinese majority promoting racial segregation, I see it as an appeasement for the destruction of “Nantah”. And even if people like Aaron Ng fail to shut the SAP schools down, most SAP schools are in ill health and will follow Nantah soon anyway. The strong ones like The Chinese High is/was the exception, not the norm.
That said, I like to mention that two of my closest buddies are Muslims, one is hypersensitively orthodox, and one is lapsed. That is how I have such a nice perspective of Islam, beyond mere reading. One would check for halal certs before eating while the other eats kway chap with me, while elaborating why the Prophet outlawed pork back then (because they were dirty, but not any more) .
One of them fit the lazy mat stereotype nicely, initially. He leaves work right on time and refuse to work on weekends. It turns out that he had a family business to help run, and when the business folded, my goodness, he was raring for work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But it was a process that took several years to develop. Which is the point I failed to make clearly earlier on. Superficial contact with other races in a secondary school setting may not enhance racial understanding at all; in fact, it might even reinforce racial stereotypes. There are plenty of opportunities to bond after secondary school, and maybe it might even be more conducive then as we are more mature.
Did I mention I used to play hockey in university with a team that was almost entirely Indian? Even then, given the deep friendships I have with other races, I cant say I am not racist, and I seriously doubt anybody can declare that they are not racist either. It is a beast we have to contain, every day of our lives. And when the conditions turn rough, when we let our guard down, when we feel threatened, the beast breaks out.
I like Chiaw’s analogy with banning liquids on planes, because that is exactly how I see it too. You think Malays and Indians will cheer if SAP schools shut down? You think non-Muslims will feel happier if madrasahs are shut down?
about 5 years ago
Talking about “I Not Stupid”, if you watch the drama serial version at 9pm on Saturday, you may find that there is this subtle racist joke on one of the Indian/Malay friends of Cheng Cai, the main character.
The joke is mainly on the colour of his skin, being more black. However, I am not sure if this is targeted at other races, or at Chinese who are more tanned. To my knowledge, no one has complained in the media about this yet, perhaps due to the low popularity of this show.
about 5 years ago
Hi,
Similar to you, I received 6 years of studies in an all-chinese environment. However, I did not feel any presence of racism in school. In fact, it were my parents who often made racist remarks. I thought the SAP school concept is not good either. It promotes an all-chinese environment. As a result, students in SAP school are not exposed to friends from other religion and lack understanding of each other’s culture. I think it’s particularly true for girls as compared with guys, since guys often get to know friends from other race in the army.
about 5 years ago
Well Carine,
I never said that the schools teach racism. I only felt that a number of my friends were racist. Well, it could be that they were racist to begin with, but as you rightly pointed out, SAP schools promote an all-chinese culture. Students can freely make racist remarks without restraint, and this breeds insensitivity. Over a long period of time, such remarks can become ingrained into the person’s psyche, and they become permanently racist for life.
Army does help a little, but what I observe from some friends is that they might be smiling on the surface, but privately, that’s when all the racist remarks start spilling out.