While any discourse on race and religion is guaranteed to spark a heated debate in this country, and especially with the bak kut teh issue still hot, maybe what many may be asking now is - “did the recent provocative remark by a local ex-professor raise the mercury levels a little too high among the Chinese community here?”
Incidentally, the matter blew up when a former principal fellow with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute for Ethnic Studies Dr Teo Kok Seong reiterated that apparently Chinese vernacular schools promoted racism!
Apparently it had stemmed from Teo’s suggestion earlier in a TikTok video by The Merdeka Times that vernacular schools allegedly hindered national unity by restricting communication between Chinese students and other races.
Predictably, this had prompted DAP lawmaker Teresa Kok to react by urging the police to probe the former principal fellow with the National Professors Council for the racially insensitive remarks.
However, it was reported that Teo had shot back at Teresa by saying that the DAP lawmaker was in denial about the realities within the Chinese Malaysian community; he further asserted that he did not say anything wrong and that it was based on “conversations” among the Chinese community.
Additionally, he had also controversially claimed that “negative perceptions” of the Malay and Indian communities were the norm among the Chinese in Malaysia, claiming that it was clearly evident on social media where he highlighted that they disparaged the Malays and looked down on them.
But as many will no doubt agree, isn’t this kind racist chatter in Malaysia (both on the ground and online) commonplace among the other ethnicities too?
So, what could possibly be the ‘underlying reasons’ for Teo’s accusations against the Chinese and the vernacular schools?
According to an interview with Sinar Harian back in March 2020, Teo who hails from Kelantan, had actually disclosed that since young he was exposed to Malay culture and that a majority of his friends were Malays. In fact, according to the report he had also mentioned that he was “more Malay than a Malay.”
Furthermore, he had also alluded to the fact that he was a “peranakan Chinese” and as such was naturally conversant in the Malay language. This, according to him, made him feel that he was a "Malay” but only that the name and religion was different.
Interestingly, in the same interview, he went on to claim that he was also used to be known as “ustaz” and “haji” by some and apparently he took that as an honour, while admitting that he was fully aware of being disliked by the Chinese community in the country.
Besides, the Kelantan-born Teo was also one of those instrumental in drafting the National Education Blueprint 2013-2025 during ex-PM Najib’s rule where the ultimate goal was to make “sekolah kebangsaan” the school of choice by 2025.
But to his obvious disappointment, the plan seemed to have failed miserably with reports indicating that the enrollment of Chinese students and other races in vernacular school has kept on increasing.
In fact, the blueprint had emphasised that to foster unity, it was important for students to interact and learn with peers and teachers from various ethnic, religious, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds.
Nevertheless, to his credit, he did call for the restructuring of the existing primary school system by adopting the best academic, ethnic, and religious practices from the various existing school streams with languages like Mandarin, Tamil, Punjabi, Siamese, and the indigenous languages of Sabah and Sarawak to be included in the system.
Surprisingly, he also admitted that people have no faith in national schools as the quality of education is deemed to be poor and that it has become too religious. (Read here)
But coming back to his “negative take” on Chinese schools and the alleged racism that it breeds, what many aggrieved parties may be asking is - “was his judgement a balanced one based on a detailed study? Or maybe it could have been from his own personal experience?”
However, it couldn't have been any of that, as by his own admission earlier, he was a Malay-speaking Kelantanese who mingled more with Malays; and moreover, by the looks of it, he had probably never attended Chinese school either! Therefore, was it fair of him to pass such a damning judgement on the matter?
Still, some who support his views may point to the fact that generally those with Chinese-school background tend to mingle mainly among themselves and also converse predominantly in Mandarin or other Chinese dialects rather than in Malay or English.
This may be true but don't the Chinese who attend national schools also tend to do the same, speaking in Mandarin even in front of their buddies from other races, often much to the disgust of the latter who may have no clue whatsoever as to what was being said?
But should that trait be judged as a “racist behaviour” or could it be because for most Chinese their mother tongue is a source of great pride and is considered a cherished heritage from their centuries-old cultural civilization? In fact, don't we from the other races also do the same, though, admittedly, it is not polite?
Furthermore, in this country isn't “race-bashing” a favourite past time, especially when we are huddled together with those from our own ilk - where unkind terms like kaum pendatang, kafir, babi, keling, banggali, kaki botol are liberally used?
Actually, is all that purely down to our schooling system - or did we subconsciously pick it up from our family, peers, society and politicians? Anyway, just because we condemn other races, does it mean we really hate them? Of course, not. It's just “typically Malaysian” - although honestly it's nothing to be proud of!
Indeed, there is no harm criticising one’s own race if it's done in a constructive manner - out of love and concern for its betterment - but certainly not out of ignorance, hatred and a sense of inferiority.
In closing, perhaps, the late, straight shooting blogger Hussein Abdul Hamid may have put it aptly when he said that “there is no need to trample on one’s own language, culture, customs and dignity to please others!”
Main Information Source: Sinar Daily, and Twentytwo13.my
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