BERSIH - A Dirty Dream

A Dream Of The Sea
Yesterday, I had a dirty dream. (No, you dirty bugger not THAT sort!) I dreamed of a sea of yellow clad figures. There was a huge clamour, voices rising above the din of the lightning storms, calling for a better future for the nation. They invoked a calm in me, like a sea of bright, smiling sunflowers, radiant and hopeful .... Until an ocean of blue dots came swiftly, and clashed with the yellow. From my bird's eye view, it was like blue drops of paint plunging into a vat of yellow, smearing and mixing into dirty swirls. The blue, the yellow, mixed and matched, back and forth.... Till oddly enough... the world was red, a dirty red that sullied my vision.

And then, I awoke.

Sweating from my "premonition", I hurriedly clutched my mobile phone, profusely apologizing to the SIM card within for switching from DIGI to Maxis.Yellow to red. From clean.... To the stained.

Anyway, on an entirely unrelated note, there has been a whole hue and cry concerning the yellow BERSIH rally coming up. With so many articles and learned professors condemning the act, I feel compelled to point out the flaws in their arguments and insert my two cents worth on the way.


Politically motivated?

Firstly, the BERSIH Rally is a peaceful rally organised by over 80 NGOs, with the support of Pakatan Rakyat component parties, DAP, PAS and PKR. The allegations of many are that the rally is politically motivated. But they have all ignored that if Pakatan Rakyat feels it should support efforts to promote free and fair elections, there is nothing wrong with that! They have made it sound as if whenever a political party throws its support behind an event, it automatically ceases to be beneficial, and becomes political propoganda. That said, following this flawed sense of logic, the Tak Nak campaign, OneMalaysia campaign and many others have automatically become a political weapon by virtue of their affliation with BN.

Illegitimate organisation?


Secondly, the BERSIH Rally has 8 demands, demands that are perfectly reasonable.
1. Clean the electoral roll- Ensure dead people are deregistered, introducing automated voter registration upon reaching eligibility.
2. Reform postal ballots- Letting all Malaysians who cannot be there physically vote.
3. Use indelible ink-To prevent electoral fraud. Even Afghanistan uses this!
4. Minimum 21 days for campaigning- Allows Malaysians to properly evaluate policies. Our first election in 1955 had 42 days!
5. Free and fair access to media- Media access for opposition parties too. After all, you need to know them before you can decide on them.
6. Strengthen public insitutions- Reform the police, judiciary, and Election Commission. All the "suicides" in MACC, the court decision of "unknown" on the Teoh Beng Hock case should more than demonstrate the need for reform.
7. Stop corruption- No vote buying, and beyond.
8. Stop dirty politics- I don't think I can make Malaysian politics sound any dirtier than it is.

Instead of evaluating and acknowledging these demands, our government has gone all out to condemn BERSIH as illegal and illegitimate. The Election Commission on the other hand, has stood beside Government officials to speak out against the rally, whereas the EC is supposed to remain and appear neutral at all times.

Destroying our image?


Thirdly, many have spoken out saying the Rally will destroy the country's image, causing us to lose revenue in terms of tourism and so on. Now, these tourists are mainly from Europe. To these tourists, demonstrations, strikes, protests are a way of life, a part of their functioning democracies, it is part of their freedom of assembly. To say that one protest will scare away these veterans who have seen, and probably participated in many, is foolish and capitalizes on ignorance. If the Government were to ban such a rally, what with its reasonable demands, then it would depict the country as draconian, undemocratic and unreasonable. Should the Federal Reserve Unit retaliate, the Government would have proven itself to belong to the likes of Gaddaffi. Instead, the Government should allow the BERSIH Rally, to prove itself a cut above the rest of its Muslim peers in the Middle East. In any case, I can't imagine our nation's image being destroyed any further after that whole ridiculous Obedient Wives Club debacle.

Danger to Lives


Regarding the "massive danger to public property, and lives", this is clearly an argument that presents only one side of the case. The protesters are normal citizens like you and me, this country is theirs as well, and their friends and family are all watching. They have nothing to gain by throwing Molotov cocktails around, as some commentators would have us believe, and everything to lose by violence. Besides, most of these confrontations results from FRU actions as reported by SUHAKAM regarding the 2006 Bersih Rally, where police struck the first blow, and resorted to I quote, "excessive force". Has the Government made any provisions at all to protect the citizens, any directives to the police not to strike at protesters? I'm afraid not. It seems to me that the danger imposed is not from the protestors, but rather by the Federal Reserve itself. Irony in its highest form.

Economic Losses

As for the so called economic losses, money is like water stored in a bottle. Tilt it one way, the water will follow it. But the amount of water remains the same. If people cannot buy goods, go to cinemas etc on Saturday in Jalan Maharajalela, they will buy goods a day or so earlier or later, go to watch Transformer a week or so later. Or at worst, they will turn to an alternative location to purchase the goods. Furthermore, logically whenever thousands of people congregate at one spot, business booms and not drops. The protestors, being Malaysians, standing in the heat, will have need of food and drink. This will cause an influx of customers to the hawkers there! The same applied during the Hindraf rallies a few years back, hawkers set up stalls along the route to the King's Palace. In any case, this rally is only one day long. The point is, the "massive economic losses and depriving people of their livelihoods" argument is completely flawed.

Dirty Tactics

After the audience with the King, the BERSIH organising committee agreed to hold the rally in a stadium instead. Prime Minister Dato Najib agreed, having offered the option prior to this. And now, the BERSIH rally has been rejected of its request to hold the rally in Merdeka stadium. In addition to that, the National stadium and Bukit Jalil stadium have also been declared off limits, because Bersih 2.0 is an illegal entity. Illegal, despite the fact that S. Ambiga is a respected former member of the Bar Council that was given an award by Hilary Clinton in recognition for her human rights efforts; despite the fact that over 80 legitimate NGOs are backing the rally.

Depriving Bersih of stadiums, after having made an offer to supply them with one, is treachery of the highest handed order. It also shows how desperate, and afraid BN is of the power of the people. Ironically, all this demonizing of BERSIH has only brought greater publicity to it, and proven the integirty of S. Ambiga, who has remained calm despite name calling from even the Prime Minister himself.

Bersih this, bersih that.... BN best be concentrating on its efforts to clean up... Or be cleaned out!

OWCh! ( Obedient Wives Club, hmph!)

So there I was, drinking a nice cup of teh tarik at the mamak, tucking into my seat, opening the newspaper, just brimming in anticipation of more political pandemonium and high ranking hypocrisy. I opened it, and the first thing I see is "FREE SEX LESSONS".

Whoa! I rub my eyes, clean my glasses, turn back to the front page to ensure I am reading the News Straits Times and not the News Strips Times. And to my horror, I realize that an Obedient Wives Club (OWC) has been set up to ensure women are compliant, submissive, obedient to the commands of their husbands; and that apparently all social ills in the world can be solved by sex. Makes me want to be a criminal.

Fauziah Arifin from the Obedient Wives Club (second from left) giving a token of appreciation to Datin Zainah Abdul Ghani (executive director Positive Image Resources Sdn Bhd) while Sakinah Rahmanuddin (second from right) and Datuk Mohd Nasir Ibrahim (Selayang Umno chief) look on after the launching of the Obedient Wives Club at Perangsang Templer Golf Club.

Poking around aside( No, you dirty bugger, not that kind of poking), this OWC really made my heart go OWCh! all day long.  Apparently, by being obedient, and by being I quote, 'an excellent sex worker, better than a first class prostitute' a marriage can remain strong, adultery can be prevented, and social ills can be curbed. After all, crimes only happen because sex starved men cannot find anywhere else to channel their energy, right??? What about female criminals then? Or single adults?

The Sex Guru herself.

Furthermore, the sex lessons are to be taught by the Vice President of the club, Dr Rohaya Mohamad. An expert in the field apparently. The course will include how to keep your husband, how to 'service' him, and apparently, she encourages wives to be 'whores' to their husbands and wear sexy clothes for them. ( P.S. Practical lessons have not been confirmed as of yet. )

Coming so soon after Barrack Obama praised Malaysia as a progressive, moderate country, this movement is truly a disappointment, and also an insult to both men and women. The existence of such a club reveals the members' shallow thinking and understanding of the sacred constitution of marriage.

This frame of thought implies that any adultery committed by the husband is the woman's fault for not 'servicing' him properly. By comparing wives to personal prostitutes, the OWC objectifies and degrades women as sex machines, and men as sexual animals. Blind obedience to husbands will not advance the role of women in society in any way either. The whole incident is a blatant mockery of marriage.

Marriage is trust. It is a sacred bond between two individuals who have decided they want to live together, eat together, love together- two parts that make up a greater whole. If we view marriage simply as a sexual matter- that being, if devoid or lacking in sex, the marriage will fall apart, ignoring the issues of trust, commitment and love- we are no better than animals who come together simply to mate and reproduce. If a woman must resort to 'servicing' and becoming a 'sex slave' to her husband to ensure his loyalty, then marriage becomes no more than a prolonged trip to a brothel. It is the duty of both husband AND wife to maintain a commitment to each other, and if a man commits adultery, it should not be the fault of the wife, and he should be accountable for his own actions.

In a few words,

Cooperate not just copulate,
Compromise not just sodomize,
Communicate not just fornicate.
Then problems will meet their demise.

Hmph. If women have the Obedient Wives Club, then surely there must be a Loyal Husbands Club* coming up too?

( Free shopping lessons provided. Practical lessons includes trip to mall with wife, or wives. Cash not inclusive)

Barber Bullies

Scissors in hand, they offered her a free hair cut.

And together they laughed like barking mutts.

The victim

Recently, a video posted on Youtube showed a girl from SMK Raja Abdullah being bullied by her schoolmates.Her hair was cut, she was slapped, jeered at, laughed at - all the while crying for the perpetrators of this bullying to stop. The video was posted by the bully herself, who even had the cheek to put in a song and sound effects, and also asked people to like it if they approved of the video.

They jeered, slapped, and with rope they choked:

A tightening noose closing on a crying throat.

The Facebook community responded with a huge uproar, many kind souls reaching out to console the victim, with even more condemning the actions of the victims. From all races and religions; from all backgrounds and ages- Malaysians have spoken out to attack this injustice, proving that there are plenty who still care.

The others, who stood silent, who simply laughed

They, and the barbers- all playing the same part.

But I must put this question to you: Why are we so surprised?

After the incidents reported at the Rawang school last year- where cases of rape, gang fights, alcoholism, death threats to teachers happened on a frequent basis; after all the bullying that goes on in Malaysian school, including the beating up of a girl using chairs; we choose to make all the sound and fury in the world.

When the aforementioned incidents happened a year ago, people became outraged, complained, and in the end- forgot about it. Will we forget this terrible incident once more, like so many in the past? Will nothing be done, and despite all the hue and cry, will we forget? 

Sure, the girl will no doubt be expelled. Yes, the public will succeed in its demand for justice to be meted out. And then slowly, news of other things will take over, of the latest JPA scholarships, of the new project, of the new government initiative- and we will complain about these too, and forget. At least, until the next video appears.

Then, news spread out, defend her we said!

Justice! The perpetrators deserve to be slayed.

I visited the perpetrators' Facebook profiles, and saw all the comments. I want to kill all of you, said one. Another said that they deserved to be raped. And even amongst my own friends, I see them threatening death, murder- calling them sluts and bitches- telling them that they don't deserve to live.

To all of you: I admire your sense of justice. I admire your use of the same language and inconsideration and unrestrained hate that the bullies have shown. I admire the maturity of your vow to protect the innocent- even as you threaten death to the young and immature. 

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth- Two wrongs make a right;

Leaving us all sinners, toothless and deprived of our sight.

The public has demanded that justice be served- and many have demanded that they be expelled.

To where? 

Expelling them will simply transfer them to another school. Or even worse, deprive them of the education that they need NOW, of all times, to correct their attitudes and misbehavior. Depriving them of an education will not only entrench them in their present attitudes and state of mind, it will also destroy their future prospects, which as much as we want justice; we have to recognise they are still young and immature.Expelling indisciplined students is akin to sitting on a rocking chair- you seem to be moving, but you never really get anywhere. 

A virus

And so, we have to treat this problem at its roots. It's like treating a flu- don't just treat the symptoms- kill the virus. To do that, we have to find out what are they like, we must understand why do they behave the way they do, and think the way they do. Only by understanding the bullies- will we be able to help them become better people and be truly repentant of their actions.

After all, most bullies act the way they do, because very often, they too, are being bullied or oppressed in some way. Humans are not born evil. Perhaps it may be an abusive father at home, or traumatic childhood experiences that compel them to act the way they do so that they may feel in control. To that end, child psychology experts should be called in to counsel the bullies and find out the root of the problem, and heal the virus at its very essence.The Ministry of Education should set up a committee to find out the root causes of bullying, and of teenage delinquency for that matter- and restructure our Education System to address the issues. 

And whoever it is that keeps removing the video by calling it hate speech, trying to cover up a scandal on the internet is like trying to stay away from the toilet indefinitely- one way or another, all that crap is bound to come out. 

Of Santa & Donkeys

Doesn't he look lovely? 

Malaysians love free things. Freebies, buy one free one deals, great giveaways and the whole lot. And of course there is Santa.

Don't worry, I am not implying all Malaysians celebrate Christmas, lest I be struck down, this is a totally different Santa.

Well, granted, this Santa is of similar stature to St. Nicholas, nice spare cold-resistant blubber and all ( though he doesn't live anywhere as cold as the South Pole). Like good ol' Santa, our Malaysian Santa also gives out presents, and is seemingly all powerful at granting wishes. However, that is where the similarity stops.

Our Santa has much bigger lips for one. He also has a penchant for numbers, particular the number One. He also has an amazing mode of transport, however his is even better than the original Santa's, a big, sleek metal car capable of dispersing seas ( Wow he's better than Moses too!) of other vehicles with his siren blaring reindeers. And he is even more powerful than Aladdin's genie, capable of conjuring up miles of highways, clean water ( Wah better than Poseidon!), electricity ( Thor is nothing la!), books, education, and so much more at a mere X. ( Stan Lee can jump in joy knowing the X-Men still live on)

Crossing Santa

The latest stop this Santa has made is in Sarawak, where he has promised Malaysians there a better future- so long as they supply him with an infinite amount of crosses. ( No, I don't mean those crosses, this Santa is not Christian). Apparently, like Santa asli, he too keeps a list of who has been naughty and nice. This is one of those rare occasions where crossing (pun intended) Santa is considered being nice. Not crossing him, according to his many minions, will result in loss of clean water, electricity, stagnation, no development and generally a terrible and miserable existence. ( ah this is one area he loses to Moses; Moses had locusts!)

And following that whole giving/ taking season, his compadre, chipped in the whole seasonal spirit, saying that if the MCA does not gain the support of the Chinese in the next General Expiration, his party will turn down any posts in the Federal Government. Is that a veiled threat? Vote for me or after that the Chinese will have no representatives from the government? Yet another Santa that goes ho! ho! ho! ( in that evil Jabba the Hutt way)

Santa the 2nd

These Santa's are treating us citizens like donkeys. They dangle the carrot before us, so that we obey. And when that fail, they threaten us with the whip, so that we will also obey. But the truth of the matter is, they should just STOP treating us like donkeys, because we are NOT. They assume we are dumb, that we will give in to threats and little gifts.

Well, you know what, I think the time has come to break free of these ideas, and show them we're horses, free spirits capable of running free. I think it is time for us Malaysians to prove to the world that we the citizens, are not going to fall for the dangling carrot and the stinging whip, when we know that a feast is before us. All we have to do, is reach out, and make a stand, show them we are capable of thinking for ourselves, and give them a good kick on their bums.

And then, these Santas will realise just who are the masters..... And who are the asses.

* Note: After writing this, I realise I may have been overly sarcastic and demeaning. However, please do know that all fun poked at politicians is simply in jest. I recognise that our PM is certainly making good efforts with the 1Malaysia campaign, and Mr. Chua certainly is an accountable, and responsible politician. However, the point of this sarcasm is not to demean them, but rather to highlight what I view as wrong in a way that is 1. humourous, 2. non-preachy 3. will reach deep in the hearts of these men.

If in the course of this post, I have offended anyone, I apologise, and please do know that it was not my intention to hurt, but to highlight.

The Saddest Part Of A Comedy

A few days back, I watched a play, Indicinelive iii. It was a hilarious parody of the insane society we Malaysians live in: of by-election romances, of friendship during tea breaks between protestors and riot police; of plastic surgery by our famous personalities; of MPs fighting obesity as they gulp down too much coffee- it was a riot of fun, laughter, and a generous serving of how we see the world in ironic, humourous little pieces.

Like everyone else, I laughed, and laughed, and then laughed some more. All of us present found it all incredibly funny. But as the audience began trickling away, chattering about their favourite scene, the most comical actors; the wittiest line- I sat there, rooted to the chair, staring at the empty stage.

Maybe it was all the laughter getting to my head, maybe I was just plain tired after a long day, but at the end of all the humour, all the joy, I was sad. I thought to myself: The issues, the characters- they were all so real, so reflective of us. I wondered, how many of us are going to bring back more than a few laughs tonight? How many of us are going to lie at night, eyes open, thinking about the corruption, the scandals, the violation of human rights that the show highlighted? How many of us will have a conscience? And even if we do, how many of us are going to do something about it, not just say it is the way of things?

How many of us are going to care?

As I sat there, staring into blank space, a friend of mine came over. She gave me a quizzical look, and asked: What's wrong? Didn't you find it funny? Don't you agree with what they said?

And I said: "Yeah, I do. And that's the saddest part of it all."

The saddest part of it all.

The Malaysia Grand Sale

I tell you, shopaholics and bargain hunters must LOVE the Malaysian government. After all, Malaysia is probably one of the few governments to give discounts on almost everything, from traffic summonses, to building materials, and now, a 15% income tax incentive to encourage professionals working abroad to return  and serve "Tanah Tumpahnya Darahku".

Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced that returning Malaysian professionals would be eligible for a flat rate of 15% income tax for five years. Now there are many problems with this idea.

Firstly, by implementing this 15% income tax flat rate, the government will be alienating those who had returned before this. Those who returned earlier will not be eligible for this benefit, and will definitely feel discriminated against. On top of that, the real patriots who are eager to serve the country, those who have returned to Malaysia right after their studies/ training, those who are in fact most deserving of a reward, will be ignored. All this creates a sense of injustice, and a flaw in logic is apparent- those who are not rewarded are perhaps more deserving? It is the traffic summons case all over again, where dutiful citizens are sidelined while irresponsible offenders are rewarded for paying up late. Where is the logic, the justice in this?

At the same time, the income tax flat rate is not an effective incentive, because of 3Ps- Prospects, Politics and Patriotism.

The first P is Prospects. When people settle in a country, they do not look at one, two, or for that matter, five years. They look at their long term prospects, their chances at enhancing their skills, getting promoted, gaining recognition etc. The 15% income tax incentive is a stopgap measure, an artificial and superficial plug that does not stop brain drain at its roots ( or holes since its a leak?). There have been many cases where patriotic citizens return to serve their country, only to find that despite their qualifications and skills, they are sidelined for those less capable. An acquaintance of mine has been a doctor for over 20 years, and has applied to become a specialist for more than ten years. And yet, his requests are constantly ignored, and when he pressed for an explanation, the senior official simply replied that he stood out too much and its not good to be too hardworking, makes the rest of the service look bad. His is not an isolated case. With little hope of career advancement, with much advanced R&D facilities abroad, and local opportunities to sharpen one's skills being denied, one can only wonder why some choose to continue working abroad.

The second P is Politics. In a country where racism and corruption is so ingrained into national policies, many capable men and women are disgusted at the injustices the country suffers from. From the incessant leaks at Parliament, to the insensitive and barbaric remarks made inside and outside the House; from the infringement and violation of Orang Asli rights, to the dirty, filthy money politics that continues- many professionals are frustrated and saddened, to the point that they have all but given up on Malaysia. 'Leave Malaysia!' they say ' before we all become maids in Indonesia!' Personally, I am of the opinion that their frustration should be channeled into helping Malaysia become a better place, but for the purpose of this essay I shall refrain from divulging into that. In any case, their disappointment in what Malaysia has become is another strong deterrent from their return.

The third P is Patriotism. Not Patriotism per se, but rather a sense of gratitude. Many of our young brilliant minds feel that they do not owe gratitude to Malaysia, and I cannot find it in myself to blame them. Consider the case of one of my friends. At the age of 15, he was the top scholar in my school. An outstanding fellow, he excelled in sports, academics, and leadership roles- he was the love of every teacher and the envy of every other guy who wanted to become half as good as him ( yours sincerely included). He then proceeded to apply to several scholarships, but of course he was rejected by all but one .... none other than our good neighbours Singapore. He is now an ASEAN scholar, and in the O Levels, he was one of the top students in the entire nation of Singapore. Singapore has given him and many of his outstanding Malaysian peers, education, recognition and opportunities, and is continuing to do so. The other day, I met a young woman from who just got her degree in Yale, and is now pursuing her Masters under the financial aid of ... none other than... Singapore! She has also been offered a PR. Who do you think is responsible for the production of such talents? ( and no, I don't mean reproduction.) Who do you think these young minds feel indebted to? Malaysia, or Singapore? And by no means, does being called traitors and unpatriotic make them feel any more affection for the country that failed to appreciate their ability.

And so, the tax incentive is not only an ineffective measure, it also self-defeating in its purpose to instill a sense of belonging and patriotism in those working abroad. It also fails to address the key issues that are at the roots of the Malaysian brain drain. Attractive it may seem, it is definitely a rose with many thorns . In fact, it's one of those roses which looks like a rose, smells like a rose, but in actual fact, is NOT a rose. ( Ah, so it's a Lingam rose? Korek korek korek!)

The Finger- Star Public Speaking

arThe following is the transcript of the speech that won me runner-up in the recent Star Public Speaking Competition. If I manage to obtain the video I will post it up. The content is somewhat similar to my previous Racism Within post. I hope you enjoy!

*points finger at audience

You. You. And you. All of you.

Ladies and gentlemen, Malaysia is now filled with words. Words ( and numbers) like 1Malaysia, Unity, Diversity, Harmony. But words are not enough. Words are not enough when we do not give meaning to them, when there are incidents like Interlok, the cowhead protest, the Balik Cina comments by a school principal.

These words are not enough, because deep inside, we are ALL guilty of racism. Because as we seek to blame one another as racist, because as we are pointing one finger towards the accused, we have the other fingers pointing at ourselves.

Now before I am labeled as *ahem* unpatriotic, reflect upon the validity of my statement. Imagine you are driving in the car, when suddenly a driver, not of your race, overtakes you without signaling at breakneck speed. Do you then give him *the finger* because *words are not enough* to express your anger? Or do you think Crazy Chinese, Malay Moron, Indian Idiot? There is bound to be some form of racism, where we judge a person first and foremost by the colour of their skin.

And that is the sin we are all guilty of. Just as a ping pong ball must be returned to the hitter for the game to continue, the game of racism can only continue if both sides return volleys and hits. Some may argue that we have no choice because racism is used against us. But the truth is, being racist to those who are racist, is NOT going to make them less racist. In fact, it will only give them more reason to be racist. Racism can only lead to more racism. As Mahatma Gandhi once said: An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

And so, racism is a monster that resides in us all. Specifically, it is a three eyed monster.

The first and earliest I, I for Interior- is our family, our homes, our innermost sanctum. From a very young age, our parents tell us what Malaysia is. They tell us that the Chinese are greedy, cheating liars, that the Malays are lazy and undisciplined, that the Indians are drunk, drugged and dirty, and that Chindians are apparently really good looking. And being young and malleable, we take it all in. And as we grow up, we pass down this culture of racism, a vicious cycle going on and on and on.

The second eye is, our Ignorance. Now as a child, I was afraid of the dark. I feared the darkness because I could not see what monsters were lurking in the shadows. I feared, and thus hated, because I did not understand. And that is what is happening today. We are kept in the dark about each other. As society moves to segregate, label and divide us according to race, we are talking to each other less, eating together less, understanding each other less. In fact, probably the most interracial contact a child has is with a maid! And because of this, we cannot comprehend each other, and thus, we fear and hate each other.

The third and final eye is our Inaction. Years ago, I embarked on my first bus journey home. It was a Chinese school, and all the students were Chinese, with the exception of one boy. This Indian boy was the subject of constant ridicule, constant bullying, constant mockery. I was shocked and shamed, but I did nothing. And by doing nothing, I had condoned and allowed such a blatant act of racism to continue, I had become an accomplice. By my inaction, I had contributed to the chaos that ensued.

I often think back to that moment, and wish I had done something. But my words are not enough. Our words are not enough to heal the racism inside, to take away our ignorance, our inaction. We must act: reflect upon ourselves and ask: Am I guilty of racist thoughts? We must stop this culture of race generalization and of separatism: for only laundry should be separated by color. And most importantly, we must attack the three eyes of racism- so that we may be colour blind.

Ladies and gentlemen, racism may or may not be institutionalized in Malaysia, but racism is definitely internalized in all of us. Fight racism inside yourself, and then carry that fight our to the world.

Remember,

Be the change you want to see in the world.

Author's Note:

When I first saw the theme, "Words Are Not Enough", this was the immediate idea that popped up in my mind. So many election promises and campaigns have been made since Independence to curb racism, and yet the situation is all the more dire today. I knew I was taking a huge risk by choosing a sensitive topic- some even advised me to drop the subject- but we will never eradicate racism by ignoring it. In this case, the message I could potentially bring to the audience and the minds of people far outweighed the risks of being deemed as "seditious".

In the words of George Orwell:

" In times of universal deceit, the telling of the truth becomes a revolutionary act."