Chelzea

Taken from a local Singaporean Malay Ridzwan's blog

Let's face it. Hatred towards the Malays is still very much alive on the Internet. Despite all the uproar over the convicted racist bloggers last year, many are still finding sadistic solace in overseas websites and spurious blog sheets. The question is, how do we even begin to dismantle what is historically one of the toughest barriers towards total Racial Harmony in Singapore?

There has bee much effort towards the propagation of Racial Harmony in this island. For the past few Ramadhans, non-Muslim members of the community have taken time to break bread with their Muslim friends. Several mosques in Singapore have even allowed access to restricted sections of the prayer hall to visitors, all in the name of fostering greater understanding and accord amongst the diverse communities here. We certainly have made commendable strides and the efforts should continue.

But the lamentable truth is, there's still a handful of Singaporeans out there whom we have failed to reach. Take a quick stroll through many of Singapore's popular online forums and you will be bound to find a thread on Malay-bashing.

I hate to say this, but the convicted bloggers who made racist remarks against Malays and Muslims are just the proverbial tip of the hate iceberg. If we continue to expose our youngsters a to a constant diet of hate literature and deplorable half-truths, what kind of leaders will we have in the future?

I have been observing these racist individuals for several years now and I come to the conclusion that this chasm of intolerance exists because of several myths that people have been carrying regarding the Malays in Singapore.

Clarifications of these myths will not magically make everyone see eye to eye on a same racial plane, but it is my hope that they might just be the first step needed in dispelling the hatred in certain individuals.

Myth: Malays Receive Free Education

One of the sore points many Singaporeans on the Internet have regarding our Malays is the notion that we are receiving “free education” from the state even through polytechnic and university.

Free education for indigenous people is a legacy brought about by the British to protect the original inhabitants of a country. It is still widely practised in other Commonwealth nations such as Australia and New Zealand where the aborigines are fully subsidised in tertiary institutions.

However the legacy for tertiary fees has been dismounted by the Government since 1991. While students coming from households earning less than $1500 a month will be put through a subsidy programme via Mendaki ( a Malay version of the Chinese CDAC and Indian SINDA), the majority of Malay students in polytechnics and universities today are there on tuition fees fully paid for by their parents. Be rest assured that your Malay countrymen are working and saving just as hard as you are to support their children's tertiary educations.

Myth: Malays Will Betray the Country for the Neighbours in War

I am not sure how this misconception came about but having served my NS stint in the Army with good buddies of all races, it is a myth that puzzles me as much as it bereaves me.

Some time in April this year, a member of the ewadah forum posted an informal poll meant to be answered by Muslim Singaporeans who served in the Army. The question was “If Singapore goes to war with Malaysia, will you shoot a fellow Malay-Muslim from the enemy side?”

Several people responded to the poll. ALL responded in the affirmative. To me, the results are hardly surprising. In Islam, fighting for one's country is one of the most exalted forms of Jihad.

History has also shown that Malays are loyal to their country and its people first. Race will only come in second. When Tunku Abdul Rahman invited Malays from Singapore over to Malaysia to enjoy the vast Bumiputra privileges during the separation, our Malays in Singapore largely remained loyal to the nation and refused to budge.

Loyalty of the Malay race to this country and its people should never come into question, ever.

Myth: Malays are a Druggie Race

Another popular misconception is that Malays are a druggie race and largely are a liability to the society.

Granted, this would have been accurate in the 80s. I make no apologies for the ignorance of these people during that era. They were an eyesore and a source of huge embarrassment for the Malay society.

But the community has made great improvements with the help of the country's leaders and evangelical activists within its own ranks. According to statistics from the CNB, Malays are no longer the No. 1 problem race when it comes to narcotics. It has been that way for the past few years.

have few malay frens,so i reserve my comments:biggrin4: