This may offend people. Back then, slightly over 30 years ago, when my cousins and I would spend most of our days at our Grandmas sprawling 3-storey bungalow in Sec 16, we had two businesses on wheels coming around often to the house and the neighbourhood. One was the fishmonger and his wife, doing their rounds in a white lorry, selling raw fish and other seafood. The other was an elderly man on his bike, selling bread, buns and junk food. Our oblivious, naïve little selves, upon hearing them coming around with their incessant, blaring honks, called them by these names: Cina ikan! Cina ikan! Keling roti! Keling roti! Yes. Thats what we called them. We would run out and press our faces against the front gate, with our skinny arms waving frantically to get their attention, shouting those exact names out. And you know what. They acknowledged. With returning smiles that would light up anyones day. And hello hello! waves that made us feel special knowing they stopped their vehicles because of us. We didnt offend. They werent offended. Three decades have passed. Population has grown. Schools have increased in numbers. Information technology has brought us forward. We have progressed in many aspects. But sadly, weve gone backwards in thinking when it comes to multi-racial, multi-ethnic compromity. Many little things offend us in the highest degree, especially when it comes to race-related propaganda, fuelled by non other than the so-called leaders, both government and opposition alike. They talk hoping to stay in power, or to be in power. We talk to stay united, to live together, in harmony. If we could do it 30 years ago, surely we still have it in our blood today.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 06:00:15 +0000
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