Race... That Mean Race Car Ah?

First of all, let me just say that this is not something you would expect at least during the merdeka month. Not because of patriotism or because you're trying to beat the 1Malaysia drum - it's just not smart. Up until now, there is no conclusion if it was really true and if the alleged person was truly uttering such noxious words.

Of course, I'm talking about the accused Hajah Siti Inshah Mansor (accused because there is no real verdict yet) and her alleged remarks about passengers of this country. If you would take it blindly and accept that whatever that was quoted is true, then I'm sure you are baffled and boggled by the atrocity and idiocy of such behaviour. Not just because the words were completely gut-curdling and blood-boiling but because such a person who is supposedly learned, educated, influential and sophisticated was the one who uttered them.

I seriously feel that instead of heading towards liberalisation and transparency in our country, we are heading towards barbarianism and complete ignorance. Issues like racism, favours based on race, any racial based policies should slowly disappear. Instead, we're taking the highway to more fascism and megalomania I've ever seen reported in the news.

Even worse, this bad news seem to surface in education. My bread and butter; my plateau of hope. There is not 1 excuse for such things to be happening in school because there should be no outlet for these things to be practiced whatsoever. Imagine the times during skin-heads and lynching - are we going to reinvent these barbaric periods of the early 20th century? I certainly hope not and I certainly will give my utter best to shove that stupid (yes, that's just the right word - stupid) mentality from the minds of our youths.

I remember when I was a school student. I was in SMK Seri Putera and it was probably 50% Chinese, 30% Malays, and the rest Indians and Punjabi students. There was nearly no recollection of serious racial tension whatsoever. Of course you'll get the occasional gangs where they consist of one race but that is not racially charged. It's just sorta like a brotherhood where language proficiency bonded them together (Chinese spoke Cantonese and therefore bonded well with others who did the same... etc) - not because they saw race and colour of the skin. I remember all the Malays, Indians, Sikhs, Chinese playing soccer during physical Education, cursing, teasing their fathers' names (very popular among Indians especially), playing pranks on each other, without ever wondering if we can or cannot mix because of our race.

In other words, racial issues were not the crux of our disciplinary problems. I think this didn't just extend to the students but the teachers and everyone who was in SMK Seri Putera as well. I lived in a blissful environment where everyone got along or didn't get along because of who you are as a person without thinking about race. Seriously, it is sometimes very hard for me to comprehend how this whole racial thing suddenly existed in my life because I never had to encounter such radical racist issues in my student-lifetime.

That's the kind of paradise that we should encircle our students with. To never let them notice or realise that there are such things as racial tension. We must try to emulate that life that I once enjoyed in my schooling years to my students now. Make them blind about these things and it'll all work out. Seriously. I want them to be blind about racism and do not know about these kind of things. So, when they see someone from a different race, they are ignorant about affiliating themselves with others based on the colour of their skin.

Yasmin Ahmad's ever endearing ads

I'm in no position to verify these accusations of Hajah Siti Inshah Mansor until there is finality in the reports and investigations but these are the links to what you should see for yourself and judge on your own.

The Star Online reporting that harsh action should be taken if allegations are true
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/8/17/nation/6869117&sec=nation

The alleged police report (source unverified)
http://joshuaongys.com/2010/08/racist-remarks-by-school-principal-from-johor-hajah-siti-inshah-mansor/

The Face of the Accused
http://margeemar.blogspot.com/2010/08/face-of-racist-principal-hajjah-siti.html