We walk among racists

We breed racists in this country. Seriously, we do. How can we not when we have mainstream newspaper like Utusan Malaysia? When we have so-called NGOs like Perkasa? And so on, and so forth.

The most damaging of them all must be where they walk along the corridors of learning, our schools are undeniably crawling with them.

One fine example is illustrated by this gem of a remark:-

“Chinese students are not needed here and can return to China or Foon Yew schools. For the Indian students, the prayer string tied around their neck and wrist makes them look like dogs because only dogs are tied like that,” Siti Inshah was quoted as saying in at least one police report. (See Tony Pua's take at http://bit.ly/dhZ4Zk )

It either makes you cringe or your blood boil.

Kee Thuan Chye wrote about it here in his article "What will they do about racism now" at http://bit.ly/bxOFFW :-

"If she did what she is said to have done, she should instead be drawn and quartered, like in the good old days. Or have her head put in a cangue – you know, like in the Chinese movies, where the head and hands are locked up within a square wooden contraption.

Or she should be given the Japanese treatment – force-fed water while someone jumps on her bloated tummy, or hung from a tree by her thumbs, and displayed publicly for all to see that this is what happens to racists.

Of course, I’m being facetious, but this must surely be the fantasy of anyone who feels disgusted by any racist act. All the more so if it is committed by someone who is a principal of a school, who should be spreading the message of racial unity instead of – God forbid! – racial hatred."

Tongue-in-cheek I know, but conveying no less the emotion so many of us felt over this issue.

And finally, Mariam Mokhtar puts in her perspective of this shameful behaviour in "A noble profession is disgraced" at http://bit.ly/b0frMB :-

"Her remarks are unacceptable and a disgrace to her profession – the teaching profession.

She should have done the right thing and tendered her resignation. But only after making a public apology and after writing a letter of apology to each of the students in the school.

So what is a letter to each of the 2,200 students? She has done much harm to young, vulnerable and impressionable minds. At the same time, a noble profession has been besmirched, and a nation’s fragile truce between the races, is threatened.

If she will not go willingly, then she ought to be sacked. I have worked in companies where racism is not tolerated and the punishment is instant dismissal.

The head teacher’s insensitive, racist and daft comments uttered at the school assembly, is an insult to the Merdeka day celebrations.

Does this woman know the significance of Merdeka? Is she too young to have studied history at school or too young to know about the struggle to achieve Merdeka? Is she a perfect example of our much maligned BTN system?"

Where do we go from here? Can I accuse the Barisan Nasional government of propagating racism in schools?

From the looks of it, it is so easy to do an inception of this idea into young impressionable minds. Start 'em young, indoctrinate them and take it all the way into universities.

Then it won't take much to convince them that they are indeed under 'siege' when it comes to election time. Percentage wise, they got it all well covered because the minorities are soundly outnumbered.

It's sad. It's depressing. It makes me wonder what it is left in this country that is worth investing my love and affection for.