Questions You’ve Never Asked Because You Don’t Want To Sound Racist
"Laundry is the only thing that should be separated by colour."
By Tang Ruxyn — 20 May 2016, 04:44 PM
Have you ever thought of asking your Malaysian friend of another race something out of curiosity, but you didn't because you were afraid of being called a racist?
Malaysians had the chance of asking thought-provoking, burning questions that were buried deep in their hearts, without getting judged, all in the name of discussion.
This discussion was originally posted on Reddit by Reddit user, abeemination.
1.
Fornication and the consumption of alcohol and pork are strictly forbidden in Islam, as stated in the central religious text of Islam, the Quran.
O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone alters [to other than Allah], and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you may be successful. Quran 5:90
He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah . But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], there is no sin upon him. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. Quran 2:173
And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is an immoral and evil way. Quran 17:32
2.
"Kiasu" is a Malaysian slang that usually carries a negative connotation where the word is used to describe selfish behaviour stemmed from the fear of losing out.
It comes from the Hokkien term that can be translated into English as "afraid to lose out".
3.
Historically, "keling" is a word used to describe the people of South India or their descendants in the Peninsula.
However, the term is considered as derogatory and discriminative as people have used it as a form of insult, or suggested a tone of general disrespect.
"The word itself is not insulting, but what you mean by saying it is what is insulting. Depends on how you use it and whether it's between friends or not," willeatformoney, a Reddit user said.
4.
Jon Emont from the TabletMag recently wrote about how Malaysia became one of the most anti-semitic countries on earth.
He said, "Blaming Jews for all manner of machinations, crimes, and failures is a normal part of Malaysian politics, even though very few of the country’s citizens have ever laid eyes on a Jew."
6.
Under the precepts of Chinese medicine, balance is key, and hot or warm water is considered essential to balance cold and humidity; in addition, it is believed to promote blood circulation and toxin release.
latimes.com"(Our) parents psycho-ed us to drink. (They) say if (we) never drink water, our brain cannot work. (If) the brain cannot work, then cannot get A. Words of my father right there," NEIL_VON_POKEY, a user on Reddit said.
7.
Last year, The Star's R.AGE reported that about 50% of the first 100 ads by landlords for Selangor properties on a local room rental website included their racial preference.
The number increased to over 70% on classifieds websites.
8.
Section 10 of the Islamic Family Law (Federal Territories) Act 1984 states that:
(1) No man shall marry a non-Muslim except a Kitabiyah.
(2) No woman shall marry a non-Muslim.
In Malaysia, there are no means for a Muslim to marry a non-Muslim under the civil law, which means that a non-Muslim would need to convert in order to marry a Muslim partner.
9.
Throughout history, hair (kesh) has been regarded as a symbol of both of holiness and strength. Keeping hair uncut indicates that one is willing to accept God's gift as God intended it.
Hair is one of the five articles of faith for Sikhs, ordered by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.
Fellow Reddit user, jasdevism, who is a Malaysian Sikh, offered an answer to this question: "Yes, (I) take off (the) turban when (I) get home. When I was 12, I was 174cm tall and my hair reached my butt and narrowed down like a 'V' to my knees. I would say that most Punjabis have a lot of hair and long hair, so anywhere from chest to waist would be the norm. Nowadays, either most are 'cropped' (no turban) or trimmed hair for a more manageable size and turban."
10.
Chinese independent schools in Malaysia follow the Unified Certificate Examination (UCE) curriculum for their syllabus.
The main difference between Chinese independent schools and national schools in Malaysia is the medium of instruction, where Chinese independent schools use primarily Chinese (Mandarin) to teach almost all subjects (excluding language subjects) whereas national schools use Bahasa Melayu (BM).
11.
Article 153 of the Malaysian Constitution states that, "It shall be the responsibility of the Yang di Pertuan Agong to safeguard the special position of the Malays and the legitimate interests of other communities in accordance with the provisions of this Article".
It is said to be one of the most controversial legislation in the Malaysian Constitution, as critics have been debating the effects of it in creating racialist differentiation between the multiracial Malaysians of different ethnic background, and that it was "misused and abused" to gain special privileges (not rights).
12.
Just recently, certain west Malaysians started calling Sarawakians "stupid s#hai" and "brainless voters" after Barisan Nasional (BN) won the 11th Sarawak state elections.
In 2014, Malaysian political scientist Wong Chin Huat said that the sense of betrayal among most Sarawakians and Sabahans because they have the richest natural resources and yet, today, they are among Malaysia’s poorest.