Malaysia - Part 1

My sincerest apologies to everyone who was expecting something of this sort in August… I have no excuses, I’ve just been lazy… Anyway, now that I’m finally done with most of my exams and other pressing responsibilities, I decided to just pen down a few things that were in my mind about my experience in Malaysia.

My first impressions about Malaysia were simple – Clean country, humid country. I did not want to prejudice my mind in any way and thought it was best to keep my “first impressions” short and sweet. But there was one tiny detail that I couldn’t stop thinking about. Before I had even flown nearly 2000 miles over the Indian ocean, I was handed a document stating my roles and responsibilities. One of them was particularly disturbing and I quote:

“Interns are required to NOT organise, plan or arrange any sharing session, seminar or talk with any member regarding 3 issues with or without intention:

A. Political issues
B. Religion and race issues
C. Sex and Sexual issues” unquote

Why ?!?!?!? Why should someone be debarred from the discussion of such issues that are delicately inter-woven in any country’s social and political fabric ? I wondered, ‘Is Malaysia just another conservative Islamic country as I had once believed when I was 12 or was I just reading too much into it’. I didn’t have to wait too long for that to be answered.


The first few days at UPM were rather uneventful. I couldn’t help but notice the huge Malay population at UPM, a fairly significant portion of Chinese students and only a handful of Indians. My late-night conversations with some of the AIESECers provided me with explanations to this seemingly insignificant observation.

In whispered voices, I was told how Malays are favoured by the government and how Chinese and Indians are treated only as second-rate citizens – How it’s easy for Malays to gain access to quality education at virtually no cost, how being Malay can earn you a scholarship or even a teacher’s favour and how being Malay assures you of a secure future even if you’re ‘not all that smart’.

I had heard some of these before at the IWE in South Africa, but back then it was just a piece of information that I thought wasn’t worth being investigated further, because after all, did that not happen in my country as well ? My country has, for the past 60 odd years had a policy of reservations to facilitate the development of backward minorities. But this has sparked many controversies in recent years. Just like the Malays, aren’t backward classes in India also being favoured by policy makers (read politicians) ? And just like the Malays, aren’t the backward classes in India also enjoying privileges that may have seemed necessary at one point of time, but are no longer relevant ?

But this time it was different. I was living in this country, I was having conversations with its people. This seemed more real. I could instantly make the connection between the affirmative action policies in Malaysia and those in India. I was tempted to empathize with the Chinese and Indians in Malaysia because I happened to be their Indian counterpart. But I decided that a certain amount of objectivity was necessary and I believed that some more information wouldn’t hurt.

All this was quickly forgotten when my actual internship began. This of course exposed me to other aspects of Malaysian society and culture. In June, we were busy with the MIRACLE Youth Conference. While it was enjoyable overall, I remember two incidents distinctly:

1. I was conducting a session for some of the delegates and happened to talk to two of them. They were dressed decently sporting a t-shirt, a pair of jeans and their hair tied up in a ponytail. They didn’t look Indian or Malay or Chinese. So I asked them if they had a mixed heritage. They said “ No, we’re Malays”. My immediate response was “Oh, you’re Malay, then why aren’t you wearing your headscarves ?” They just looked at each other and shrugged. A few seconds later, I couldn’t believe that I even asked a question like that.

2. On the last day of the conference, we had an incident at UPM. Apparently, a spirit had possessed one of the delegates and she was behaving weird and her friends were hysterical. I was in the meeting room when this took place. While someone came in to announce the news to us, I asked a friend of mine, “Who is it ?” The immediate response that I got was “ Oh, of course, it has to be a Malay girl”. A Malay girl !??! How can one be so sure ? Later I learned that such an incident was quite common especially in Malaysian hostels and it happened only to Malay girls who apparently happen to digress from the norms laid down by Islam. Later of course, some ‘religious people’ were summoned who were muttering some incantations and I could even hear the ‘possessed’ girl screaming. I chose not to witness it because I was still trying to digest the explanation that was given to me.

Now that I think of both these incidents, I can spot a disturbing similarity between them. In both these incidents, we chose our responses based on the stereotypes in our minds. In the first incident, I was quick to make an indirect generalization that ‘All Malay girls wear headscarves and dress conservatively’…. And in the second incident, my Malaysian friends were quick to accept the incident with a grossly simplified explanation based solely on the girl’s identity.

It would be only fitting here to quote a few concepts that I came across while reading Amartya Sen’s book – ‘Identity & Violence’. In this book he very eloquently argues that we have committed the unforgivable mistake of assigning people with singular identities – in this case, a Malay girl. We fail to explore and chose to ignore the plurality of identities that we may have and instead focus on one single identity of a person or community.
I made this huge mistake of singularly classifying Malay girls and now I understand why the 2 girls I spoke to had such an astonished look on their face.

This prompted me to wonder if the same singular classification is in fact the reason why there are so many flaws in the affirmative action policies adopted by both the Malaysian and Indian governments.

In India, backward classes are seen ONLY as backward classes. We tend to ignore the other identities that they might have such as – financially strong, well-educated, prosperous businessmen and so on. So how can their social identity alone be the sole determinant of the reservation policy that we have today in our country ?

Also in case of Malaysia, why are Malays only viewed as Malays/Mulsims ? Why can’t they have multifarious identities such as – progressive, not under-privileged/under-represented and so on.

Wouldn’t it therefore be prudent to base our social and developmental policies on these varied inter-related identities that people might possess ? Wouldn’t that be better accepted by those who are currently dissatisfied with such policies ?

Another experience that remains etched in my memory until now, is the time I spent at the Methodist Boys School. I can recollect this one particular day when I was asked (read demanded) by a teacher to explain in full detail what exactly I’d be talking about during my sessions with the students. WHY should I give you details when you’ve already been briefed before ???? Well, I couldn’t resist, I asked her why and she said she wanted to make sure that we didn’t teach the boys wrong things. Now who decides what’s right and wrong ??? And why this attempt to censor information ??? In my 21 years as an Indian citizen, I have never even once been asked to not say what was on my mind. Never. The lack of this unspoken freedom, which I usually enjoyed in my country, but not in Malaysia, was probably the biggest culture shock that I experienced.

Overall, I believe, it was one hell of a learning experience with lots of ups and downs. I learnt new things about Malaysia, about my own country, I was appalled by a few things and amazed by many more.

For instance, I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of respect that a Malaysian had for a fellow citizen, irrespective of his/her race or religion. A lot of the cabbies whom I spoke to were so excited to know that I was a foreigner because after that they couldn’t stop praising their country. It was nice to hear, and it was anything but ‘blind nationalism’ as some might claim it to be. Malaysia does have several things to be proud of.
Also, I was exposed to an environment of moderate Islam. Inspite of coming from a country which has one of the largest Muslim populations in the world (India), I still did not wholly understand Islam and must admit that I had heard more stories and opinions on fundamentalist Islam as opposed to other aspects of it. Malaysia changed that. I got better insights into Islam and its basic philosophy and I saw this beautifully blended into Malaysian culture…

Finally, I’d just like to say that if you’ve actually read this post up till here, you really have a LOT of patience and time. I also want to point out that I in no way wish to demean or degrade any person by what I have written. These are merely my thoughts about my entire experience. I do not claim to be an expert at politics or policy making, but I strongly believe in whatever I’ve said.

Losing Faith...

I have absolutely no faith in the judicial system anymore… The Jessica Lal case is alarming and very very disturbing. After 7 years of dragging this case on, the court finally acquits the 9 accused ....what kind of justice is that ??? The evidences have been manipulated and have been tampered with. Even the prosecution hasn’t done its job well. When asked in court why the prosecution was targeting Manu Sharma as the prime accused, the public prosecutor only said that “I was ordered to do so”. I’m disgusted by the way in which the glitterati has responded… There were hundreds of people present at that party and no one but Malini Ramani testified…I wonder how their families would feel if they were shot in the head and nobody did anything about it… People like Manu Sharma should not be let off scot-free just because they come from rich and influential families.
Sabrina Lal has all my support and I believe she should not lose hope despite all her personal losses during these 7 years. This is where I think public opinion can play a very strong role by forcing the courts to order a re-trial.
The problem is, the law does not permit the victim or the victim’s family to re-appeal. The state court has the right to appeal and I wonder why they are still tight-lipped on this issue. I believe the law must have provisions through which the victim or the victim’s family is given the right to appeal in a higher court of justice. I have already signed a petition to be sent to the President requesting him to make possible the re-trial of this case, which should come to a conclusion within a fixed time frame, so that Jessica’s family wouldn’t have to go through 7 more harrowing years of waiting for nothing. I hope this grief translates into hope – not just for Jessica’s family, but also for the several other families whom justice has eluded.
Since this is a high-profiled case, it is getting the much needed public attention and sympathy...I believe that the accused should be proven guilty and put behind bars or even sentenced to death...... and justice should trickle-down to even those cases which are not as high-profiled as this one. Glamourization of justice should stop.

Stop the Madness !!!

The situation on the cartoon issue is going way out of hand...... I think the Islamic community is reacting in a very unreasonable manner. I don’t know if the rumours are true....but I think a prize money of Rs.51 crore has been announced to whoever kills the cartoon artist.....Why can’t the government focus on more constructive matters ???? The progress in states like UP is so sluggish that sometimes I wonder where they get so much energy from when they’re burning effigies and staging unnecessary protests.

No one even complained when cartoons of Lord Buddha were released. Islam in no way advocates violence to prove a point. However, by protesting in such a violent manner, the Islamic community is only proving their lack of tolerance and narrow-mindedness. The cartoons should have been taken in a light vein. The western world is already prejudiced against the Islamic community since 9/11. Such extreme reactions now only reinforce this kind of prejudice, not just by the west but also by other communities worldwide. Please put a stop to all the madness and focus all that energy into more meaningful activities.

Perfection ???

Hmm….Perfection….now that’s something I’m obsessed with. Seriously, it’s one of the biggest flaws in me… I expect too much out of everything done by myself or anyone else….I’m even particular about the exact number of tomatoes and garlic cloves that my mom puts in my gravy !!!

However, I’ve come to realize one thing. Imperfection is beautiful….Imperfection is attractive….Imperfection is fascinating

We often say “Nature is so beautiful, it’s just perfect”….The truth is …. Nature has several imperfections…..Nature is perfect to us only because she has so many imperfections. A perfectly symmetrical leaf would probably seem unattractive when compared with one that’s not. Maybe it's because imperfection is abstract. Maybe because it gives us the freedom to decide what it means to us. Maybe because it gives us a chance to be more imaginative and less mundane.

Even when there is an archaeological find….the idols or figurines that are intact after excavation are no doubt interesting….but the ones that are imperfect and incomplete are far more intriguing….And why you may wonder ??? Because there’s an incomplete part of it that masks the stories behind it. It gives us the chance to go back in time and make up our own stories and cook up the possibilities…It gives us a chance to weave the untold tales that are hidden away by it’s imperfections.

Even if we look at the people we are surrounded by, it is their imperfections that make them more endearing. Just yesterday I was telling a friend of mine (name withheld on request…hehhehee)…that…there is no Mr. Perfect….It is the Mr. Slightly Imperfects who are much more lovable.

As I was typing this out on my pc…my mom just pointed out to me that Perfection is infact part of imperfection. This is how : “ Imperfect = I’mPerfect ” …Ok ok.. so I was dumb enough to not notice that early on. But there is so much truth in that statement…. Imperfections are what make things or people seem perfect for us. If everyone were perfect, we’d all be the same people. There would be no diversity and no scope for creativity. Even in my advertising lectures, we learn how to expand our creativity by exploiting the imperfections in society or the imperfections in human psychology.
It makes us believe that perfection or imperfection is nothing but holding up a mirror to our own thoughts or beliefs. For me, Imperfections are just Perfect !!!

Huff Puff Cough...

Had my Bull fights today....I teamed up with Shruti and we were up against Unnati and Anish. Now... Bull fights happen to be one of the best literary events in our college. It's one of the most intense debating competitions.....

Our topic was "Smoking in films should be justified" and we were against the topic.... After what turned out to be one of the most balanced debates....I was satisfied with our performance even though...well...we lost by 2 points...( Booooo Hoooooooo !!!!!)

Now here's my real opinion on the subject :

I do believe everything I said about the youth being influenced by their favourite filmstars.... However I also feel that the Government's move to ban smoking in films is a bit extreme. It does hamper creativity.......One may not realise it, but the amount of dramatic appeal that is created by an actor smoking a cigarette is much better than any other prop or add on.

What I'm sad about is that, no popular movie has ever directly shown the harmful health effects of smoking....All they show is a person coughing a little after he has taken a puff....What's that supposed to mean ??? In a way it suggests that by smoking you wont get lung cancer or emphysema or anything....You'll just cough for a while and then you'd look cool for the rest of your life.

Also, I came across these really good examples of how the film makers aren't being responsible enough.....

In the movie "Village of the Damned"....Kirstie Alley who plays a doctor is puffing throughout the movie....And in the movie " Backdraft"....the fireman is shown smoking in all parts of the movie.......Doctors and firemen smoking !??!?!?! What were the filmmakers thinking ?!?!?!?! These are people who should in fact be totally against smoking....What kind of example are they setting in front of their viewers... Young children and teenagers who lack the objectivity to make the right choices may easily be influenced by such images....

Well, I'm glad Shahrukh Khan supports the ban, but gosh, in real life, he's a chimney !!!!! When I was at the MMRDA grounds during the Filmfare Awards this year, I was right in front of his vanity van and I never saw him without his cigarette...I wonder how Gauri tolerates him.

I'm irritated with these tobacco companies who come up with different guerilla ideas to promote their products. Every year these tobacco companies lose 800,000 of their loyal customers in India because all these 800,000 customer die of smoking....And that's exactly why these tobacco companies manipulate their way into movies and advertise their cigarettes just to compensate for the loss of those customers who died...
Also, it doesn't make sense to put the label " Smoking is Injurious to Health" on a cigarette packet.....They should instead put the label " Smoking Kills" because smoking really does kill.....It's a form of slow death, so one never really understands the long term consequences of being a chain smoker...... What frustates me the most is that even educated people who KNOW that cigarettes can kill, still smoke away to glory !!!!

The goverment has double standards ...... On one hand it bans smoking in films and on the other hand, they refuse to ban production of tobacco because of the revenues that they bring...... Why can't those 35,000 crores of rupees instead be used to produce herbs and medicinal plants which have a huge demand in the international market????...If this is done, the government won't even have to spend huge amounts on reducing the number of smokers... I dont think the government is justified in widening their cash coffers while thousands of people suffer.

Also, It's my most humble request to filmmakers to start taking some responsibility....Please stop glamorization and normalization of smoking in films...

We really have to decide what's more imporant... Creative freedom or a healthy community ?!?!?!? And the government needs to ask itself what's more important ??? Huge revenues or a healthy and qualitative population ???

As Shruti earlier mentioned....If the right choices aren't made, the big bad wolf (tobacco) will huff and puff and burn our world down.

The Afghan Elections

After being postponed twice before, 12.5 million Afghanis will now finally select their new leader. I’m particularly delighted by the fact that nearly 12% of the candidates contesting the elections are women. Of course they would have to survive the constant threats of religious extremists, but nevertheless, it’s a small step in the right direction. If one woman candidate can brave facing the camera to give an interview, 100 other women can walk the streets of Afghanistan without any worry. After 3 decades of gory violence and conservative social laws, Afghanistan finally ‘Jaag raha hai’.

No one says that the new government will transform the whole country with a swish of a wand, but yes, minor step-by-step reforms can ensure a promising future for the people of Afghanistan and perhaps even the dusk of global terrorism.

Of course, corruption, poverty, conservatism and terrorism are issues that the new government would have to address…however I think, that one of their major challenges would not only be to impart the right education, but also to retain those who have been educated. With the west presenting more opportunities for growth, the new Afghanistan is bound to suffer from the so-called ‘brain drain’. It is necessary for Afghanistan to have educated citizens who have a vision for their country…or else, no amount of policies could ever change the situation.

I’m not sure how the new government is going to deal with the thousands of Afghan refugees in Pakistan either. Whatever little is left of the Taliban can probably be eliminated, but their religious ideologies need to be eliminated from the minds of millions of Afghanis, who may be tempted to re-implement them even at the slightest instigation. Mr.Bush, your missiles and violent policies won’t work here anymore. FUNDS, HONESTY and IMPLEMENTATION are the key words here. The UNO especially has to work with the government.

Economic, religious and social issues are definitely a concern. However one more area, which Afghanistan needs to work on, in order to have more qualitative citizens, is ‘health services’. God, this country has one of the highest child mortality rates and death rates in general !!!!! Family planning is almost non-existent, but in a way the poor health services make up for the high birth rates.

The new government does indeed face the Herculean task of building an ideal, prosperous and peaceful country. If this works out the way we all hope it would, then maybe 10-20 years down the line, we wouldn’t have to worry about plane hijackings or bomb blasts or any other terrorist activity. Lets just hope for now, that inspite of the murder of 7 candidates, the polls go on as peacefully as possible and hopefully people wont crack up at the last minute due to the threats by the Taliban and the warlords. Who knows ?? Probably in a couple of years, we'll be buying quality products off the rack which would say " Made in Afghanistan".

HAPPY Teachers Day ???

Well, 5th September came and went and I had another gloomy Teachers' Day for the 4th consecutive year. Well no, I'm no teacher, but I just miss the way I used to celebrate Teachers Day before I started college. 4 years ago, when I was in school, Teachers' Day meant staying up awake late in the night and making hand-made cards for all the teachers. Then buying roses the very next morning and enjoying this deep sense of satisfaction each time I saw a teacher admire my cards. When I was in school, I had teachers whom I really cared about, whom I was really attached to. I tried creating the same kind of bond during my first year of college, but it miserably failed...So I stopped trying any further to save myself a lot of embarrassment. Maybe the culprit here is the changing scenario in the teaching profession and not just in India.

Acharya Devo Bhava - The teacher is equivalent to God. This is what our Indian scriptures say....but ask any person today and no one wants to be a teacher anymore. A lot of teachers love their job, but they do not love their profession. Isn't it pathetic ? India is the only country that celebrates Teachers' Day and yet we ourselves don't know its true meaning.

Till my mother’s generation, people, especially women dreamt of being teachers. But can my generation dream of such a thing? I wanted to be a teacher as well, but it changed when i saw the plight of people in this profession. With the best brains getting into other professions, only the mediocre take up teaching and in many cases they are unable to clear doubts on complicated concepts. This is why we have coaching classes. But that's another issue and I'll talk on that later.

Inspite of low remunerations and low levels of motivation, we still have teachers who are like a breath of fresh air...People who are true to their profession....Hats off to all of those teachers who continue to teach us with utmost sincerity, dedication and care.

I now understand why this profession is called the noblest of all, because probably for them money and status mean nothing.