Racism spreads: Praising China is treason but "Balik Cina" is OK

Fears are growing amongst Sarawakians, especially within the Chinese community, that the racial harmony in the state may soon become a thing of the past as a desperate Sarawak BN took a leaf from UMNO, and began sowing the seeds of racial hatred to cling to power.

A worried Padungan assemblyman Wong King Wei made a call to the Speaker of the state legislative assembly to investigate Tarat colleague, Roland Sagah Wee Inn for his recent statement of ‘balik cina’ or go back to China.

Calling a press conference, Wong urged the Speaker to take appropriate action to prevent such utterances in the future as the comments were now being spread like a contagious disease throughout multiracial Sarawak.

Wong said the use of the derogatory words had even infected a Dayak school teacher, who told a group of five boys to go back to China as their Malay-language was not up to mark.

Treason and in the footsteps of UMNO

It was at the last state assembly sitting in June that Roland had first said the offensive words in response to a comparison drawn by Wong, who had praised China's infrastructure versus Sarawak's. Roland had rudely told Wong to go back to China.

Based on the Hansard dated June 29, 2011, in his winding-up speech, Roland had stated, ”The DAP has branded the statement of ‘go back as China’ as racist. Why brand this statement as racist? I do not think it is. By praising other country is unreasonable and undermining our own country and praising China is treason."

Baffled by Roland’s definition of 'racist', Wong said the Speaker should set a good example and it was now up to the Taib administration to prove where it stood on such issues. Would it go the way of UMNO and perpetrate further racial hatred or would it nip in the bud such problems by censuring men like Roland in no uncertain terms?

And at the school, would the teacher be punished or would the Taib administration mimic Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and 'pretend' that nothing had happened?

“Datin Fatimah Abdullah, Minister in the Chief Minister department has called for the headmaster to investigate the case of SMK Tun Abdul Razak after the news broke up in the media. I doubt any investigation would be carried out or any punishment meted out. After all, an ADUN had uttered it in the DUN and got away with it,” Wong said.

Stop racism before it gets entrenched

Lamenting that this sort of behaviour would only hurt Sarawakian society, where there are many inter-racial marriages and the people in the state have so far lived in harmony, Wong urged for a stop to such racial politicking. He demanded that action be taken against whoever made racist remarks.

Last week, five students who had been suspended went back to school to clarify the reason for their suspensions and were told to ‘balik China’' by a Form Six English teacher who happened to walk past. The teacher uttered, "Stupid boys, you cannot speak BM, balik China." The boys had been discussing their problems with another teacher.

MP for Bandar Kuching Chong Chieng Jen has since written to the Education minister and relevant authorities asking for action to be taken agains the teacher.

Ironically, the teacher has a Chinese mother, while Roland’s father is also from China and his mother is Dayak. Coincidentally, the school where the incident occurred so happens to be in Roland’s Tarat constitutency. Since the incident, a parent had gone to the school to complain and the teacher apologise to him.

Chong said that was not enough. The teacher should voluntarily apologize to all the affected parents and to the Chinese community for his discourtesy. He should also assure Sarawakians that his behaviour will not be repeated.

"We are all Malaysian. Why treat another as different just because the color of the skin is different," said Chong. - Malaysia Chronicle