Racism is not phenomenological, but deep rooted

 

ADUN SPEAKS | To date, corporate figure and consultant Chandran Nair has failed to address my earlier criticisms of his argument that racism must be confronted at the everyday level.

Being silent is not an option for Malaysians anymore.

I pointed out that racism is a problem in the country especially its institutional variant.

While Malaysians of all races get along quite well without the open display of animosity, it is the institutionalisation of special rights that manifested in the adoption of racist policies and measures.

Confronting racism is important, but there is a need to tackle the roots of the problem as embedded in complex formations.

The problem with Chandran’s descriptive piece is that it is phenomenological.

In other words, he treats the matter of racism as something independent and far-reaching.

In his second interview, he takes a dig at the corporate world for not confronting the problem of racism.

He says that the corporate world suffers from the twin malaise of corruption and racism, in many ways related.

Both are rooted in the way politics are organised in the country and thinks that the education system needs to be revamped to stop the rot.

The second article is no different from the first one.

The first focused on the issue of racism in society and how it has to be confronted at an everyday level.

The second shifts focus to talk about racism in the corporate world.

Here the leaders seem indifferent to its maliciousness and viciousness.

Chandran thinks that the focus on revamping the education system might mitigate the worst forms of racism or corruption.

Corporate figure and consultant Chandran Nair

Lack of causal analysis

I would like to make a few points on Chandran’s preoccupation with racism whether in the larger society or in the corporate world.

In a fundamental sense, there is a need to differentiate between phenomenology and causality.

This is the basic drawback of Chandran’s otherwise interesting interviews on the problem of racism in Malaysian, especially the institutional one.

However eloquent and popular, Chandran’s take on racism seems to suffer from the lack of causal analysis.

I am not saying that racism needs to be reduced to causal factors, but certainly cannot be treated as an independent variable of having a life of its own.

Although I am prepared to allow some degree of relative autonomy for superstructural aspects such as racism, in the ultimate sense it is rooted in the organisation of the society.

An interactive analysis is more important than the present descriptive one by the author.

Yes, the manifestation of racism especially the institutionalised variant is causing havoc on society, but it is not just that can stand by itself independently.

Racial manifestations are rooted in the history of the political, economic and social system.

Racism cannot be just eradicated by confronting its everyday expressions, however, vicious they are.

There is hardly an attempt on the part of Chandran to think of casualty.

A causal approach might throw more light on the nature of racism and the causes that contribute to its manifestations.

Such an approach would be a logical step to take in terms of looking forward to long-term solutions.

Some degree of humility is needed

There is very little understanding as to how the various societal forces have combined to produce a particular kind of society.

Racism cannot be reduced or eliminated by confronting it at the workplace or the corporate world becomes aware of this dangerous phenomenon.

To be conscious of the deleterious effects of racism is important, but far from taking the systematic steps to overcome it.

Chandran is not the first person to expose the worst effects of racism. There have been others throughout the history of the country.

Some degree of humility is needed to render a more sober argument.

It is not that Malaysians, in general, are not aware of it, but many remain silent.

Chandran’s article might get favourable comments simply because he saying what others are not.

Popularity is no indication of adopting long-term solutions to problems affecting Malaysians, including racism, corruption and others.

The multitude of problems facing Malaysians must be eradicated by undertaking serious analysis of society.

In other words, what are the causal factors responsible for the present malaise?

It is only by identifying the causative factors that Malaysians can be mobilised for a far-reaching political, economic, and social change.

In the absence of such a change, Chandran’s argument seems to belong to the realm of deception.

In other words, by not confronting the actual truth, Chandran unwittingly gives the wrong impressions of the problem and easy solutions.

He must go for rigorous analysis. - Mkini

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P RAMASAMY is Perai assemblyperson and Penang deputy chief minister II.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.