Deepavali clip on Chandran becoming ‘Mr Chan’ to rent a house goes viral

 

Mr Chandran surprises housing agent Amy, who expected to see a Mr Chan.

PETALING JAYA: Once again, Taylor’s University has creatively exposed a racist practice in Malaysia in its Deepavali clip, driving home a touching and strong message of the struggle faced by the Indian community due to stereotyping by Malaysians.

From 2020, the private university has been consistent in highlighting discriminatory practices faced by the community, a move which its group chief marketing officer, Ben Foo, says is to openly shed light on issues faced by Malaysians and regarded as taboo.

In the latest clip that has gone viral, Taylor’s highlighted the problems faced by an Indian family looking to rent a home in the Klang Valley.

They were either told that homeowners did not want to rent their property to Indians or came across advertisements in the social media that stated the condition blatantly.

In the clip titled “Not for Rent”, the father, known as Mr Chandran, became emotional and desperate after numerous rejections, with his children asking why they could not stay in a housing area which had a beautiful environment.

He then decided to call himself Mr Chan in short, which gave real estate agents the impression that he was Chinese. Following this, he succeeded in getting an appointment to view a property.

Amy and Chandran at his Deepavali open house.

However, the Chinese agent named Amy in the clip, was shocked to see an Indian “Mr Chan” and admitted that she thought it was a Chinese client. “You should have told me you are Chandran. This owner told me not to rent to Indians,” she said.

Chandran replied by asking a question in an emotional manner: “But why? What’s wrong with an Indian? Can I speak to the owner?

“Do you know why I had to call myself Mr Chan? Do you know how many agents that I had called and not even one gave me a chance to view a house? Just because I am Indian.

“I could have chosen somewhere else that welcomes me. But I don’t want my kid or maybe your kid to grow up in a world like this where we discriminate just because we don’t know each other.”

Hearing this, Amy changed her mind and helped Chandran get the house after talking to the owner. Clad in traditional Indian attire, Amy later attended Chandran’s Deepavali open house with her family .

A report had said 45% of Klang Valley rental listings explicitly reject Malaysian Indian tenants.

Foo said that over the years, Taylor’s had consistently emphasised the triumph of knowledge over ignorance in its Deepavali films, like “Curious Kumar” (2020), “The Thief” (2021), and “Purpose” (2022).

“These meaningful messages are not arbitrary but rather grounded in findings we have discovered through news reports.

“The film emphasises that discrimination frequently originates from misconceptions and can only be eradicated through the nurturing of profound mutual comprehension, with knowledge and education serving as the catalysts for enlightenment and advancement,” he told FMT.

Foo said Taylor’s commitment extends to all its festive films as it aims to shed light on unique community challenges, fostering empathy and unity among all Malaysians. - FMT