We Indians are a tolerant lot, OK?

 

It’s OK. We are brought up that way. 

S. Narayanan, Uppercaise

This was a comment posted yesterday in response to the piece on bigotry in Malaysia. It’s a humorous take, with a sting, on the lot of the Indian community.

By S. Narayanan

I am an 4th generation Malaysian Indian, born and bred in this country. My great-grandfather came to Malaysia as a businessman in 1898. We have been in the rubber, tin, oil palm and real estate business.

I consider myself a patriotic Malaysian who loves the country. I used to stand up for the National Anthem (even when it sounded on TV!) during my school days. I volunteered to join the army medical corps as an army doctor serving in the jungles of Sabah and Sarawak.

Malays who came from Indonesia and Thailand, relatively recently, have become bumiputeras (sons of the soil) with special privileges. It’s OK.

Malays say they are a superior race with superior religion. It’s OK.

The Malays say “leave the country if you don’t like the government”. It’s OK. I am not leaving.

The Malays say their ancestors defeated the Chola and Paandya Empires and chased them out of the Malay peninsula. It’s OK. I wasn’t born then.

A Malay will serve beef when I go for a gathering (taboo to us Hindus), but I cannot serve pork in the presence of a Malay – it will become a national issue. It’s OK. I respect their religion.

The Chinese have higher rates for goods and lower qualities of products for us Indians compared to their fellow Chinese. It’s OK. There are not many Indian businesses anyway.

My so-called Chinese friends refuse to sell properties to me even if I am willing to pay a higher value because I am Indian. It’s OK. I cannot force them anyway.

When my family enters a swimming pool, most of the Chinese (esp. the less educated) will scramble out of the pool – and I am not bad looking. It’s OK. We can have the pool to ourselves.

When my friends have a problem with school work, the Chinese ‘friends’ will claim they are clueless, but will gladly explain in detail to another Chinese. It’s OK. They have been brought up that way.

When a Malay of Indian makes a mistake the Chinese will ‘jump’ on them, but when a fellow Chinese makes a mistake, it’s Ok. It’s OK.

When an Indian comes up in life the first person to try to bring him down will be an Indian!. It’s OK. We are brought up that way.

We Indians are indeed a very tolerant lot! It’s not OK.