Interesting! I have always joked with my close Chinese friends that I think Chinese are one of the most racist people around. Some agree with me, but than they are my close friends, where jokes are taken light-heartedly.
Yesterday, I arrived KLIA from KK and my wife from Phnom Penh, after visiting our daughter and grandchildren there.My wife's plane arrived 20 minutes earlier but she said she would wait for me so we can take the same taxi to our hotel.
I bought a ticket for a limousine at the airport. More often than not, most limousines that I can remember taking before have had Malay drivers, but for today, we have a Chinese driver.
On our way to the city I noticed the driver constantly talking in Chinese to his friend over the VHF radio. Half way to the city it started to rain heavily and my wife started talking to the taxi driver in Cantonese. There was a moment of silence and a slow response from the driver and I can't help noticing that blood have rust to his head, he was red-faced and shocked.
I asked my wife what she said that have made him blushed so badly, not that his colour is much brighter than pale. She said she asked him whether it is always raining in KL and told him to drive carefully as the road might be slippery. I asked why he looked shock and almost speechless?
My wife said "I will tell you when we get to the hotel."
Here go the story.
While this guy was talking to his friend on the VHF radio his friend asked him whether he is taking passengers to Genting and he said no, that he is going to the city and that his fare are two lalat (flies), husband and wife going to a five-star hotel. He didn't realise my wife fully understands the exchanges in Cantonese all this while.
My wife is half Malay and half Chinese and speaks fluent Cantonese, Hakka and Mandarin. I scowled her for not telling me while we were still in the car and she told me what she did was more appropriate than me picking a fight with a low-life taxi driver.
She told me she purposely spoke to him in Cantonese to embarrasse him, which she did well to impound his rudeness without being rude herself and probably taught this low-life a good lesson that there are non-Chinese looking people who understand and speak Chinese.
This brings us back to the subject of stereotyping all Chinese as being racist, which I believe is more cultural than actual racism.
To the Chinese, anything they find repulsive will constitute name-calling, which bring us to Chinese against Chinese.
Insults swirl as Hong Kong Chinese called mainland Chinese locusts and complained that mainland tourists bring their less-than-refined social habits and women on the verge of childbirth into the territory.
The Hong Kongers only want their bulging wallets but not their fetishistic bad manners.
The common Chinese term for anyone not Chinese is kui, the lesser beings to the Chinese eyes. No other races are spared from the kui, including the kwailos that once ruled Hong Kong from 1841 to 1997 and one that have taught social finesse to the Hong Kong Chinese, who now feel, theirs, are of superior culture than the nouveau riche mainland Chinese.
Kui is less repulsive than flies or locusts, one that carry diseases and the other one eating everything in its way.
11 comments:
Being a chinese myself - I'd admit chinese are racist when it comes to verbal terms of reference. They also refer Malays as "pigs". The connotation for that originates from the mosque's loudspeakers. Typically, when a pig is culled, it will scream like the loudspeakers. But they have no mala fide, it's just a term of reference ie. if you are not an african american, you will insult one by calling them "nigger" but they are quite happy when one african american calls them that. Also, I have come to terms my Malay friends that calls me ChinaBabi and greet me, "Chong, dah makan babi ke belum?". Of course, I know they are jesting about and there is no hard feelings to it as I know them well. My answer would be, "Dah. Gua sulah tarpau sama lu 5 kilo." A racist is much more than verbal and terms of reference. It's the thoughts, intentions, actions and a true belief that they are more superior. I hope Malaysians can surpass this milestone to become a stronger and a more progressive nation.
Superbum,
Appreciate the lengthy explanation on the Chinese terms of reference. I feel that there is no necessity to be apologetic about what the taxi driver had uttered.
I believe that it is simply not what he uttered but it was downright rude. Calling his passengers (reads paymaster) lalat and in front of them using a language he presumed they don't understand definitely shows the degree of respect he has on fellow Malaysians of different race.
Surely there is racism in all of us but such demeaning remarks as opposed to a light banter with friends (like yours) is simply unacceptable.
indian are downright racist too when it comes to chinese. the term indian used is to describe all chinese as rat eaters.
As a Chinese I agree our uncouth conversational language is racist. Many apologies. I have taught my children never to be like that. I think it is quite successful at least in my family.
I wasn't apologising for that cabbie. But I am glad you understand where I am coming from.
totally dislike n disagree with the action of this low mentality cab driver.. but to use the word RACIST here does not feeling right either..
how about this scenario??- regardless how hard a malaysian chinese study and get 5As in STPM but they won't get into UM to do study, whereas the so called bumiputera fella sitting next to them with only 2Bs will get a full scholarship to study in UM.
this cab driver is a racist by word.. ( i understand that hurt YOUR feeling, i will feel the same)
but does malaysia policies is a racist by action??? (ever wonder how chinese people feel??)
and when they make some noise about this, they are being label as a racist..
when a malaysian chinese can get over this, i think u should do the same.. please change your post title.. anything but not chinese racist (perhaps racist PERSON) .. your title sound like a racist too..
i think u should change the title before someone label u as a racist..
Peace.. this is only my two cent opinion.. no offence..
IT writer was right in his observation.
But why singled out only Chinese against Malay and not Indians or other races which are not bumiputras? THat it self reflects chauvinism on his part.
IT Writer was right too about Malays getting full scholarship to study in UM despite only getting 2Bs in STPM.
What he had coveniently forgotten is the Chinese is probably an urban Chinese while the Malay is a rural Malay OR both are from the same area but from a different financial background. The Chinese fellow could be from a well off family while the Malay fellow is probably an orphan or poor parents. We cannot choose who to be our parents surely. (I leave the other races alone because IT Writer was selective in his comparison).
One more thing that IT Write could have failed to realise is the Chinese wanted to do medicine (nothing else) and wanted a place and full scholarship as a matter of right. The Malay obtained full scholarship only to do Arts course. Can we see the difference?
It would be illogical to suggest that a candidate with 2Bs will get to do medicine.
SO when the Chinese was offered to do engineering or dentistry for instance, he'd reject the offer and the racists like IT Writer will come to a quick conclusion that the government is not fair.
Fairness does not apply only to IT Writer's Chinese only but Malays too.
I got 8As in my SPM (in the 80s - science stream) but did not get a full scholarship nor was I offered to do medicine. Instead I chose to do law matriculation in one of the local universities on a study loan.
Can IT Writer conclude that I am not eligible for the place in a local university or I stole a Chinese place? By the way I am a Malay. My advise to IT Writer is, please do not generalise.
Unknown.. for your information.. now i stay in Thailand for more than 7 years.. many of my thai friend know that malaysia policy is favoring malays.. and they also know that chinese, indian and others is second class.. for my surprise i never think of that but i cant agree more.. in thailand everyone is the same no one get special right except the poor and handicap.. I don't think malay is handicap and unable to compete with other races.. Do you think malay need handicap??? then y need a favoring policies??? many chinese is poor.. especially indian.. Y bumiputera not miskinputera.. Don't be such a hypocrite ok?? want to end poverty??? is there are no other poor races?? I'm not the one who get 5As in my exam. I don't even write a proper english. I think u need to understand my writing.. What I am trying do is to compare two scenario here.. This blog owner published article with a very unusual title "I Just Met A Very Racist Chinese !".. what i mean is if the situation encounter by this blog owner is the right reason to label someone as a racist then can i label malaysian geverment as a racist????????? i think u should notice my question mark... I put it in purpose for everyone that read my comment to judge by themself.. I NEVER EXCUSE ANYONE TO BE RACIST HERE.. BUT TURN OUT YOUR COMMENT MENTION ME AS A RACIST.. NOW WE ALL KNOW WO ARE THE TRUE BLOODY RACIST HERE.. I DARE YOU TO GIVE ME A CALL TO TALK ABOUT THIS ISSUE IF YOU GOT A GUT.. i can give you my LINE ID.. Waiting for your reply UNKNOWN RACIST..
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