8/10/2019 The Bangsar Boy - Colour-blindness at our core

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COMMENT StarMetro, SATURDAY 3 SEPTEMBER 201110

Colour-blindnessat our coreGrowing up in times whenwe were not defined by race

AROUND this time every year between Merdeka andMalaysia Day my column

is usually related to the celebra-tions. In particular, I tend to focuson what I have always felt to be

the core of our nations social fab-ric, that is, the fact that we are amulti-racial country.

I dont alwaysget positive feed-back to articles like those. While Ioccasionally receive emails com-plimenting me on those articles,there are those who are a littlemore sceptical and do not hesi-tate to share their opinions aboutit.

Three years ago, I met a foreignjournalist who shared that myarticle for that year was a point ofcontention during one of theireditorial meetings were thosereally my opinions, or was I justplaying into rhetoric and propa-ganda?

I replied to him that I stood bymy editorial. Of course, when Ioccasionally hear or read aboutincidents in our country thatappear to contradict my opinion, Ipause to think about my replyagain. That said, I still stand bywhat I have said in my articles.

Over the past few weeks, I havehad a little more time for myself,friends andfamilyand I have beenwhiling away time in the neigh-bourhood where I live, Bangsar,and in Kuala Lumpur in general.

While jogging the other day, Ibumped into my friend Ganeshwho was busy skating along thestreets in Bangsar. At the PasarRamadan, I bumped into Taffy

Boucher, whose mother Nelly Tanwas my childhood babysitter andcarer.

Their neighbours were a Malayfamily with two kids around myage and we would play togetherwhen we got the chance with theother children Aunty Nelly wastaking care of.

Aunty Nelly, who is now in herlate 70s, is one of the earliest per-sons I knew who was in a mixedmarriage, although I never reallytook notice back then.

When I think back about thesepeople who I grew up with, I amreminded of stories dad used totell me about his adventures withfriends likeUncle Zainul and Uncle

Indran.I dont know if its adolescentnaivet or me justlookingthroughrose-coloured glasses but Iremember those times as onewhen we were never defined byour race.

And today, Id like to believethat this senseof colour-blindnessis still at the core of everyMalaysian, especially when youtakeaway thesocio-politicalinflu-

ences. We just need to look at thenumber of inter-racial relation-ships around us to know this istrue.

I myself have so many friendsand relatives Ive spoken somany times about my sisters andtheir husbands in that sort ofrelationships.

Malaysia has progressed tre-mendously since 1957 and thenation has evolved along with therest of the world. In this globaluniverse we all currently live in,geographical barriers and bydefault, culture, heritage and evenrace, will be more insignificant.

While I feel its important thatwe maintain our identities, I also

feel that we should let these fac-tors define who we are, what wedo and how we live our lives.

And when I think back aboutmy years growing up in multi-cul-tural Malaysia, I am convincedthat this is possible because weonly need to look back to remem-ber what it was like.

Inlessthantwoweeks,I will beembarking on a new phase in mylife in a different country.

This isnt the first time I will beliving in a foreign place so I knowthat I will still be able to be faith-ful to my heritage, culture andnationality.

So, as I step on that flight andlater land in Britain where I will

spend the next year of my life, Iwont be there as the Chinese kidfrom Kuala Lumpur, or even theBangsar Boy in a foreign land.

Ill simply be one Malaysian inLondon.

Selamat Hari Merdeka andHappy Malaysia Day, one and all!

n Niki Cheong blogs at www.nikicheong.com and tweets fromwww.twitter.com/nikicheong.

NIKICHEONGniki@thestar.com.my

TheBangsarBoy

While I feel itsimportant thatwemaintain ouridentities, I also feelthatwe should letthese factors definewho weare,whatwedoand howwe liveour lives.NIKI CHEONG

Togetherness:Mixed marriages help to promot national links.