Are you being treated like a mongrel?

Yasmin Ahmad's blog entry on Saturday 01 July 2006. Title : In Praise of Mongrels

Anyway... After reading that entry... I thought I had something to say about it... But I've been distracted.. So I can't remember what I wanted to say.. Anyway.. I'll go on...

I am proud to say I am a mongrel!!! YES!!! I am half chinese and half malay!!! Although, having said that.. my dad has to be non-pure malay!!! because his mom looks chinese!!! In other words, my nini is macam cina!!! So I'm MORE cina than I am malay by blood...

However... My dad is a Malay in his IC... and by Brunei rules, that makes me a MALAY in my IC too... And regardless of what you people say.. that makes me a melayu jati because my dad is a melayu jati!!! Quite funny that... because I'm not a JATI... u know what I mean... but who cares... I'm a JATI by law...

I don't really know what that entitles me to... but I think it makes such a huge difference when you meet RACIST people... I'm sorry to say, but RACISM is PRESENT in Brunei.. You Malays who look Malay will be LUCKY to know that you'd never have to go through that... And you are also lucky if your name is 'malay' although I think it's more Arab than malay!! I don't even have that!!! LOL

As said before (in previous post), I look CHINESE!!! U get that? So yeah... I get racism!!! One incident which I remember oh so clearly was during my Driving Exam...

I was smartly dressed, but I wasnt wearing a SHIRT.. u knw.. the one with long sleeves, and a collar.. I wasn't wearing one of them.. I wore a sensible top which was modest! Waited in the queue in front of THE container where the examiners are...

Out of luck, I got the LADY examiner... She had one look at me, and she already didn't like me... God knows why.. Then she said to me, "Pakai baju ani?" I say, "awu" She says, "Nada cikgu mu beritau mesti pakai baju kemas?" I say, "ada, ia sudah nampak aku pakai baju ani and ia cakap ok" She says, "siapa cikgu mu? Pandai jua ia" I say, "Cikgu ku ***. tu ia di sana berdiri" (I point towards my teacher who is anxious, standing under the tree with her kiap. My examiner says, "ani inda kemas ni, inda boleh ko periksa ni. baik tah ko balik tukar baju"

At this point im like WHAT?! How can there be rules as to what baju I can and CANNOT wear to sit my driving exam! pokoknya asal i'm wearing a decent baju and I'm comfortable.. that's the important thing... Anyway... She says, "sudah ko tukar baju, baru ko balik kemari" And I say, "BAH" All I wanted was to sit for the exam, pass it and leave!!!

So, LUCKILY I had my sister there with me... And I only live 5 mins away from the exam place... So.. I was back to the blue container in 15mins... In my SHIRT!!! All ironed!! Went back to the container... Got the female AGAIN!!! And she was SURPRISED to see me back so soon... and asked me "sudah ko tukar baju?" I say, "Sudah" (For God's sake... inda nampak kah I'm wearing a different top? Belum puas hati kah?)

Then she ushered me INTO the container.. she took my IC... Noted my name and race and said "oh, pikir cina tadi" Erm.. Excuse me missy, but WHAT has THAT got to do with anything? So what if I'm cina? I tell you what would have been different... If I was Malay looking.. she would have me sit for my exam terus!!! But no.. I look cina.. So i get the racist treatment! Then after that, after figuring that I AM malay... I encountered no problem what so ever... NOTHING!!! Racist I say!!! Do you?

Anyway.. told my mom about it! I wasn't pleased with what I had encountered!!! She called the person in charge at Land Transport and asked if it was a requirement to wear a shirt for a driving exam... And need I tell you the answer to that question? I think NOT! We all know a SHIRT is NOT a requirement!!! CIS!!!

But... a word of advice to anyone who will be sitting for their driving exam... Do wear a baju kemeja, shoes if u r boys, and baju kurung if u r girls to be on the proper safe side...

And a word of advice to those non-malay looking malay girls who gets shit wherever they go... Go wrap yourself in 50 yards of cloth... Top to toe... Including nose and fingers ;p You'll get people staring at you.. but they might think you're some RICH Arab chick!!! So you'll possibly get one of the BEST treatments ever.. you know how they like to suck up to rich people!!! SO there... Mongrels or mongrel look-alike... Be brave in the PRO malay attitude we have in Brunei!!!

To those who aren't malay, and looks nothing like a malay... Good luck to you mate!!! Do share if you've got stories to tell ;p