FOLLOWING uproar over a non-governmental organisation’s (NGO) racist Merdeka video, the Malaysia Hindu Sangam (MHS) urged everyone to exercise wisdom when coming up with paraphernalia to promote national unity.
“Although I understand the video was made to educate our younger generation on the ills of being racists and stereotypical, the manner it was presented was highly insensitive.
“Their intention was good but the delivery was wrong. It should not have happened,” its president Datuk RS Mohan Shan told FocusM.
Last week, Muslim NGO Ikram published a video entitled “Mak, Dah Siap!” showing a Malay father describing Indians and Chinese using derogatory stereotypical slurs such as “keling” and “drunkards”.
Later on, the son shows his mother his completed homework, a drawing of a Malay, Chinese and Indian with the Malaysian flag in the background- also including the slurs used against them.
The video then has the boy saying: “I was not born racist, but I was taught.”
A disclaimer was also put throughout the video stressing that the racist words used were for filming purposes only and should not be applied.
However, the video triggered public backlash for its racist content. Subsequently, Ikram apologised for it and removed the video.
MHS itself had sent a letter to the Communication and Multimedia Ministry chief secretary Datuk Seri Mohammad Mentek, voicing objection to the video.
On a general note, Mohan Shan lamented that division among the various communities in Malaysia has become more apparent in the last few years, with irresponsible quarters flaring up racial issues for their self-serving agenda.
“The political situation is not helping either. We hear a lot of people talking about wanting a Malay-Muslim Government only. Such talk never happened in the past.
“People must understand that whether one is Malay. Chinese, Indian or East Malaysian- we are all Malaysians and this is our collective home,” he stressed.
Mohan Shan remarked: “We are going to celebrate 64 years of Merdeka soon. Let’s us learn to accept and love one another irrespective of race and religion. Malaysia is home for all of us.” – Aug 29, 2021.
