IT IS a story that unfortunately being heard all too often these days in Malaysia – where a person’s ethnicity stands at the forefront in a decision-making process.
With the political marginalisation of the Indian community in Malaysia making the news of late, a post on X (formerly Twitter) by user @ayividinihsrad has once again shone a spotlight on the perceived racism inherent among some Malaysian landlords.
“As of today, I have contacted approximately 300 agents and landlords who rejected my rental applications solely based on my ethnicity. My religion is not a factor,” she tweeted recently.
“What’s disheartening is that every person who turned down my requests despite my solid credit history and a reputable track record of maintaining cleanliness happened to be Malaysian Chinese.”
As reported by the New Straits Times (NST), @ayividinihsrad also shed light on the internal issue of racism within the Indian community where some Indian landlords were found to be rejecting Indian tenants as well.
She remarked, “Yes, there are some who engage in this practice of rejecting Indian tenants. Unfortunately, internal racism is a real concern.”
@ayividinihsrad’s account has brought to the forefront the ongoing struggles of the Indian community in Malaysia, highlighting the urgent need for addressing racial discrimination in the housing market.
Her post has garnered over 871,000 views, 886 reposts ad 2,014 likes at the time of publication.
Several netizens have pointed out that the issue could be attributed to stereotypes associated with Indians, including playing loud music, drinking, excessive noise at odd hours, smoke pollution, inability to pay rent on time and poor hygiene.
This story is a sad reflection of the state of the country where everything is viewed through race-tinted glasses. Racial polarisation and sweeping generalisations – aided and abetted by hate-mongering politicians – should be of deep concern to all Malaysians.
Such racist attitudes are only to be expected when major political figures are allowed to make inflammatory remarks without fear of retribution. The schisms are real and the problems faced by @ayividinihsrad are just the tip of the iceberg.
Perhaps the Local Government Development Minister who also takes care of housing matters can propose some measures to stop this practice. – Oct 23, 2023
Main pic credit: Wiki Impact
