Welcome to the 2017 SIS ASEAN Summer Study Abroad program blog!
This blog will serve as a way for you to learn about the experience and academic activities through the postings of the group of SIS graduate students who will be spending a few weeks in Malaysia and Indonesia as part of their graduate degree. This summer study abroad program, led by Professor Pek Koon Heng-Blackburn, will explore the ways in which globalization has impacted both state security and human security through direct interaction with stakeholders, examining the region’s evolving place in the East Asia international order and how globalization is affecting democratic consolidation, economic transformation, state-civil society relations, and fundamental changes in interactions across ethnic, religious, cultural, class and gender lines. Enjoy the blog and feel free to comment!
It is the night before my flight to Malaysia and I am still not ready. I had procastinated and did not begin packing until today. Actually, that is not entirely accurate. It was really busy at the office this week. I had to work well past 5:00pm yesterday, Thursday, to finish a project for my manager. Frustatingly, that day my partner and I wasted three hours attempting to solve a problem, only to be told by our supervisor that it was okay if we didn't solve the issue...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I am glad to be taking a "break" from Washington. I know that it still going to be a lot of work, I mean, I am getting 3 credits from this class, but just having the opportunity to travel is refreshing to me.
While I may complain about my supervisor, I do appreciate her. Were not for her, I would not be going on this trip to ASEAN.
It is just before midnight in Kuala Lumpur. I woke up about 30 minutes ago. I was finally able to get some sleep. Unfortunately, I missed dinner with my classmates earlier. Now I am a little hungry, but the cafeteria is closed. I am still jet-lagged and still not yet adjusted to Malaysia time.
ReplyDeleteAs for my first day of class, it was surprsingly quite in Kuala Lumpur. People told me the country is still celebrating the end of Ramadan, so it is slow. HELP University is still closed, so Dr. Heng visited us this morning for class.
For the first day of class, we covered an overview of our schedule. It seems these next 3 weeks will be very busy! Dr. Heng scheduled us an event every single day, even on weekends. I had thought the students would at least get weekends off, but that is not the case.
My roommate, Chris, told me earlier that this class squeezes 4 months' worth of material into 3 weeks. I agree with him.
I have been surprised with my experience so far in Malaysia. Having studied about this Muslim nation for two semesters with Dr. Heng, I thought that this country would be very religously conservative and have dramatic social divides with the different ethnic groups (i.e. Malay, Chinese and Indians). So far, based on my 48 hours in Kuala Lumpur, that does not appear to be the case.
ReplyDeleteAt the mall near our residence, the three main Malaysian people groups (as well as a large number of foreigners) could be seen walking, talking and even mingling together. Alcohol, tobacco and pork, all of which are supposedly forbidden in Islam are everywhere. So far, I haven't heard of the Muslim call to prayer at all either. If I didn't know any better, I would think I was still in the West. The society here is much more liberal than I thought.
We just finished our first week in Kuala Lumpur. The program is already one-third of the way done. On Thursday, I decided to buy a Malaysian phone. I originally had only wanted a Malaysian SIM card, but my U.S. phone was locked to my SIM, so I could not use a foreign SIM card. I didn't want to be at the mercy of the Wi-Fi only or pay $10/day for a U.S. dataplan, so I bought a Huawei.
ReplyDeleteFriday, the cohort had dinner with Dr. Khong, the Vice Chancellor of HELP University, and his wife, at Sukiyaki at the Starling Mall, an upscale shopping center in the Damansara neighborhood. It was a great experience. I probably ate over 5000 kcal during that one meal.
Yesterday, we went to Port Dickson, about 2 hours south of KL. That was a nice day at the beach, and I even got a chance to use the telescope.
Today, we journeyed to three religous sites in the Kuala Lumpur area. The first was the Pink Mosque in Putrajaya, Malaysia's new administrative capital located about 2 hours south of Kuala Lumpur. This new city was beautifully crafted, with great attentiont to detail to every minute feature, even the trashcans! The Putra Mosque was no exception. It was a beautiful pink mosque overlooking an artificial lake and flanked by the Prime Minister's office.
ReplyDeleteSecond, we went to a Chinese temple. This place was incredibly busy, loud and sale. There were also several bus loads of tours from mainland China, as there was for the Pink Mosque, but the tourists were not as quite as in the first religous site.
Lastly, we went to the Bantu Caves, a religously significant pilgrim site for Hindus. The case was crawling with monkeys! Literally monkeys! It was a great.
Today is the last full day in Malaysia for the cohort. We are leaving at 7:00am sharp tomorrow mornning (Saturday) to fly to Jakarta. I still have yet to begin packing, but I doubt any of my classmates have either. I also forgot to pick up my laundry yesterday, so it looks like I have to go to one of the meetings later because the laundromat does not open until 9:00am.
ReplyDeleteIt has been an eventful last few days. We had a private dinner with the former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tum Musa Hitam on Wednesday at an upscale country club. It was incredible. I don't think I could ever afford to there again.
Yesterday, we visited three opposition partical parties, Amanah, PKR and DAP. These three locations were a far cry from the UMNO FELDA building where we had visited earlier.
We just finished our first weekend at Jakarta. It was an eventful last two days. There was a first a problem with Air Asia, and our flight was delayed by over 3 hours. Thankfully, the Malaysian-based airline gave us a RM15 meal voucher.
ReplyDeleteUpon our arrival, we were exhausted, but were thrilled to stay at the Akmani Hotel, an upscale hotel next to the Spanish Embassy. My classmates were too exahausted to go out, but I went to dinner with Dr. Heng at a local Indonesian restaurant. I ordered an appitizer, 2 entrees and a banana split for less than USD 10. It was marvelous.
Today, we visted a traditional Indonesian doll museum and had lunch at a luxury colonial Dutch-style restaurant. The meal was extravagant and completely paid for. We then went to the art museum and was invited to visit a local dance show because we were foreigners. This is something I will tell my grandchildren.
Hello, internet! Today is our last day in the 2017 ASEAN Summer Studies program. We have a brief day today. We are just meeting at 10:00 am to discuss our meetings with the speakers, do a review of the course, and go over our outline for our respective research papers.
ReplyDeleteAs for me, this week in Jakarta has been quick! We were pretty busy Monday-Friday with visits to our guest speakers. Some highlights for me was a visit to the history museum and the Pacific Place Mall. The mall was extremely high-end, even by Western standards. There was literally a McLaren store in there.
However, I am looking forward to going home. I has been fun, but I have work today back in Washington. There are people depending on me.
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ReplyDeleteFood
ReplyDeleteMy first quest upon arriving in any new country is to thoroughly sample the cuisine. My uber driver from the Kuala Lumpur airport did not provide a shining review, “it’s greasy and pretty spicy.” Great, that didn’t really narrow it down. Our class schedule was full, so I prioritized my free nights to maximize my culinary experience. As it turns out, the food offerings are as distinct as the ethnic divides in Malaysian society. I enjoyed the best plate of Indian food I have ever had the privilege to sweat through. The star was a robust, tomato based sauce peppered with more spices than I could distinguish through the heat. The chunks of lamb were still tender, rather than being left too long to simmer. Already tiring of the staple rice present in every meal, I opted for garlic naan to accompany it.
I was also impressed with the Chinese food offerings, though the appearance of the restaurants gave me pause. One in particular stands out: an open air, roadside beach restaurant smelling of fish and sewer. I consider myself an adventure eater but I tend to stop short of guaranteed food poisoning. Despite the seedy exterior, the food turned out to be delicious. They even had a stand where you could select fresh fruit to be chopped up for immediate consumption. It was here that I had my first rambutan experience. I love food that I can pick apart with my hands so this fruit was perfect for me, tasting of lychee and Asian pear. Of course the standout fruit challenge of Asia is durian. I finally had the opportunity to try it in Indonesia, over shaved ice and flavored syrup. While I wasn’t immediately repulsed by the smell, it wasn’t something I would consider a luxurious desert. It has a pleasant enough texture, fibrous like a pineapple yet creamy. The first taste that hit me was oniony and funky. The sweetness was not enough to counteract this unpleasant association. However, the more you eat of it, the more you become desensitized to its pungency. Still, it’s not an experience I care to repeat. Stick to the durian ice cream. It’s much more palatable and you can at least say you tried it.
Unfortunately, I had fewer opportunities to try traditional Malay food. The breakfast style curried pork I had at CENSE was probably the most exemplary dish I had and it was delicious. The peanuts and dried fish served with it threw me off guard but who doesn’t like a little extra salt with their salt? By the time we made it to Indonesia, I wasn’t feeling as adventurous. I missed fresh vegetables and meat that wasn’t fried. This led me to steer clear of many of the traditional Indonesian fried chicken dishes. It also didn’t help that the hotel was conveniently close to scrumptious Japanese and Korean restaurants. At least our last dinner as a class was at a traditional Indonesian restaurant. I had lamb in a yellow curry sauce (yes I often go for lamb). It was served in whole shanks, tender and well seasoned. There was also rice, always rice. Though it accompanies most of my favorite dishes, I will definitely need a hiatus from it for a while. Overall, spicy, saucy style dishes are my raison d’étre and neither country disappointed in that category. Now it’s time to do some culinary penance with a week of salad.
Culture Shock
ReplyDeleteWe had been reading about human trafficking issues in Malaysia, specifically concerning Indonesian maids coming to work overseas. Having begun my studies on trafficking only recently, imagining the perpetrators was a distant, albeit abhorrent concept to me. I had read that employers of these maids withheld their passports to prevent them from “running away,” a practice considered to be trafficking under U.S. law. And despite the fact that I understood this to be widespread, I could not conceive of how prevalent it actually was. Mr. Jayasiri, one of our class speakers, was discussing his role in negotiating the Trans Pacific Partnership when we brought up the subject of the Indonesian maids. I was shocked by how casually he confirmed that his family had done the same thing with their maid. It was not so much the fact that my readings were becoming manifest before my eyes; it was the guiltless tone of his response. He truly saw nothing wrong with withholding someone’s identity simply because you had invested money in them.
I initially thought that he might just represent a small portion of the population but every Malaysian that I spoke to had a similar story, either about themselves or their family members. These people were not the evil traffickers I had imagined. They were not drugging and raping women and yet they were still complicit in trafficking. It made me wonder if the people involved in the more obviously heinous forms of trafficking feel a similar absence of guilt. I also felt compelled to question my own worldview when it comes to passport seizure. Should this be included as trafficking? Is this another case of the U.S. imposing its own moral values, justified or not, on the rest of the world?
If you view the situation from a purely transactional perspective, Malaysian employers have every reason to prevent their maids from leaving. They have paid a great deal of money for a service in the form fees for foreign workers. If the service is unexpectedly discontinued, then the employer has wasted that money for nothing. The disturbing aspect becomes obvious when you consider that there is a person necessary to provide these services, not a commodity. This person is often not allowed to leave the house without permission, or receive a single day off. The stories that make the news are employers who physically maim their maids. As sinister as this brutality is, the employers who completely strip their maids of basic human freedoms are no less deserving of punishment.
Developed, Developing
ReplyDeleteAs a student of international development coming from the so call “developed” world, I constantly have to challenge my own assumptions. One of the biggest assumptions is that a developing country should adopt the practices and values of the West in order to become developed. We see this today in the way that development practitioners prioritize goals and in the conditional nature of U.S. foreign aid. Before this, when Western influence came in the form of colonialism, the colonizing nation would often set up institutions to mimic those of their home country. In so many cases, the legacy of colonialism was bloody and damaging. The romanticized images of the colonial period that we see in black and white movies are painful to watch now, inundated with racism. Therefore, the last people I would expect to see romanticizing colonialism would be the colonized themselves.
However, in Malaysia, I heard multiple people looking back on English colonialism almost with fondness and respect. A striking example of this came when we were invited to dinner at the club of Mr. Musa Hitam, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia. The golf club itself was established exclusively for English officers. Fittingly, Mr. Hitam, ethnically Malay, is now the club’s president. We were treated to a sumptuous, multi course dinner attended by servers. Our chairs were pulled out for us and our napkins were deftly folded whenever we left our seats. We were treated more like distinguished foreign dignitaries than a gaggle of grad students who had yep to prove their career chops. Mr. Hitam spoke of his education under the English system and how he had benefitted from it. He expressed appreciation for the governmental system and infrastructure either initiated or inspired by English colonialism.
While his discussion was not free from criticism and he acknowledged the obvious flaws in the current Malaysian system, it was not what I expected to hear from someone who had lived through Malaysian independence. My best guess with Mr. Hitam was that he is looking forward. He has used the advantages that the colonial system provided him for good. But he also sees the ways in which his country is in danger of sliding into a failed state. When it comes to the exploitation of the past, former colonies have reacted differently. Some have benefitted from selective repression while others have suffered for generations. For those who lived through it, like Mr. Hitam, it is important to harness the advantages given to the few for the benefit of many in order to make independence successful.
Most travelers who’ve spent more than the one-week vacation allotted to typical American tourists knows a little something about culture shock. You come to expect the unpredictably timed series of emotions- this is awesome, wow that’s weird, I can’t believe they do that, I miss home, and so on. It usually morphs, grows, and fizzles over a few weeks or months. You observe some odd trends on the streets, note an odd comment from a local, and eventually have some deeper conversation or experience that unsettles your solid ground. That’s what normally happens.
ReplyDeleteNormal, of course, is not what happened. Our extensive readings and lectures into the politics, cultures, and challenges of both countries seemed to speed up the whole process of culture shock. It is I suppose, a more suitable term for its namesake- like someone telling you all their dirty secrets on a first date- fascinating and alarming.
It was by anyone’s standards, an enviable experience. True to goals of all travelers, I expanded my understanding of different cultures and perspectives in, it is significant to note, two majority Muslim countries. Some of it was hard to swallow, and there were times when I found even being respectful a challenge. By the end of the three weeks, most of us were retreating to nights in our hotel rooms watching American movies. It’s not something I’m proud of, given our short time, but that’s how exhausted we were. Still, there was no shortage of mind expanding experiences to leave one culturally “shocked” and satiated, if that’s what you’re looking for. Just prepare for its rapid onset.
-Kaja
Coffee and Coconuts
ReplyDeleteOne of the great things about traveling is taking advantage of the economic discrepancies in consumer goods. The coconut for example, raw out of the shell with nothing but a straw, would easily be a $10 delicacy in the U.S. In Malaysia, it cost next to nothing. We found them in all sorts of places, readily available to be chopped up and served cold. Needless to say, I drank a lot of coconuts.
Indonesian coffees, of which a fanatic more educated in the ways of coffee could name a dozen, are easily accessible and affordable. Indonesia is also home to the exotic Kopi Luwak coffee beans, consumed and pooped out by a special civet cat. The theory goes that the acids in the animals’ stomachs changes the coffee beans, making them smoother to drink. It’s likely the most expensive cup of coffee you’ll ever buy, but significantly less so in its home country.
Eating out was often far more affordable that it would be in the States, enabling night after of night of lovely meals. Massages and hair salons were also among the list of, “I can’t believe what I just paid for that” moments. On the flip side, alcohol, which is heavily taxed in both countries, was more expensive than in the States (not that that stopped us), as was the Claritin when my allergies had had enough of the pollution.
Anyone who has spent time in Southeast Asia or any other part of the developing world will not be surprised by these little tidbits. But for me, they are always exciting. I get the feeling that every coconut I gorge down is another glorious moment of extravagance. If I get sick of them, so be it. I can’t afford them anyway.
One Day, Three Religions
ReplyDeleteThe title is literal. Over the course of one day we trekked around the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur to visit a Muslim mosque, a Buddhist temple, and a Hindu temple. We all know on an intellectual level how different these religions can be, particularly in the ways they are honored and practiced, but nothing quite drives it home like walking around in a giant pink robe in the morning and feeding monkeys in the afternoon. The National Mosque was first up, in its pristine and almost diminutive atmosphere. All women were required to cover themselves head to toe at the entrance with a heavy pink robe. We spent almost an hour wandering around the Mosque and peering into the building, most of which was restricted for non-Muslims. I picked up some reading material at the entrance in the form of pamphlets to educate visitors about Islam. Most of the literature emphasized the peaceful and tolerant aspects of Islam, though there was a definite undercurrent of bitterness in its approach towards Western culture and liberal ideals that made some sections hard to swallow.
From there, we were whisked away to a Buddhist temple for a much more laissez faire approach that left one with the sense that religion served its people instead of the other way around. Fortunes, incenses, and high school bands seemed the normal fare. I came away reminded of just how economically oriented much of Chinese culture is, from the market in the basement to the prayers for things like wealth and material success that are common.
Finally, the Hindu Lord Murugan Temple at Batu Caves, a hearty climb filled with screaming children and scavenging monkeys rounded out the day. It is perhaps my ignorance of Hinduism that caused this impression, but it was hard to tell where the tourist attraction ended and the religious site began. It all seemed melded into the same experience of these glorious caves, shrines, and its shockingly bold monkeys that were not above snatching candy from any child within quick reach. It was remarkable to see such a large presence of three different religious sites all so close together in a country as complicated as Malaysia. I left not knowing whether to be inspired by the breadth of acceptance or alarmed by the simmering tensions we all knew were there.
Open House and a Rusty System
ReplyDeleteOn our second day in Malaysia, we attended our first event of the class. We were invited to an open house from a former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia and none of us had any idea what to expect. The event was held outdoors and while we sweat up a storm in our "very-Western" blazers and suits, the rest of the people in attendance were dressed in beautiful highly elegant traditional Malay-Muslim garb. We were introduced to ambassadors and other important government officials while being told to take advantage of the free food repeatedly. Everyone was incredibly kind and jovial and all were clearly part of an elite group of people that had known and worked with each other for many years. We sat at our table and attempted to eat while taking in as much as possible from our surroundings. The former Deputy Prime Minister came over multiple times to chat with us and to point out important people.
We had not attended any lectures yet so our knowledge of the country and its religious, ethnic, and socioeconomic makeup was still very slim, but we found ourselves embarking on a fascinating crash course on Malaysia from Professor Heng and the former Deputy Prime Minister. They explained that most of the guests were Malay-Muslim, with only a few Malaysian-Chinese businessmen and Hindu politicians in attendance. This did not bother us at first, since the event was an Islamic event, but the former Deputy Prime Minister and Professor Heng both stressed how important the ethnic divide truly is within the country.
Malay Muslims make up about 60% of the population, meaning that while they hold a majority, they are often referred to as an "insecure majority", constantly in fear of losing that position. The largest minority by far is the Malaysian-Chinese community. Socially, these two groups function very separately from one another. Most Malaysian-Chinese people will attend their own schools in Malaysia. These schools teach their classes in Mandarin and are known for being of higher quality than the typical Malay schools. Hence, many Malaysian-Chinese youth grow up only interacting with other Malaysian-Chinese, while Malays may only spend time with other Malays. Economically, the Malaysian-Chinese community tends to fare better and is often associated with a "rich businessman" stereotype. In order to protect the "insecure majority", the Malaysian constitution provides "special privileges" for the Malays which provide them with economic assistance and a higher social status. There is also a third larger ethnic group: the Malaysian-Indian population. They, however, seem to be in a very different place and are not viewed by the Malays as too much of an economic or political threat. Though they practice Hinduism, the size of the Malaysian-Indian population is quite small in comparison to that of the Malays and the Malaysian-Chinese, and overall, they tend to occupy the lower socioeconomic rungs, struggling the most.
So as we sat sweating away in ninety degree weather and mingling with the bougie Malaysian elite, we were thrown into a whole new reality we had never experienced. Under Malaysia's shiny exterior, lies a very rusty system that encourages a highly controversial ethnic divide which leaves a significant percentage of the population feeling underrepresented.
While the issue of "special privileges" and the encouragement of ethnic separation within Malaysia is likely to remain at the status quo for many years to come, seeing how controversial the topic already is within the country, it will surely come as no surprise if this system cracks within the next century.
Traffic Jams
ReplyDeleteThe first thing a person might notice when visiting Jakarta is likely to be the traffic. We were warned and we were ready. But this was something else entirely. The population of Jakarta is around ten million people, which is a considerable population of commuters, most of which own either a motorbike or a car, but an estimated 3.5 million additional people commute into the city for work everyday as well, bringing their vehicles onto the roads with them. Imagine the chaos. Even a short distance might require an hour of travel time, most of which is spent sitting in traffic and moving a few feet at a time.
Unlike the upscale nature of Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta has the feel of a city that is still very much on the rise. You could almost say that a picture of a central Jakarta could be placed right next to the definition of "developing". On the one hand, there are quite a few skyscrapers and giant shopping malls blasting air conditioning and selling designer clothes. But on the other hand, as you drive past the upper-middle class apartment complex of Sudirman Park, you will quickly notice the significantly sized slums right behind it. Many of the central buildings and offices pertaining to politicians and important activist organizations operate out of very humble headquarters that one would never expect to be of any significance from the outside. While there are certainly nice upper scale places to go to throughout the city, there is still a considerable level of construction and development going on. It is thus, quite fitting that transportation throughout Jakarta has this mix of modes within it as well.
For those in Jakarta who do not own their own cars, there are few options for modes of transport. Most people attempt to take metered taxis by either flagging them down or using the Bluebird Taxi app. These taxis are relatively cheap and reliable, but they force you to sit in traffic with everyone else. The other popular method of transportation is certainly the motorbike. Many people will use the GoJet app or the Moto function on the Uber app to get around. But while they are significantly faster than the cars, they are also significantly more dangerous. I was in a taxi once in Jakarta on my way to the airport and my driver hit two people on motorbikes (causing one of them to fall off his bike and injure himself). Both my driver and the man on the bike somehow brushed the accident off casually as if this was a regular occurrence for each of them.
Thus, upon investigating the risks in attempting to tackle Jakarta traffic, one might then choose to go for public transportation. Unfortunately, that is still very much in the "developing" stage. There is a bus system in Jakarta, but the stations are far from one another and often do not lead close enough to where you need to go. These buses operate in separate lanes from the rest of traffic, but they often run on a route that is not relevant to one's own, so they prove to be only slightly useful. The lack of sidewalks is a huge problem too, making it almost impossible for pedestrians to traverse any of the roads. One does not simply "walk a couple blocks" to a location in Jakarta. Very few sections of sidewalk exist, forcing people to rely on the taxis, ubers, etc.
I, personally, am very excited for the construction of the metro system in Jakarta which is currently taking place. This would be the first real attempt at a proper useful and efficient public transportation system within the city. Once it is complete, a considerable portion of the population will hopefully be taken off the roads, leading to a significant decrease in traffic congestion. If/when this infrastructure project is finished over the course of the next decade, it will certainly be worth studying what sort of impact it has on the city and its people.
Different Islams
ReplyDeleteAfter spending a few days in Indonesia, we often found ourselves comparing and contrasting the way that Islam was practiced in Malaysia and Indonesia. In Malaysia, Islam is the religion of the "insecure majority". It is a means by which the Malays are able to preserve their identity, culture, privilege and power. Malaysia has seen a significant trend in Islamization over the last decade with the Malays feeling the need to prove their piety. It has now become "fashionable" for all women to wear the hijab. Islamic financing is now a popular major in college for young people hoping to make bank after graduation. There is a religious police that keeps an eye on the Malay population and tickets them for eating in non-halal restaurants, marrying a non-Muslim, breaking the fast during Ramadan, and other religious violations. I noticed that whenever we entered an establishment in Malaysia, I always felt myself tense up a little bit as I fretted over the length of my dress and wondered whether my shoulders were properly covered or not. Islam was constantly brought up as an important political topic and its role within the socioeconomic system was constantly felt.
This sort of feeling was something we all certainly expected from Indonesia, a country boasting the world's largest Muslim population, but not Malaysia. After participating in the seminar, however, the incorrect nature of these assumptions became very blatant. For with about 90% of the population in Indonesia identifying as Muslim, Indonesia has a very "secure" majority. For most Indonesians, Islam is so highly integrated into their lives, it is not as much of a hotly debated topic nor is it being as blatantly used as a tool to maintain a fragile ethnic group's power. A great many people in Indonesia pray five times a day, leave the office on Fridays to go to men's services, etc. With the majority feeling so comfortable with its brand of Islam, it does not feel as much of a pull towards "proving itself" the way that the Malay majority in Malaysia does. Banking and fashion are not new trends but simply a way of life. Indonesian Muslims do not have to prove their Muslim-level on a daily basis. They simply practice how they feel comfortable practicing. This is likely what lead to our observing a much more relaxed and comfortable vibe from the Indonesian populace than we saw in Malaysia. Because it makes up such a huge portion of the population, the Muslim majority in Indonesia is not as worried about implementing stringent codes and measures in order to preserve its culture and religion.
Penang - "The Pearl of the Orient"
ReplyDeleteThe 2017 International Conference of Culture, Language, and Literature (ICCLL) held in Penang, Malaysia highlighted the complex myriad of intersecting ethnicities, cultures, languages, and religions within the southeast Asian (SEA) region. The conference sponsored scientists, researchers, teachers, and students to discuss the growing demands of globalization in the region. This in-depth and multidisciplinary examination exemplifies the rapid transformation penetrating not only the heterogeneous population of Penang but the entire SEA region. [http://www.iccll.org/]
The conference focused on advancing the future for local Malaysian and SEA youths through transitional youth empowerment; coinciding with my goal of understanding “empowerment” at a local level. In observance to understanding the identity of youth in SEA, a broader lens is needed to further grasp how disjunctive social cohesion mirrors current international themes. A pivotal part of the conference unraveled the hindrances to youth mobility in SEA. This is reflected in the detrimental relationship between peer-pressured male dominant roles in conjunction to female counterparts who are bound to titles of lesser significance. My graduate studies in International Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) focuses specifically on the content of culture and youth identities and how disruption of social cohesion reverberates within SEA communities, tying seamlessly into the content of the conference.
Of particular interest was the conference’s focus on female youth empowerment. Stella Kon’s well-known play, Emily of Emerald Hill has gained international attention for its narrative drama of Emily a Nyonya (Peranakan Chinese lady) child bride that consistently struggles against an “oppressive environment of social norms and patriarchy.” Ong Cheng Teik, a senior lecturer with the School of Education, Languages, and Communications at Wawasan Open University, parallels modern local gender disparity faced by SEA youths through his analysis of Stella Kon’s play. His publication: Representation of Culture, Gender and Identity: An analysis of Stella Kon’s Emily of Emerald Hill undid compelling themes while exposing how patterns of sexuality and behavior regarding the female gender are social constructs “imposed by cultural and social norms.”
The common social tendency to treat “sex and gender as synonymous” results in, what Ong Cheng Teik believes to be, the inability for many to see through “naturalised social standards of femininity or female gender” within a patriarchal society. For women, matrimony along with the strong pursuit to birth sons, often act as common rites of passage. These forms of prejudicial oppression are often unopposed and valued as means to assert and validate self-identity with hopes of gaining status and respect. Ong Cheng Teik’s publication unravels the deep-seeded, and often overlooked, psycho-social relationships that commonly pose a challenge to modern-day youth and women’s empowerment at the local and universal level. Without the necessary dialogue and actions to permit identity to be a socially accepted fluid concept, youth in SEA will continue to be bound by these constricting predestined roles. Moving forward, SEA empowerment initiatives need to stress the multiplicity of identity to those who would rather accept it as conventionally stagnant.