Malaysia, Truly Asia?
Malaysia, Truly Asia. This is the slogan of Malaysia’s tourism ministry. Through food, festivals, and its people, the international TV advertisement showcased the diverse cultures that are present in Malaysia. The campaign presented that one can experience the entirety of Asia in Malaysia.
I’ve been to Malaysia twice before this program. And the ministry’s tourism campaign is indeed true. I have never witnessed such cultural diversity elsewhere in the region. During the two weeks, I spent in Kuala Lumpur for the program, I have seen the diversity on a greater scale. I was able to sample different cuisines—Malaysian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and Indian—as you could easily find food stalls or restaurants beside one another. A number of religions were also represented in Malaysia as evidenced by the places of worship—Putra Mosque, Batu Caves, Thien Hou Temple—that the class visited as part of the program.
Through these encounters, a tourist may think that these cultures are able to thrive harmoniously in Malaysia. During this program, however, I realized that there are underlying issues with regards to race relations that made me question if Malaysia is Truly Asia as they say it is. Although it may be perceived as negative by some, I found these underlying issues very interesting.
Malaysia is an Islamic country wherein Malays are more privileged than other ethnic groups such as the Indians and Chinese. These privileges are things that is embedded in the country’s constitution. Through our lectures with various community stakeholders, I discovered an interesting dynamic. There exists a Malaysian Chinese political party, for example, that supports the current arrangement that gives privileges to Malays. On the other hand, there are also some privileged Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indians that choose to remain in Malaysia to fight for a change in the country. These issues and the dynamics that surround it is what makes Malaysia a very interesting country, not only to visit, but also to study.
--Chris Cunanan, MA EPGA '18
I’ve been to Malaysia twice before this program. And the ministry’s tourism campaign is indeed true. I have never witnessed such cultural diversity elsewhere in the region. During the two weeks, I spent in Kuala Lumpur for the program, I have seen the diversity on a greater scale. I was able to sample different cuisines—Malaysian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, and Indian—as you could easily find food stalls or restaurants beside one another. A number of religions were also represented in Malaysia as evidenced by the places of worship—Putra Mosque, Batu Caves, Thien Hou Temple—that the class visited as part of the program.
Through these encounters, a tourist may think that these cultures are able to thrive harmoniously in Malaysia. During this program, however, I realized that there are underlying issues with regards to race relations that made me question if Malaysia is Truly Asia as they say it is. Although it may be perceived as negative by some, I found these underlying issues very interesting.
Malaysia is an Islamic country wherein Malays are more privileged than other ethnic groups such as the Indians and Chinese. These privileges are things that is embedded in the country’s constitution. Through our lectures with various community stakeholders, I discovered an interesting dynamic. There exists a Malaysian Chinese political party, for example, that supports the current arrangement that gives privileges to Malays. On the other hand, there are also some privileged Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indians that choose to remain in Malaysia to fight for a change in the country. These issues and the dynamics that surround it is what makes Malaysia a very interesting country, not only to visit, but also to study.
--Chris Cunanan, MA EPGA '18
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