The "Keling" Furore

 I'm happy to see that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has apologized for using the word “keling”, even if it was cited as a reference from the book ‘Hikayat Hang Tuah’. It's important to acknowledge mistakes and take responsibility for our words.

When news about this incident went viral before Christmas, it sparked a furious response from the Indian community in Malaysia. It's understandable that they were upset, and it's important to validate their feelings. It was somewhat disappointing to see calls from certain people for the Indian community not to be upset by the incident. As a non-Indian, I believe it's not my place to tell my Indian friends what they should or should not be offended by. Everyone has the right to their own feelings, and it's important to respect that.

Instead of dismissing the concerns of the Indian community, I see this episode as a learning opportunity for all of us. Many of us use pejorative language in our private speech, including language which would be deemed racist in this day and age. For example, many people would use the word “Bangla” to describe foreign workers from Bangladesh. The Chinese Malaysians, especially the older generation, would refer to those from the Punjabi community as “Bengali-Singh” without realizing the implications of such language.

Our natural “instinct” to use these pejoratives in public would be much reduced if we were to stop using these words in private. It's important to examine ourselves carefully as to the underlying reasons for the use of these words in private in the first place. More often than not, we are using these terms to label an entire race due to the actions of a few in a broad, sweeping manner which is unfair to an entire community.

It's not too much to ask for us to be mindful of our language and to use respectful terms. I don’t think it would hurt us to use the term “Bangladeshi” instead of the insulting “Bangla”. Even some words which are not pejoratives can be used in “insulting” ways if the user of these words is not careful.

Our leaders from the political, business, religious, social, and education communities can take the lead in making public commitments not to use such language in public as well as in private. A good place to start would be through the words used during speeches and debates in Parliament.

Finally, there are simple gestures which we can undertake to move away from these stereotypes. Rather than labeling someone by his or her race as our first instinct, why not find out that person’s name and talk to that person to find out more about his or her background so that this person becomes more than just a racial label?

Humanizing our interactions with others is a start in the process of humanizing the social and race relations in this country. It's important for all of us to work towards a more inclusive and respectful society. Let's all strive to be mindful of our words and actions, and to treat everyone with the respect and dignity they deserve.