Mat Thambi Ah bu neh neh Minah Cheena Ah Tiongs

This is something I happened to be thinking about this morning when I just woke up. It's a funny timing to even be thinking, I know, but it was probably influenced by the article about Malays being Singapore's least favourite child in The Sunday Times. The content itself wasn't ground-breaking as it's something we all know about but the fact that it got through the SPH editors (SPH, SINGAPORE PRESS HOLDINGS, STATE-OWNED MEDIA) was pretty surprising, to say the least.

Not trying to go all seventeen-year-old anti-government angst on you but I'm sure everyone knows about Singapore's press freedom (not a lot). Even though I'm sure the original draft was ten times longer, it still ended up as a memorable read.


Ching Chong Chinaman

Memorable to the extent that I thought about a related topic when I woke up this morning. How many of you, be honest, think that there are personality traits that apply to an entire race? Like, you know, smelly Indians and lazy Malays?

If you still think that way, have you honestly thought about it before? Have you gone, "Oh, that wasn't a fair sample size of that particular race. It would be an unfair generalisation if I think that they're all cheap bastards." Can't blame you if you haven't because it's so much less of a headache to be able to group them under one category than having to deal with the idea that they're individuals as much as yourself.


Allahu Ackbar

Couple this with how confirmation bias works, you might even start to see how being racist is not the racist's fault. For example, if you hear about how Jews are cheap, money-loving bastards, you will start seeing this trait in every single thing the Jews around you do. While ignoring the fact that your own parents do it as well.


Nong dong fong bong bong

Also, remember how much the environment shapes you. It's not going to help Rizal's case much if he grows up in a rough neighbourhood hanging out with older boys whose idea of fun consists of playing football in the void deck (This is fun, don't hate). Because of his friends drop out after secondary school for a job or to pursue non-academic interests, it's more likely than not that Rizal will be influenced in thinking that studies aren't really that important.


Love invadin' other countries, dude. Also, my life pans out exactly like how they do on the OC.

How everything started in the first place, with Malay guys deciding that they needn't study, I can't give a firm answer now because very simply, I am unable to pinpoint the reasons. Maybe I can think of it tomorrow morning but meanwhile, I hope you have thought about what I just wrote before. Even if you haven't done so before, do give it a thought.