Disclaimer: In Real Life is a platform for everyday people to share their experiences and voices. All articles are personal stories and do not necessarily echo In Real Life’s sentiments.
If you were online yesterday, you couldn’t have avoided any sort of commentary on Mahathir’s chopsticks comment. For those who somehow didn’t hear about it, this is a series of tweets that sums up what the fuss was about:
The comments were made at the launch of his latest book “Capturing Hope: The Struggle Continues For A New Malaysia” on Sunday, 12 December 2021.
Many have pointed out that many Chinese dishes cannot be eaten with hands, like noodles, and that the idea of a “Malaysian way of eating food” does include chopsticks. After all, the Chinese community in Malaysia comprises the second largest ethnic group.
Since yesterday, “dr m” has been trending on Twitter.
What is assimilation?
Assimilation is a sociological process in which a minority group sacrifices its own culture to adopt the language, beliefs and customs of a majority group. This process can be forced or voluntary.
An example of cultural assimilation that occured in the region is the forced assimilation that happened to the Indonesians of Chinese descent – an attempt to erase Indonesian Chinese culture saw the exchange of ancestral Chinese names for Indonesian ones.
The problem with a policy that enforces assimilation is that it can be seen as erasure, especially since Mahathir’s description goes on to say that “they preserve their own customs, their own ways”. Does Mahathir wish for minorities to leave their culture behind so that they can adopt Malay and Orang Asal culture?
Obviously, this is unclear.
Many have brought up that Mahathir should have focused on integration rather than assimilation, as integration allows each minority to retain their culture while still identifying with the nationality of Malaysian.
The Malaysian way of eating food? What’s that supposed to be?
Yes, Malays do use their hands to eat – but not exclusively. Malays, like all other Malaysians, are quite good at adapting themselves to the cuisine they are eating. The use of hands for eating is definitely seen sometimes, but Malays also use a fork and spoon for certain dishes, and chopsticks for East Asian cuisine.
What about Indians then? They too use their hands, but aren’t considered as having been successfully assimilated into the idea of what a Malaysian is either. At least, not judging by the amount of racism Indians frequently experience. This year alone we’ve had to see the tone deaf FoodPanda ad that featured multiple non-Indian local celebrities (like Adibah Noor, Shawn Lee, and Elizabeth Tan), and of course the k-slur thrown around by a politician regarding a national athlete.
Others have also pointed out that the Malaysian Straits Chinese (Peranakan/Baba and Nyonya) culture does also use chopsticks.
Honestly, I didn’t know that there was a “Malaysian way of eating food”, unless you count the ability to queue for hours for food that we’ve heard is good.
If using chopsticks isn’t part of Malaysian culture, does that mean that Malaysian food doesn’t include the cuisine of immigrant communities?
Malaysia’s strength belongs in its diversity – this is something that is repeated to us growing up until it is something that all Malaysians have internalised. We are told we’re all Malaysians, and one thing that unites us is the great cuisine we have available to us here, something that came about from centuries of mixing.
Source: Steven Goh
So it’s really disappointing as a non-Malay to hear again and again that something about us causes us to be seen as less Malaysian. We take great pride in being part of this country too, but it’s saddening that even having a culture of our own is enough to cast doubt on our patriotism.
Surely part of Malaysia’s diversity is the fact that we have hundreds of distinct cultures in this small part of the world that we all call home? Perhaps what really separates us from each other is how politicians bring non issues like this one up. It’s not like Malays ever thought that the Chinese community didn’t belong purely because of the use of chopsticks or the celebration of Lunar New Year, or anything else that is part of Malaysian Chinese culture (although I will admit that there are other issues underlying the debate about what validates a non-Malay as truly Malaysian).
As non-Malays, we have been proud to do our duty by the country. Many non-Malay national athletes, for example, are proud to represent the country under the Jalur Gemilang – not as someone from China, or India, or Portugal, or wherever, but from Malaysia.
Non-Malays are Malaysian too, regardless of the utensils we eat with.
For more articles like this, read: This Tweet About Alcohol, Cigarettes, And What Is Haram Went Viral – My Opinion As A Malay, Malaysian Politicians Claim Use Of English To Name Places Is Reducing Malaysianness – Is This True?, and 5 OTHER Times Malaysian Politicians Became #KemaluanNegara.
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