Race relations in a nutshell

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while on the way home it poured again. i had to take shelter at a void deck.

while counting cats and dogs and anticipating the whims of the wind and rain, a Hokkien-Chinese couple arrived. with their helmets and rain coats, it was obvious that they were avoiding the torrid rain that has caused havoc to the region.

speaking i have been keeping a close tab with the current state of affairs in Malaysian politics. i was wondering if the torrid flood and rain were a punishment for its horrid state. it probably might be a stretch, it possibly isnt since Malaysia prides itself for being Islamic and Modern. for that notion i would normally scoff and cast a cynical glance. the truth is, it has been threading the thin racial line and they have been unIslamic and unModern.

nevertheless, i probably should rescind my alleges for it is not in my business to do so. hence let me just relegate it to mere observation rather than an accusation.

however i am in a position to make the keen observation that race-relations have gone a long healing way since the riots of 1969 and before. undoubtedly it is tough forgetting such a painful memory. undeniably it is tough to pretend that it didnt happen. admirably, somehow Singaporeans have coped with that. we might still have a bit of a journey to undertake but it is healing gradually.

going back to the top, the man then came up to me and said,’Uncle dont mind we sit here.’

i smiled,’sure no problem.’

we sat there together, on the same void deck table, feeling a bit uneasy but somewhat comfortable. no words were exchanges. no camaderie ensued. however as the rain continued we sat down together, equally unhappy and cursing at the rain, puffing out the end products of our tobacco rolls.

indeed we have come a long way. that unpicturesque visual is the state of our race relations in a nutshell.

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