The Evening Post

I taught a class tonight, my Cambridge CAE class, and many topics were discussed.  It was a good class for conversations, passing ideas around and me teaching my students about how to argue properly!

I first showed them a youtube clip about the US health reform bill which was passed today.  The clip was of the so-called Tea Party Republicans who were against the reform of the health system.  I was interested to hear their side of the argument, but was sorely disappointed and showed my students why.  A pair of media studies students from a University (didn't say which) were asking questions of the protestors as to what in the bill they were against.  Not one could offer a rational argument, a debatable proposition or even a coherent sentence as to what they were against.  What WAS clear however, was the complete lack of knowledge about what they were fighting against!  Most just quoted a Fox News presenter or mentioned a rumour they'd heard or a part of the bill they THOUGHT was in it which they were against.  No facts.  No actual details of any sort - and it made them look like hillbillies.  Uneducated, close-minded hillbillies.

Now my purpose of showing this to my students wasn't to pass judgement on the protestors, I left that to this blog!  My purpose was to show them the importance of reading, research and finding out facts before believing in something you have been told.  I showed them the footage to highlight how ridiculous these people looked, even though they firmly believed the bill was bordering on communism.  I am showing a high degree of bias here, but the effect was plain for all to see.

Now, the other point of mentioning this tonight was just how much it resonated with what has been happening in Malaysia the last few months, if not years.  The fear-mongering, the lack of facts, the rumours and heresay about threats to rights, privileges and the creating (or strengthening, to be more accurate) of the seige mentality of the majority Malay community here.  I would hazard an educated guess and say that most Malays are not impressed or represented by these groups, but they get a following in more rural, conservative (and poor) areas.  Groups which have sprung up such as Perkasa (translation I'm not sure of - see post below of my command of Bahasa!)  are purely based on racism and exist to create fear and suspicion of other communities in Malaysia.  Now a couple of points come to mind immediately.

How do groups like this exist at all?  Why aren't they shunned into oblivion?  Why do people give them the time of day?  There is no one answer as far as I know, but suffice it to say that education and money play an enormous role.  'Fear of the others' is a common thread which has been implanted into the mind of your average Malaysian, and racial profiling is par for the course.  Everyone does it.  Most would be ashamed to admit it  My point is that the politicians here use this fear to garner votes, to hold power, to accumulate wealth.  I always say to my wife that if I was a reporter here I'd probably be dead within a week, a month at the most.  I rock the boat, I ask the obvious question.  I don't take the answer as gospel truth!  The simple fact remains that these groups exist, and there are groups from each community which espouse the same nonsense, but they are not tackled head on publicly for fear of the questioner being labelled a traitor of their race, a bad Muslim or Hindu or Christian, too liberal (whatever that means) or too Westernised.  That last one I just love.  Anything to deflect the bigot from answering a direct question.  No facts presented, just deflection.

I guess, to balance this post, I do support freedom of speech.  I would go so far as to say that I support their right to express their opinion on matters they deem close to their hearts.  I wouldn't question their rights to that for one second.  What worries me is that they are moving in from the lunatic fringe into the  mainstream.  People are not countering their arguments with undeniable facts or logic.  This scares me.  I spend a lot of time trying to educate my students to be critical thinkers, to question the knowledge, to always ask WHY?  I think in Malaysia, as in the USA (and no doubt everywhere else) education is the key.

I feel there is more to come on this topic.  Watch this space.  Please leave comments and I hope to get a debate going on this issue and more in the future!