When on the road, we turn into Mr Hydes
YoursayPublished: Aug 6, 2014 1:14 AM | Updated: Aug 6, 2014 1:17 AM
YOURSAY ‘Road accidents often bring out the worst in Malaysians.’
Road rage reveals racist Malaysians
Vijay47: Road accidents often bring out the worst in Malaysians and the response of those involved and even onlookers usually take on a racial tinge. One's sentiments seem to favour someone of your own ethnic origin.
But much more comforting is the fact that when an accident does occur, especially a serious one, the public's willingness to help has absolutely nothing to do with race, help will be rendered whatever the race of the victim.
I have seen this a million times and I have done my little part to assist, too. I was passing by an accident site and the young Chinese motorcycle casualty actually died in my car as I was taking him to hospital.
Siti Fairrah Asyikin Kamaruddin, better known as Kiki, despite her tantrums, is an exception and from my numerous years of driving experience, I have seen that generally the most courteous and considerate drivers are Malays.
Fair Play: At heart, we are all racists. Incidents of road rage are due to poor anger management by some people. Some are better at it than others.
For example, I have noticed cases of people cursing even at animals (goat or cow usually), too, for causing the accident and calling them all sorts of names.
So, if an accident involves two drivers from different racial backgrounds, the main objective of the 'victim' is to hit back and very hard, too, like what we saw in Kiki's case.
Now if an accident occurred in a long stretch of road near a kampung or village and the driver is from another race, you can expect this 'accident' would turn into something else entirely most of the time.
Gerard Lourdesamy: The government is racist. Political parties are racist and the people are also racist.
Thanks to successive regressive policies to discriminate based on race and religion since at least 1969, we have one race feeling superior because of a dependency and entitlement syndrome, one race feeling cheated and deprived despite their achievements and another race feeling like outcasts because they feel marginalised and ignored by the majority races that hold political and economic power in the country.
Nothing is going to change in this country in the face of such entrenched views and sentiments, whoever wins an election. It may be better to get out or just put up with it and hope that someday we will all come to our senses.
Ratbatblue: It’s truly a Malaysian phenomenon. We go out of our way to treat our guests, whether foreign or local, like royalty, and are generous to a fault when it comes to charity, but in a road traffic accident, we suddenly become Mr Hydes.
If we are not directly involved in the accident, we are all ready to assist the victims/injured to the best of our ability, but if it involves us in a minor scrape, all hell breaks loose. I really cannot find a suitable explanation for this behaviour.
Racial slurs tend to come forth rather easily, as this has been ingrained in our minds in some way or another since our childhood, and as many have mentioned, the prevailing political landscape in this country preaches supremacy of one race over another, so it was bound to occur when matters came to a head.
All this does not bode well for the country as this type of mindset might just tip over in more serious circumstances, leading to more serious events and consequences.
Dearpixel: I have lived most of my life overseas, in several countries on several continents. Sadly and strangely, Malaysian society is the most racist I have encountered.
Yet, when it comes to friendships, there is a lovely sense of harmony. Maybe that's just our human side coming forth from time to time.
However on the street, the racism is very much that of stereotypes - "You stupid, typical Malay/Chinese/Indian" - and it's blatant and doesn't take much to provoke.
Baiyuensheng: It starts from education. If our education system was not hijacked by extremists, this would not have happened. There is no return. Only might will solve this problem.
Just look at the disproportionate violence and war crimes committed by the Zionist state onto the defenceless Palestinian women and children. And it proves that hatred is so deep that it numbs humility and humanity. Satan wins.
Hafidz Baharom: Everyone gets racist or religious in a fit of anger, but the cleverer ones hold their tongues in public and step away from their smartphones, laptops and tablets. It's called venting, simple as that.
There is always a derogatory remark said on the roads not just to race, religion and even gender for that matter (women get it pretty bad).
However, whether or not it should be made public or one should keep their thoughts to themselves is pretty much up for grabs in this country.
Swipenter: For more than four decades Malaysians have been feeding on a daily diet of racism. Never once were we allowed to forget that either you are a Malay, Chinese, Indian, Dayak, Iban, etc, or a Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Taoist, Sikh, Bahai, etc.
This has been the specialty of the Umno Baru government to maintain their hegemonic political power in Bolehland. Parties like MCA, MIC, Gerakan and other race-based political parties are just decorative flowers in the BN wallpaper.
Let me share a true story. Stoffel van den Berg was a true blue apartheid believer. He believed that the blacks were here to serve the white man and this was God's will.
One day he caused a car accident and the other driver (a black) was killed but he narrowly survived. He was saved by a heart transplant using the heart of the former but was told that he only had a few years to live for all his other organs were badly damaged.
The doctors told him that the widow consented to have the heart of his late husband be used to save him for she saw no reason why both of them should die. That kind gesture not only opened his eyes but also the eyes of many white people who once believed in apartheid and racism.
He spent the few years of his life helping the downtrodden blacks and contributed in a small way to end apartheid in South Africa. At his funeral, more than 2,000 paid tribute to him.
Until today, people still debate whether there were more blacks or more whites attending his funeral.
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These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not represent these views as fact.
Road rage reveals racist Malaysians
Vijay47: Road accidents often bring out the worst in Malaysians and the response of those involved and even onlookers usually take on a racial tinge. One's sentiments seem to favour someone of your own ethnic origin.But much more comforting is the fact that when an accident does occur, especially a serious one, the public's willingness to help has absolutely nothing to do with race, help will be rendered whatever the race of the victim.
I have seen this a million times and I have done my little part to assist, too. I was passing by an accident site and the young Chinese motorcycle casualty actually died in my car as I was taking him to hospital.
Siti Fairrah Asyikin Kamaruddin, better known as Kiki, despite her tantrums, is an exception and from my numerous years of driving experience, I have seen that generally the most courteous and considerate drivers are Malays.
Fair Play: At heart, we are all racists. Incidents of road rage are due to poor anger management by some people. Some are better at it than others.
For example, I have noticed cases of people cursing even at animals (goat or cow usually), too, for causing the accident and calling them all sorts of names.
So, if an accident involves two drivers from different racial backgrounds, the main objective of the 'victim' is to hit back and very hard, too, like what we saw in Kiki's case.
Now if an accident occurred in a long stretch of road near a kampung or village and the driver is from another race, you can expect this 'accident' would turn into something else entirely most of the time.
Gerard Lourdesamy: The government is racist. Political parties are racist and the people are also racist.
Thanks to successive regressive policies to discriminate based on race and religion since at least 1969, we have one race feeling superior because of a dependency and entitlement syndrome, one race feeling cheated and deprived despite their achievements and another race feeling like outcasts because they feel marginalised and ignored by the majority races that hold political and economic power in the country.
Nothing is going to change in this country in the face of such entrenched views and sentiments, whoever wins an election. It may be better to get out or just put up with it and hope that someday we will all come to our senses.
Ratbatblue: It’s truly a Malaysian phenomenon. We go out of our way to treat our guests, whether foreign or local, like royalty, and are generous to a fault when it comes to charity, but in a road traffic accident, we suddenly become Mr Hydes.
If we are not directly involved in the accident, we are all ready to assist the victims/injured to the best of our ability, but if it involves us in a minor scrape, all hell breaks loose. I really cannot find a suitable explanation for this behaviour.
Racial slurs tend to come forth rather easily, as this has been ingrained in our minds in some way or another since our childhood, and as many have mentioned, the prevailing political landscape in this country preaches supremacy of one race over another, so it was bound to occur when matters came to a head.
All this does not bode well for the country as this type of mindset might just tip over in more serious circumstances, leading to more serious events and consequences.
Dearpixel: I have lived most of my life overseas, in several countries on several continents. Sadly and strangely, Malaysian society is the most racist I have encountered.
Yet, when it comes to friendships, there is a lovely sense of harmony. Maybe that's just our human side coming forth from time to time.
However on the street, the racism is very much that of stereotypes - "You stupid, typical Malay/Chinese/Indian" - and it's blatant and doesn't take much to provoke.
Baiyuensheng: It starts from education. If our education system was not hijacked by extremists, this would not have happened. There is no return. Only might will solve this problem.
Just look at the disproportionate violence and war crimes committed by the Zionist state onto the defenceless Palestinian women and children. And it proves that hatred is so deep that it numbs humility and humanity. Satan wins.
Hafidz Baharom: Everyone gets racist or religious in a fit of anger, but the cleverer ones hold their tongues in public and step away from their smartphones, laptops and tablets. It's called venting, simple as that.
There is always a derogatory remark said on the roads not just to race, religion and even gender for that matter (women get it pretty bad).
However, whether or not it should be made public or one should keep their thoughts to themselves is pretty much up for grabs in this country.
Swipenter: For more than four decades Malaysians have been feeding on a daily diet of racism. Never once were we allowed to forget that either you are a Malay, Chinese, Indian, Dayak, Iban, etc, or a Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Taoist, Sikh, Bahai, etc.
This has been the specialty of the Umno Baru government to maintain their hegemonic political power in Bolehland. Parties like MCA, MIC, Gerakan and other race-based political parties are just decorative flowers in the BN wallpaper.
Let me share a true story. Stoffel van den Berg was a true blue apartheid believer. He believed that the blacks were here to serve the white man and this was God's will.
One day he caused a car accident and the other driver (a black) was killed but he narrowly survived. He was saved by a heart transplant using the heart of the former but was told that he only had a few years to live for all his other organs were badly damaged.
The doctors told him that the widow consented to have the heart of his late husband be used to save him for she saw no reason why both of them should die. That kind gesture not only opened his eyes but also the eyes of many white people who once believed in apartheid and racism.
He spent the few years of his life helping the downtrodden blacks and contributed in a small way to end apartheid in South Africa. At his funeral, more than 2,000 paid tribute to him.
Until today, people still debate whether there were more blacks or more whites attending his funeral.
The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.
These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not represent these views as fact.
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