Tun Dr. Mahathir has once again stirred controversy– this time by defending his recent remarks about laziness and how it supposedly plagues a particular race in Malaysia.
When, oh when, can we discuss issues in this country without dragging race into it?
Our esteemed statesman ruffled feathers when he stated that “Malays are lazy.” This came at a time when a viral video was making the rounds– one where ordinary Malaysians were unknowingly tricked into an “audition” and prompted to repeat racist stereotypes on camera. Every single one refused, even when offered money.
And yet, while Malaysians were proving that racial stereotypes don’t define us, Dr. Mahathir was busy reinforcing them. He didn’t stop at laziness either– he went further, claiming that his own business experience led him to believe Malays are also dishonest.
This is exactly the kind of simplistic, racialized thinking that has plagued Malaysia for decades. It’s the mistaken belief that negative traits belong to certain races, as if they hold some exclusive monopoly over them.
They don’t.
Laziness isn’t a racial characteristic. Dishonesty isn’t encoded in DNA. I’ve worked with people from all backgrounds, and I’ve seen lazy, dishonest, hardworking, and honorable individuals everywhere.
While I respect Tun for his leadership (which, in my view, brought more good than harm), I can’t agree with his racialized worldview. A lazy person is lazy because they’re lazy– not because of their race.
Malaysia has bigger problems to tackle. Maybe, just maybe, we’d make more progress if we stopped falling back on tired stereotypes and started addressing real issues.
See news article here: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/dr-mahathir-defends-malays-are-lazy-remark-says-they-prefer-to-be-mat-rempi