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Prejudice and Racism. What we are and what we're not? It's all about us, each and everyone of us!

How do we actually define ourselves, or by which definition do we recognize
ourselves the most?

I am Malay. That's written in my birth certificate. My mother happens to be not. Her late father was an Indian, married to her lovely mother who is half Chinese and half Indian. So what is she? My father is a Malay, of a Minangkabau origin. And what should that makes me then? I remembered Hafsham, a Malaysian producer and and his non-Malay wife in a talk show mentioning about identifying ourselves as Malaysians rather than Malays, Indians or Chinese as definition by race is too narrow and the fact that Malaysia is a multi-racial society. Be it anywhere else on the planet, we do mix with and marry people from other races, don't we?

I would say that it's easier to identify myself as a Muslim by the headscarf - maybe - and people can tell that just by looking at me. But my race or my origins, would need further discussions, a bit like history-taking.

If you know I am a Muslim, you'd know the kind of life I lead or at least what I believe in. If you know I'm a Malay and from Malaysia, you might be able to understand the culture and customs I subscribe to. If you're trying to persuade me upon something, knowing both might be an ideal tool to start with. What you are by race and origins, is fate and destined. You can't choose to be Indian or Chinese, or not to be a Javanese. You can't choose your place of birth though you might be able to decide your citizenship later in life. Though again there's linkage and traces to your non-optional origins.

The world has long condemned racism, but the fact that it lives and still breathing among the modern civilized society remains a worry. You don't need to be black to feel inferior in a community, by simply being slightly darker or different from others turns you into a black sheep. Your race, your religion and your colour define how the world shall respond to you. In my country, being a Malay means greater benefits than not being one. After SPM (GCSE/O Level equivalent), I can choose to study in any top universities of the country sponsored by the government filling the application form with 'Malay' in the section for racial inquiry. If I'm not one, even with a handful A-s, meeting the academic requirement, the chance is very little to be successful. It would be easier to simply apply for a place in a private institution which means higher

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