This started as a comment to Shahrin's posting on his views as a Malay in Singapore. It has become a topic that is rather interesting for me as well and one that I would like to point out here. So I have decided to make it my posting instead.

First of all, as I am not a Singaporean, it is a sad attempt in my part to completely understand the feeling that Shahrin share. Although I must confess, when I first set foot in Singapore, I was expecting a Chinese country. So much so was the image that Singapore outside of its border. For a country that prides itself for being a multicultural entrepot, can you actually blame the minority for feeling belittled?

However, there is One point about the multi-cultural flag of singapore that I would like to emphasize: Dividing a country based on race is the most ridiculous thing that reeks of colonial/imperial times. A very odd thing that Singapore still use it. A first world country with a third world citizen classification.

If any classification is necessary, it should be religion. After all, how you are treated in certain matters are more tied to your religious beliefs than the color of the skin. I have came to learn from a local Islamic conversion centre that non Malays that convert into Islam must adopt a new Malay/Islamic name. Why? They argue that this is for identification purposes since the Singapore IC does not carry the religious status. "Should anything happen to you", they say, "of course you would want to be treated as how your beliefs dictate". How true!!! Why then, do Singapore still insist in using Race? Something of a mere color! A Malay does not mean he is a muslim, a Chinese does not mean he's a buddhist or taoist and an Indian does not mean he's a Hindu or Shikh.

This point has become a touchy sore point for me because of my recent experience to "localize" myself. You see, they require me to fill in my Race for my Permanent Residency application. By the color I appear, perhaps some people would assume I am Malay. Now as you now from Shahrin's post, there are infact races within Malay! In my "Malay" race, I am also part Minang, part Javanese. Not only that, I am also a quarter Chinese and almost half Middle East (my ancestors having been merchants from the middle east, arabia, turkey). I love my heritage and I love the fact that my ancestors have been more forward looking in their times to not have insisted same race marriages. The fact is within a few more decades, who can actually maintain a "pure" blood? And those who do, I think, have something wrong with their view of humanity.

A very funny Indian commedian once put it "In a hundred years (if we are still alive) all the people in the world would probably be a mix of Chinese and Indian!. After all, they are currently making up almost half of the World's popluation... It's just a matter of time! So you may run now... but sooner of later... we will hump you" (russel peters)

I sincerely hope, Singapore, a country I have grown to admire for its governance to evolve with the rest of the world and take a better course of action on how it maintains its multi cultural history.

In the meantime, let my I.C. show, that my race is Other