COMMENT The first time I encountered racism was at the age of 10.
 
From standard one to three, everyone in my class was Malay (plus one Chinese Muslim girl), and they were my only friends.
 
It was not that I had a problem with the Chinese or Indian kids, I just didn't meet any after kindergarten.
 
Imagine my shock then, when I moved to a new school in standard four, and was treated like a dirty half-blood by some of my new Malay classmates simply because I looked Chinese (my nenek is Chinese) and spoke good English.
 
I don't remember much about it, but I do remember being upset enough to complain to my mummy at one point.
 
Anyway, now that I have your attention and sympathy (or pity), it is time to point out that part of why racism is still a huge problem in Malaysia 57 years after independence, is because of you.
 
Yes, you dear Internet commentators and Facebook users, are part of the problem.
 
Not all of you are bad eggs of course, but there are keyboard warriors of equality, justice and freedom among you who are hypocrites.
 
Don't believe me? Look at the comments you post on news articles or on Facebook.
 
The Malays will bay for blood, the Chinese and Indians will curse the Malays, and all sorts of hateful things, in an effort to blame one another over whatever issue it may be.
 
Some of you are so blinded by hate that even when people like Ibrahim Ali says something that promotes unity (sincere or not), all you do is troll and bash.
 
In fact, some of you are as bad as the people you hate, maybe even worse.
 
It's depressing and I understand why Gerakan President Mah Siew Keong lost sleep and stopped reading Internet comments altogether.
 
Adding fuel to racism

Your hate of course also stretches to other things, but let's focus on racism.

 
Perhaps it’s the media’s fault, for highlighting the bad people who say bad things, and making you angry.
 
Many of you had it much worse than me, and the way things are in Malaysia, is unfair to many of you. So maybe it's like adding fuel to the fire.
 
But that doesn't make it okay to say hurtful things, and paint others negatively with a broad brush.
 
Tales of unity, like commercials of people refusing to say juvenile racist things, like Melayu malas , India busuk , and Cina kiasu , have obviously not changed the core of who you are.
 
So perhaps there should be a different strategy to tackle racism.

Perhaps we should embrace the juvenile racist things about each of us. After all, we do laugh at comedian Russell Peter's racist jokes, don’t we?

 
Maybe then, when we can loosen up, and laugh at others and ourselves, can we stop saying things to hurt others.
 
Maybe then we can keep in mind that, most Malaysians and citizens of the world are good people, who don't deserve to be generalised by hateful comments.
 
Maybe then, we can all work together, and make our country a better place, where your children and their children don't get ostracised because of their race like I was.
 
Of course, maybe it won't work.
 
Nonetheless, I do hope that this article makes all of you better people, because when I'm told that I'm being an idiot, I do try to be better, and I hope you do, too.

ZIKRI KAMARULZAMAN is a member of the KiniTV team. He is culturally Malay, but comes from a diverse ethnic background that includes Malay, Chinese and Indian ancestry.