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| Moving beyond race |
| Oct 15, 08 3:34pm |
 The TehTarik sessions are the brainchild of a group of young Malaysians at Cambridge University who desired a non-partisan platform to foster open discussion on burning issues. Sessions are open to all as long as they have a shared passion for Malaysia. The following is based on the discussion that took place over a hot cup of self-made teh tarik.
"In Malaysia, if it is a Malay issue it is a national issue; if it is a Chinese issue, it is a racial issue; if it is an Indian issue, it is a non-issue."
A rather crass statement but resonant amongst many Malaysians, it alludes to one fundamental problem - a nation divided by race. Yet historically, Malaysia was not always so. Socio-political events of pre-independence were as much based on class struggles as it was on race.
A short documentary titled ‘Hartal: Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka’ recounts the fallout of events prior to 1957 which led to the eventual replacement of class-oriented political struggle by racial politics.
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