Most Read
Most Commented
Read more like this
mk-logo
News
Keling not acceptable to us, say Indian Malaysian leaders

Several Indian Malaysian leaders today voiced their support for an end to the use of the word 'keling' since the term is often used in a derogatory manner to describe members of the community.

The community leaders from various walks of life said that although the term was originally used to describe migrants from the Kelinga district in central India, popular usage in Malaysia suggests a tone of disrespect to Indian Malaysians.

They also found offence with the Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka's (DBP) inclusion of examples such as "keling mabuk todi" (to connote one fond of talking nonsense) and "keling pelikat" (to illustrate an Indian Muslim) in its Kamus Dewan dictionary.

Unlocking Article
Unlocking Article
ADS