Just because someone on TV doesn’t look like too many other Malaysians, doesn’t make him/her any less Malaysian no?
What’s a Malaysian look anyway? Not to play the marginalised non-bumi card, but if today Pan-Asians aren’t ‘Malaysian enough,’ then tomorrow Chindians won’t be Malaysian enough? Then the day after, Indians, Chinese, East Malaysian Bumi’s and so on won’t be Malaysian enough?
A mixed Malaysian is at least as much Malaysian – and perhaps even more representatively so – than the likes of Information Minister Dtk Zainuddin Maidin, who’s been all for this ban. I say that racial purists like these are katak bawah tempurung, and have little place for the future of our country.
*
Thanks to Kris Khaira, from whom I spotted this (and who’s kind enough to carry a bangkit banner!).
Star articles here, here and (for an alternative perspective) here. And this funny bit from some Aussie paper:
The Malaysian government believes the Hollywood star Brad Pitt’s appearance in a recent series of car advertisements in this region was “an insult to Asians.”
Deputy Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin said that ads featuring models and personalities who don’t look Asian would “plant a sense of inferiority among Asians,” the national news agency Bernama reported.
“Why must we use their faces in our advertisements?” Zainuddin was quoted as saying.
“Aren’t our own people handsome enough?”
Zainuddin said the government recently pulled the plug on advertisements for Toyota Altis cars featuring Pitt.
I don’t feel inferior to Brad Pitt, ‘cos I’m more handsome than him. As is Amir Hafizi. Dtk Zam on the other hand……………
I think being a Malaysian is a state of mind, not a state of skin colour or religious faith or whatnot. If someone wants to be a part of our community, why should we turn them away? As long as they want to contribute to our society, they should be accepted as Malaysians. If in your heart, you are Malaysian, it does not matter what you look like.
isn’t it a bigger offence for zam, who is allegedly an ethnic indian, to pass himself off as malay?
:|
look at him. nampak melayu tak?
aheh, brilliant points both! :)
and yah, he does look a little bollywoodish.. :) state of mind, baby, state of mind…. :)
whats wrong with pan-asian look?
does he have any idea how a middle-eastern and malay mix will look like? does he knows how a dubai babe look like? if he’s refering to Brat Pitt then he must be blind as BP doesn’t look Pan-Asian at all! I think they should ban all except ORANG ALSI in any commercial cause this is rightly their land. If we use any other race like Malay or Chinese or Indian in any ad it will make the Orang Asli feel inferior hence we should BAN ourselves from appearing on TV or Posters. Even Ministers shown on TV news are to be blocked out to avoid offending anyone. How’s that for a non-inferior TV show?
hmmm..so why does he wear a suit and tie..
well, the tie is batik so I guess that’s okay..
yah! i’ve always wondered about that. sooo gian to talk about ‘purity’ and here we are monkeying western clothes, language, music.. you name itlah.
which is why i believe the most consistent stand is to *positively* promote all things indigenous, while not taking the cowardly stand of xenophobically trying to shut out the world.
jangan fikirkan sempit2 jela… :P :)
and rikey: good points re: org asli, etc!