http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/an-ugly-matter-of-disrespect-1.44434
By Datuk Dr Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid
iabaiw@yahoo.com
Read more:An ugly matter of disrespect - Columnist - New Straits Timeshttp://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/an-ugly-matter-of-disrespect-1.44434#ixzz2JKesWO9U
By Datuk Dr Ibrahim Ahmad Bajunid
iabaiw@yahoo.com
MALAYSIANS have come a long way in becoming more sensitive to stereotyping and profiling. At one point, stereotyping was the source of humour among friends and even in Malaysian movies, especially P. Ramlee's movies. Somehow, because there was no ill will, movie stereotyping then was not in bad taste, perhaps because of the self-mockery element.
However, over the years, understandably, political and ethnic sensitivities have made racial slurs and other culturally sensitive matters taboo in the public domain.
In schools and universities, there have been cases of vicious and humiliating racial, religious and cultural denigration.
Stereotyping has now been recognised as an ugly matter of disrespect and discrimination against others who are not like us, towards the young, the elderly, the handicapped, women, and the minorities.
We do not even tolerate the once popular song, Anneke Gronloh's Burung Kakak Tua, because we do not want children to make fun of or disrespect the elderly through the lyrics of the song which say "elders who have only two teeth left (giginya tinggal dua)".
We criticise the Americans, in particular, for stereotyping and profiling Muslims and those from Muslim countries.
Yet, in the media, if not in the official domain, we are beginning to do just like or more than the Americans (because so far, no foreigner has taken legal action).
Recently, there has been a spate of stereotyping and profiling of foreigners, in particular students, in Malaysia by the media. Students from a particular country are stereotyped as drug traffickers, from another country as prostitutes and from other countries as drunkards, molesters, conmen and frauds.
True, there are cases reported in the media of such individuals taken to court. But transgressions by these individuals do not equate to transgressions by a race, religion or nation.
Recruitment agents and officials have travelled the world to get these students into our institutions of higher learning. Typically, some of the media groups, in search of audiences, sensationalise their stories.
Typically, academia in search of truth is cautious. Typically, lay people respond candidly regarding their fear of foreigners and crimes by foreign students when given cue questions by those who look for "scoops".
Foreign students are neither tourists nor immigrant labour. They are long-term guests here. Officials, the authorities and the responsible citizenry must not play to the gallery and reaffirm media sensationalism.
If we continue to do so, we will develop xenophobia. We should get our act together instead of creating a cultural and intellectual distance and a subculture of fear of foreign students.
When we send our students abroad, we say that they are the ambassadors of our country. Likewise, the parents of students and the nations which send their students here regard them as ambassadors of their countries.
We say that our students will be leaders of tomorrow. Foreign students, too, will be leaders of tomorrow for their societies, nationally and globally.
They will be politicians, businessmen and businesswomen, civil servants and all kinds of professionals. Foreign students are our relational assets, our alumni in global networking and our ties with the outside world.
We should put our act together and develop enlightened policies and develop our own cultural refinements.
Most of the 100,000 foreign students are willing learners who invest in their learning here and are very good in focusing on their studies. Our educational institutions have created opportunities for every one of them.
We should not allow a situation where a sector of government or society makes progress in international relations and another undoes whatever good that is being done.
There may be foreign students who stay here for five years and yet do not have the opportunity to interact with Malaysians and experience Malaysian hospitality. A few institutions and organisations have made foreign students welcome but such initiatives are not enough.
As we prepare to welcome more foreign students, we have to get our act together in the public and private domains.
Business associations, civic associations and individual institutions can begin programmes to foster opportunities for foreign students to stay with families during their studies here.
In the long run, such hospitality may be more memorable for the students than the impersonal messages and lessons in lecture halls.
We can do more as an enlightened and caring society. We donate to other countries and get publicity and media coverage but we do not address the opportunity at our doorstep to add value to the experience of foreign students in our midst.
When we send our children abroad, we want our children to have the opportunity of knowing other families in the host country. The British Council and other organisations have organised homestays for foreign students.
Beyond the rhetoric of our global leadership, there are rich intercultural and multinational experiences which we are not leveraging on.
To be real global leaders, our people must build bridges with authentic care with the students we have invited as our intellectual guests.
Besides learning from us, thousands of foreign students are engaged in knowledge generation at masters and doctoral levels and in other types of knowledge production though collaborative research.
In schools and universities, there have been cases of vicious and humiliating racial, religious and cultural denigration.
Stereotyping has now been recognised as an ugly matter of disrespect and discrimination against others who are not like us, towards the young, the elderly, the handicapped, women, and the minorities.
We do not even tolerate the once popular song, Anneke Gronloh's Burung Kakak Tua, because we do not want children to make fun of or disrespect the elderly through the lyrics of the song which say "elders who have only two teeth left (giginya tinggal dua)".
We criticise the Americans, in particular, for stereotyping and profiling Muslims and those from Muslim countries.
Yet, in the media, if not in the official domain, we are beginning to do just like or more than the Americans (because so far, no foreigner has taken legal action).
Recently, there has been a spate of stereotyping and profiling of foreigners, in particular students, in Malaysia by the media. Students from a particular country are stereotyped as drug traffickers, from another country as prostitutes and from other countries as drunkards, molesters, conmen and frauds.
True, there are cases reported in the media of such individuals taken to court. But transgressions by these individuals do not equate to transgressions by a race, religion or nation.
Recruitment agents and officials have travelled the world to get these students into our institutions of higher learning. Typically, some of the media groups, in search of audiences, sensationalise their stories.
Typically, academia in search of truth is cautious. Typically, lay people respond candidly regarding their fear of foreigners and crimes by foreign students when given cue questions by those who look for "scoops".
Foreign students are neither tourists nor immigrant labour. They are long-term guests here. Officials, the authorities and the responsible citizenry must not play to the gallery and reaffirm media sensationalism.
If we continue to do so, we will develop xenophobia. We should get our act together instead of creating a cultural and intellectual distance and a subculture of fear of foreign students.
When we send our students abroad, we say that they are the ambassadors of our country. Likewise, the parents of students and the nations which send their students here regard them as ambassadors of their countries.
We say that our students will be leaders of tomorrow. Foreign students, too, will be leaders of tomorrow for their societies, nationally and globally.
They will be politicians, businessmen and businesswomen, civil servants and all kinds of professionals. Foreign students are our relational assets, our alumni in global networking and our ties with the outside world.
We should put our act together and develop enlightened policies and develop our own cultural refinements.
Most of the 100,000 foreign students are willing learners who invest in their learning here and are very good in focusing on their studies. Our educational institutions have created opportunities for every one of them.
We should not allow a situation where a sector of government or society makes progress in international relations and another undoes whatever good that is being done.
There may be foreign students who stay here for five years and yet do not have the opportunity to interact with Malaysians and experience Malaysian hospitality. A few institutions and organisations have made foreign students welcome but such initiatives are not enough.
As we prepare to welcome more foreign students, we have to get our act together in the public and private domains.
Business associations, civic associations and individual institutions can begin programmes to foster opportunities for foreign students to stay with families during their studies here.
In the long run, such hospitality may be more memorable for the students than the impersonal messages and lessons in lecture halls.
We can do more as an enlightened and caring society. We donate to other countries and get publicity and media coverage but we do not address the opportunity at our doorstep to add value to the experience of foreign students in our midst.
When we send our children abroad, we want our children to have the opportunity of knowing other families in the host country. The British Council and other organisations have organised homestays for foreign students.
Beyond the rhetoric of our global leadership, there are rich intercultural and multinational experiences which we are not leveraging on.
To be real global leaders, our people must build bridges with authentic care with the students we have invited as our intellectual guests.
Besides learning from us, thousands of foreign students are engaged in knowledge generation at masters and doctoral levels and in other types of knowledge production though collaborative research.
Read more:An ugly matter of disrespect - Columnist - New Straits Timeshttp://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/an-ugly-matter-of-disrespect-1.44434#ixzz2JKesWO9U
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