It’s been great seeing a lot of tweets discussing racism in #Brunei & I’ve been thinking a lot about my experience with racism — whether I’ve been on the receiving end or I’ve been racist myself/used race to demean others in the past.
Racism in Brunei does not surprise me & it shouldn’t surprise anyone. Just look at our national philosophy that has not been changed for the past 36 years to be more inclusive despite the multitude of races & religions that now identify as “Bruneian”.
Any brown Bruneian will tell you they’ve been called “kaling” at least once in their lifetime & I am no exception. You’ll tell me “That’s horrible” & you’re sorry it happened but when was the last time you corrected someone who said kedai kaling instead of kedai runcit?
Use your privilege as a majority race to create a more equal society, one where being Bruneian is not confined to one race & religion. The day Brunei fully embraces its diversity may not be the day racism ends here, but it’ll be a huge step forward for us as a society.
If I ever do have children, I want them to grow up in a society where they’re not bullied/mistreated & thought of as third class citizens because of the way they look, the colour of their skin or what they believe in — that’s not too much to ask for in #Brunei is it?
