RACISM!
WORSENING INDONESIA-MALAYSIA RELATION
Much have been written about contemporary political tension between Indonesia and Malaysia and they have turned on similar interfierence that problems around Indonesia’s domestic workers (TKI) triggered the current tension (The Jakarta Post, Nov 22, 2007). It is Indonesian government’s failure to take a practical firm action to protect more than 2,6 millions of TKI on one hand, and the attitude of Malaysian government to TKI which appears to have extremely inhuman on the other hand, which accounts the problem. However, I never understand why Malaysians could do physical torture to our domestic workers.
Here, I am talking about those who, as I write this, are screaming in pain because of the majikan’s (master’s ) physical and racial mistreatments. We might still remember Ceriati, a TKI who was bruised and jumped from the 2delapan floor using a fabric chain. This time, I am taking about those who comes from remote area, who are only graduated from elementary school without sufficient English mastery, who are facing discriminatory practices, who finally are exploited in a poor working conditions, who are facing death penalty, who are employed as maids and always fooled to the point of accepting inequities. And unfortunately those people have to have a new name; “indon“.
Well, it is human nature to be racist to some degree but what a funny thing that people from the same Malay clump and family take racial stereotype to look down the sibling others? However, this condition truly produced structured inequities and distinctions of difference between Malaysian masters from Indonesian workers. The sad thing is that, this word is likely used to address Indonesian people at large. Personally I haven’t been called as Indons (I dont know later) but in September 2004 when I with my 2 Indonesian friends came across Malaysian border in Johor Bahru, the imigration officer asked them; “Kamu indon ya?” (You are indon, right?). It was surely iritating but such thing has been widely used indeed.
Lately, Indonesian previous Foreign Affairs Minister commented that the word Indon has been commonly used in Malaysian media (Ali Alatas; 2007) and this pejorative word surely engages with issues regarding racism and as its consequence, it devalues humanity. Those conditions truly contribute a strong backing to angry protesters of Indonesian. To that end, it is quite normal that contemporary Jakartans started propounding the word Malek instead of Malaysian as a feedback of Malaysian indon’s construction. However, both of these terms tend to be popular in common usage. Indons and Malek are yet sliped words which share nothing then carrying pejorative meaning to one and another. Negative perseption to one and another is then indisputable.
We should have learned from our historical knowledge where many similar grounds have been constituted. White people have Paki for Paskitany, Niger for Nigerian, Malay peopleincluding Malaysiaas inlander and Indonesia has bule for white people. This reference also has similar grounds to 17th to 19th century racism where the arena for political and colonial dominance were crossed. In ancient Rome we have patricians, knights, plebelian and slaves. In the middle ages we have feudal lords- vassals, guild-masters- journeyman, apprentices and so on. Now, Malaysia just propounded its political and economical leverage to propose a new subordinate gradations towards our people by their indons creation. If we review the track record of past racism, Malaysian proposal becomes a drawback that need to be addressed.
It is not TKI per se that produces Indon. There are a number of historical, sociological and phycological background. Malaysia’s progressive claiming towards Indonesian traditional properties contributes so much on racism trouble. At this end, the claiming surely runs counter toward what they mean by ‘Truly Asia’, doesn’t it? People’s hatred towards Malaysian current behavior also expressed in quite same manner. In Jakarta, we easily can see people wearing T-shirt full of slipped-words such as Maling-sia (literally means Thief), Malek (Ugly Malaysia) and many more. This references cited above suggest a progressive story of racism.
Compared to our neighbouring countries, Indonesia has indeed everthing it takes to be the sites of cultural heritage in Asia and and to be the prime position as the representative of Malay culture. But now we have lost favour and Malaysia has much in present. We might see that Malaysian are irrespective and thankless to Indonesia, but I would rather see it the other way around. Let us be honest! We should even thank to Malaysia because they have put consciousness to our national community of our disfaithfulness to our own uncountable traditional properties which we have completely abandonned. More pointedly, we should take up this issues as an awakening back up to re-constitute our nationalist spirit for our national interest. Surely we don’t want to be called as Indons in one side, and it is not civilized enough to call Malaysian either Malek or Malingsia.
Vissia Ita Yulianto
INSPICIO, a goverment tink-tank
She is the author of Pesona “Barat” di Indonesia.
She can be reached at vissia_ita@yahoo.com
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