SO another shop in Johor has attracted attention for its “Malays only” policy. 

While there are some differences in the reasoning behind the practice – this was a marketing decision on the basis of language rather than religion, according to the shop’s manager – one cannot help but compare it with the Muar laundrette a couple of months ago, which was ordered shut down by the sultan. 

Once again we will wait for political leaders to say something, or for authorities to step in and clarify the matter over this discriminatory practice, but we won’t be surprised if and when nothing happens. 

We can observe a clear divide on social media. This type of story is, after all, destined to go viral. 

But there is only one of two outcomes, either:-

1. The non-racists, let’s call them liberals for the sake of argument, feel good about their colour blind ways. 

Their reaction is one of amusement, “look at these backward narrow minded idiots”, or worry – “what is the country coming to?” 

They might click like. Share. Their conviction becomes stronger when their post garners a few likes, and when they see similar opinions on their feed. 

2. Another outcome is the racists, let’s call them bigots for the sake of argument, feel further disenchanted. 

Their reaction is one of anger, “look at the biased liberal media vilifying us again. Everything Malays/muslims do is wrong. When Chinese companies hire only Chinese people, why doesn’t anyone complain?” 

They see the country’s unity as nothing more than a farce, and they are the victims here. They would worry too, for different reasons – worry about their position in the country, and their future. 

They’d click like too. Share. Similar comments on their feed make them bolder in their beliefs. 

In both scenarios, we can see the story itself – reported “as is”, without editorialisation from any media that published it – polarises people based on their own prior beliefs. 

Social media has a way of skewing our worldview so we think what we see on our timeline is representative of society at large. 

We’re mostly unaware online, even with the internet being touted as the ultimate democratisation of media, we live in our own digital bubbles, blissfully ignorant of opinions too different from our own. 

This is one of the reasons why the results of GE13 were such a surprise to urban dwellers who were sure the opposition would take Putrajaya. 

Or how the hateful nugget of a reality TV star came to sit in the Oval Office despite being sorely (even bigly) unqualified compared to his opponent. 

Or how neo-Nazis and white supremacists in the US over the last few months have found courage to step out from the shadows. 

The people clicking like and share and spouting their own opinions online, whether reasonable voices of moderation or hateful vitriol, are all unheard or ignored by the other side. 

If we as a people are to have any hope of being a progressive, united society, we have to start listening and talking to each other. 

Dismissing another’s opinion, or calling them bigots or liberals or kafirs, gets us nowhere. 

What I would also suggest to news outlets and organisations, even though they are themselves competing for the likes and shares and tweets, is to stop treating these incidents as newsworthy.

In today’s post-print era, the media may not be successful in telling readers what to think, but they still have a part in telling readers what to think about. 

What we must remember is the May 13, 1969 riots did not happen out of the blue – it was the culmination of simmering tensions allowed to boil over. 

The kind of news dominating conversations and newsfeeds only serves to ground us in our own conviction, thanking our lucky stars “we” are not like “them”. 

We have to stop seeing fellow Malaysians as the “other”, if we are to have any hope of moving forward. – November 11, 2017.

* Nadia Mahmud reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.