THERE has been a flurry of outrage against the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd. The subsequent violent protests in many parts of the US have caught the world’s attention. The hashtag #BLM – Black Lives Matter – is used all over social media.

Malaysians have been no different. Many were quick to condemn the killing and denounce racism. And yet, there have been a few who made light of the issue, and a former Miss Malaysia comes to mind. But this isn’t about her. Her story doesn’t deserve the pixels to “print” it on the screen.

Instead, let’s zoom in on a far bigger problem in our country. A problem that many of us choose to ignore, or perhaps, have just come to accept. A problem that stems from the powers that be, reaching down to each and every one of us. That’s right. Us. The word for this problem is bigotry.

A simpler term is prejudice, but that doesn’t quite cover it. Bigotry is much stronger, and often accompanied by discriminatory or untoward behaviour. Something that, quite sadly, is prevalent in our country today. Think about it for a second, perhaps even a minute, before saying you’re not in the same boat.

How many of you have discriminated against or stereotyped a person of another race? You know the drill – one group is lazy, another is interested only in money, and yet another group comprises thugs or drunkards. It has become so commonplace that I bet each of us knows exactly what I am talking about.

How many of you have silently cursed at someone, and used their ethnicity as part of that curse? How many of you have commented on someone’s success and attributed it to purely to their race? How many of you have sardonically said someone deserves misfortune because of their race? How many Malaysian parents still frown upon mixed marriage? You see where I am going with this?

It doesn’t stop at racism, but extends to religious biases as well. We are quick to make disparaging remarks about another person’s religion. Hardly anyone takes the trouble to learn about other religions, choosing instead to dismiss them as “wrong”. When all religions teach peace and love, isn’t it ironic that people opt to fight over whose religion is “right” or “better”? It’s even more ironic when you consider the amount of hate speech out there, especially on social media. Doesn’t this go directly against every religious doctrine?

There are more questions you need to ask yourself. How many of you think a woman is not as capable as a man? How many of you think it’s okay for a man to have multiple partners, but not for a woman to do the same? How many of you think that a woman’s place is at home, and not at work? How many of you show no respect towards women? How many of you have an inherent prejudice against the LGBT community? How many of you distance yourselves from someone after finding out that they are gay or bisexual? How many of you are reluctant to hug them or shake their hand, for fear that their “gayness” may be transmitted to you?

How many of you are xenophobic, especially when it comes to foreign workers? How many of you cross the road when you see a foreign worker approaching? How many of you treat foreign workers differently, and look down on them? How many of you even bother to smile or greet them? Are they beneath you? But of course, if the foreigner is white, we all turn on our wonderful Malaysian hospitality. Have we forgotten that for most of us, at some point, our ancestors were also foreign workers trying to eke out a living and provide for their families?

All of these are happening. Let’s not pretend they aren’t. I could go on, but I think the point has been made.

I dare say, we have a disease that may be far worse than Covid-19. It is a disease of the spirit, of the soul, and no vaccine or quarantine can cure this. It doesn’t help when the powers that be have, for the longest time, been using race and religion to get votes and boost their popularity. While we may be nowhere close to what is happening in the US, we still have a huge problem on our hands, and by choosing to ignore it, we are simply contributing to the great Malaysian hypocrisy.

Racism, sexism, religious prejudice, homophobia, xenophobia, and perhaps, even classism and ageism. These are all prejudices that make you a bigot. Perhaps, not a nice thing to be called, and maybe even harsh, but if you discriminate against or are intolerant of anyone for whatever reason, you are a bigot. It’s as simple as that.

Some may say this is a universal problem, but that doesn’t make it right or acceptable. The power to make this country, and by extension, the world, a better place is actually in your hands. It’s time to right the wrongs. And it all starts with you. – June 3, 2020.

* Dharm Navaratnam 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.