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All this years, some of us try at our behest at countering unfair assumptions and blatant ignorance, and today, even though I may not have been there, I still felt that feeling of emptiness and helplessness inside.
Was sleepin in at Honours Room, when suddenly the guys from one of e level 4 modules came back from class at about 11plus. And Hafiz who came in first, flicked all e lights open and then launched a mini tirade (not at me) but at what happened in class. Needless to say, though I was sitting down on that still ’sleep-inducing’ sofa, or the fact that my dishevelled hair was there for all to see, looking a tad groggy still, I felt that thrust of his assertions.
At some point of time in my NUS life, I have grown accustomed to blurry eyed opinions from year 1’s or other ignorant individuals about several issues. I have long realised too that you cant really blame a non-Malay for not knowing about how the view looks from a Malay perspective, cos simply put, why would they bother?
But from the accounts given today by the various individuals, Malay and Chinese, from the History Honours Cohort that i dearly love, I felt sad, for even in Honour Year, ignorance is still free-flowing. One said “We have SAP schools for the Chinese but you all have Mendaki what? It shows that theres no discrimination.” The other said, “But Malays are fully subsidised what?” (something along those lines). Mendaki and culturally inclined Chinese SAP schools? The comparison shouldnt even be made in the first place, cos these two entities are very much different from each other. Malays subisidised? Have you been reading? Crux of the matter was, how could a non-well-read non-Malay, who is obviously smoking his/her way through, think that he/she know more about Malay issues than an Honours Level Malay would? Granted, even in this Honours Level, there are people from our community still dumb and ignorant, still making assumptions, still believing in fallacies. The effect is more jarring though for it comes from a couple of History Honours students, people who are supposed to be more learned and experienced, who even perhaps would go on to lead society, still having all this while, those assumptions in mind.
I am sad because, all these years, a coterie of people still struggle on, and from time to time, stones are thrown at them, not knowing when the fire that still burns inside would fade away as jadedness or lethargy comes into play. The challenges from within and from without. We are defending those who or not able to speak, who do not even know that we are defending them, and yes, why would most elites from university and pampered homes care? Their lives are hallowed turfs and their career paths already adorned with roses and what nots.
But for now, in the face of such injustices, to a non-Malay, I would just smile, and then systematically dissect and debunk it, for them, its the only way I know how.
I actually took note of the Arena debate on television today between Madrasah Al-Maarif and the Singapore American School. Part of me was interested to know how the madrasah would fare, and thus I sat down with inquisitive intent in the Honours Room, along with Amy and David, to watch the exchanges. The Madrasah lost in the end, but i was quietly impressed with the way they went about during the debate, of course with some minor hiccups here and there.
That said the question of the madrasahs is quite an intriguing issue. Admittedly, in all the discourses or essays that I’ve done, coverage on issues pertaining to madrasahs is minimal at best. The question however gains added relevance, cos’ a few weeks ago, my cousin actually asked me about the comparative differences between going to a madrasah and a junior college. This cousin comes from a family that adopts the practise of going to madrasah for education. Recently, the youngest female in the family, scored sterlingly for her ‘O’ Levels, with a score that could qualify her for the upper echelons of JC’s. So, I gave this cousin of mine my views, but always with the hovering scepter of her not being able to wear the tudung if her sister do opt to go to the JC. She finally decided to go to poly to study a module in banking and financial services. The fundamental question however is that, because of a rigidity of the system, we make it much more difficult for a person from a madrasah to take that theoretically more direct route to university, via the JC.
Is it not enough that these select group of people, have to juggle between subjects applicable for “O” Levels consideration and also those based more in theology? Now we give those that do very well in the “O” Levels a choice that they should not have had to make in the first place. Let’s not even talk about that main Muslim body who says they are articulating our concerns, we all know how ‘effective’ the body is.
No one is asking for a revolution, but perhaps the idea is of a social change, to make it easier for this select group of individuals to make their way up the social leader, secular or not. People talk about opportunities, then by all means, give them that.
The various madrasahs have a proud tradition ranging back even during the colonial epoch, each with their founding legends, each with their famous patrons. They have to be lauded for stoically standing their ground, juggling perhaps 2 times more subject matter than any normal government student does, and for those who finally do succeed to university, they should be made role models, because their route is much harder than us, devoid of scholarships or teaching awards.
Not a revolution, but a reevaluation…..
