I honestly wanted to not be a part of this conversation, since an uncomfortable number of my friends thinks the issue isn’t racist. It’s not great for my anxiety to confront people I know.

But if I don’t do it, I’d be letting down myself and everyone who needed my privileged Chinese ass to speak up. I’m a pretty relaxed guy on race jokes. If you’ve ever seen one of my videos, you’d know. Yet even I can tell when things have gone too far.

Table of Contents

    Is it Racist? (Spoilers: Yes)

    The Malay cut-out set up by PA recently is not just racist, it is one of the most blatantly systemic racist thing I have ever seen in Singapore.

    There’s a reason why blackface and cultural costumes have become a hugely racial tinderbox in the last decade. And it’s because people are finally coming to their senses and realizing that people aren’t costume.

    Somehow, that memo hasn’t reached Singapore yet.

    Cultures Aren’t Costumes

    See, if you grew up here, you’d know what’s it like to dress in cultural clothings. We’ve done it in schools, on holiday visits, and celebrations. Those were supposed to be classes on racial unity. Yet a disconcerting number of us took the wrong idea from those lessons.

    From @sarhbagharib’s Instagram. I implore everyone to read the full letter.

    Let’s put aside the issue that the cut-out was of a wrong clothing – wedding instead of Hari Raya. The most egregious part was thinking that one can turn an entire race and culture into nothing more than an attraction, like some photo opportunity at Disneyland.

    Cultural clothings aren’t something you just put on to take selfies with. It’s to be understood and respected. You don’t see me wearing a songkok just because I think it’s a dope ass hat.

    Is It REALLY Racist? (Spoilers: Still Yes)

    Also, the majority don’t get to decide what’s racist to the minority! The minority does. If a large portion of the minority race or culture says something is racist, then it’s racist. If you punch me, you don’t get to decide if it hurts. I do.

    Even if it was just accidentally racist at the start, or “culturally insensitive”, when People’s Association withdrew from meeting up with the affected couple and retracted their apology, it is full-blown racism. Because then they knew they were wrong, and decided, “No”.

    Accidental racism is still racism. And if people can’t accept that, then you’re no longer accidentally racist, you just are.

    Bonus: Who Is Sarah Bagharib?

    Sarah is the lady in the cut-out. She is also amazing. If you think she’s just some random lady who got offended, you couldn’t be more wrong.

    She’s a journalist who has worked with the BBC and Al Jazeera. She founded CrazyCat, a women empowerment organization. She has spoken at TEDx and is a humanitarian communicator. She’s a Professional in her field with a capital “P”.

    Her qualification means quite simply, when she says this is racist, it’s racist. She’s literally an authority on it.