Colour Blind.

One of the first clubs I went, to coming back to Malaysia was Rainforest, located just in front of Sunway Pyramid in Petaling Jaya. There was a bunch of African blacks there dancing away, as my friends and me sat with some other chinese customers, as distant from them as possible. As security goes, we try not to even look at them, and prefer to watch the Manchester United vs Birmingham match which was shown on the screen. They are foreigners, but this is also how we treat our blacks.

My experience with the Indians in Malaysia is riddled with mixed emotions. My best friend's boyfriend is an Indian, and I recall all the problems she has with him. Indians are probably the worst possible offenders in treatment of transsexuals in Malaysia, ranging from producing derogatory remarks to violence. I had also been at the end of such acts, having my car scribbled with graffiti to being molested. At the same time however, some of my good friends are Indians.

The crime rates in Malaysia is also pointing a lot of African blacks being involved, and even Malaysian Indians are not spared. Whenever there is a robbery or murder, the suspect is often pointed to our dark coloured fellow human beings. As my former employer and good friend always say which I agree, a lot of Indians are drunkards, and wife abusers. One of my ex workmates I overheard have bruises all over and lost a few teeth due to the endless beatings from her boyfriend.

There is something about blacks that somehow compound our deepest fears. When the AIDS epidemic surfaced back in the early 1980's, way before the religious right blamed homosexuals for it by calling it gay cancer, it was a well known fact that the HIV was carried across the seas by either Haitians or African blacks. Yes, it is the blacks again. But I wonder is it our own prejudice that caused our own discrimination. Or are they really that dangerous part of human civilization.

The recent worry of the government is the big amount of naïve Malaysian women cheated into becoming drug mules. Many of those arrested recalls their stories of how they were lured into friendships with African men who ask them to carry things across the Pacific to friends, or offered them jobs to travel overseas under a lucrative package, without knowing what was packed inside the luggages. Middle Eastern men was implicated but the volume seems louder towards African blacks.

Back home, both Malaysian Indians are African blacks are usually involved actively in gangsterism. Pimps from the African black community are also rampant, especially around the Bangsar area, ready to offer money and drinks to unsuspecting girls who are eventually lured into the sex trade by them. And when there are fights at any pubs, it is usually Indians who are involved. In fact, in every pub or club I went to, the most unruly people who disrupt all the fun are always Malaysian Indians.

I do not wish to say more, but the statistics and the reality are really not good towards people who are blacks. While we idolize the black Americans in the US, with the sounds of Timberland one of my favourite pieces of musical masterpieces to listen to and Denzel Washington one of the actors I like to watch, the sad fact is when you are staying in the United States, many of the crimes committed there are also by blacks, and many forgot American blacks are from African heritage.

My good friend who is a Malaysian Indian and owns a curry house told me that Indians are ruining their own reputations because they have no choice. A huge lot of them are living below the poverty line, which is why they choose to live a rouge life. I cited Tamil movies with all its violence as a bad influence, but he reminded me that there are also a fair share of gun slinging and fighting in Chinese movies as well which is true. So what does it all come down to then? The colour black.

As the recent demonstration in Malaysia points out to us, blacks are a deeply marginalized community, not only in Malaysia, but everywhere. Yes, they may have a police record larger than the yellow pages, but have we ever thought what have we done to push most of them to live in such deplorable standards? Are we the ones who placed them into boxes until they had to use means up to violence to shred the box to pieces? Could society be better if we learnt to be colour blind?

One the parallel lines, I see very clear similarities between transsexuals and Indians. Most transsexuals have no choice but to resort to prostitution; and in the same breath, Indians have no choice but to live off crime. Some transsexuals are lucky enough to be given stereotype jobs such as salons, as with Indians driving lorries and carrying goods. Those who are fortunate transsexuals and Indians, the ones who are blessed with education, we run away from this country for better pastures.

Both communities are insecure people. Both often turn to drugs and alcohol to relieve the pains. Both groups are a community often not given opportunities like medical health care, better living conditions, and proper jobs because of we are minorities. Sometimes I do think, what can we do to contribute to the world to make a better place. One of that, is love. But sadly, the world is now materialistic and realistic enough not to believe in love anymore. I personally hope it is not too late.

I spent some time with my best friend's boyfriend the other day, and I find him to be a nice boy. Children like him, and except for the occasional temper he could be a nice gentlemen. He is responsible at work, driving miles and miles on the lorry for his boss. He is also a fine pool player. He is a good person. If we had give him, Indians, or blacks around the world, more opportunities, just ponder their potential contribution to society. What goes around, would always come around.