A recent article in the Straits Times caused much furore online with many finding the article to be rather abrasive in its presentation. Titled “48 per cent of drug offenders held last year were Malay”, it was accompanied with a picture of 5 Malay youths dressed in traditional attire. Perhaps a pictorial explanation would do better to illustrate this :
An online version of the article without the picture can also be found at this address: (http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20121115-383659.html )
On a superficial level, it is not difficult to understand what so many people found to be offensive. The article, purely on the basis of its title seems to suggest that Malays have a higher tendency to be drug offenders. It is a brutish means of presentation, devoid of both tact and a sensitivity that should accompany any issue that deals with race, ethnicity, religion or culture. The choice of picture merely worsens the rampant insensitivity. By using a picture of Malay youths in traditional attire, it almost suggests that there is a cultural causal factor that needs to be addressed and that Malays are culturally predisposed towards drug abuse.
The article itself is not blatantly insensitive and it would be almost ridiculous to claim that there is a racist agenda as has been suggested by some online. Rather it is somewhat reflective of an insensitive and somewhat naive style of reporting that should not be acceptable from a newspaper that claims a high standard of journalism. Recently, a satirical movie, “Sex.Violence.FamilyValues” was banned for “racial references which are demeaning and offensive.” Surely then, our media needs to find a balance that properly articulates its stand on race, culture and religion. If satirical racist commentary, often meant to mock the very words it articulates is deemed racist, then surely the article in the Straits Times is unacceptable in terms of its presentation.
However, above and beyond a superficial level, this article is symptomatic of a bigger problem that affects society in Singapore. As a nation, we must stop viewing issues from a racial or cultural perspective. Let us look at this article for example. We are informed from the get-go that 48% of drug offenders are Malay. Is there any benefit from such a statistic? Are we to believe that there is a cultural impetus at play that causes this particular phenomenon? If we are told in another article that 38% of alcoholics in Singapore are Indian, is there any rational argument that would explain that Indian culture promotes the drinking of alcohol excessively?
Our society I would argue needs to re-evaluate how it views and stratifies society, and by extension we perceive problems and issues within general society. Problems such as drug abuse, alcoholism and crime rates are general social problems that must be dealt without a racial or cultural perspective. If more Malays, Indians, Chinese or Africans for that matter benefit from a certain policy, then it is beneficial to that group but more importantly, it is beneficial to society in its entirety.
The real problems in this society find their basis in socio-economic divisions and fractures, not cultural or racial differences. Our policies and approach must understand this fundamental concern and our policies must adapt to address these concerns. Whilst it may be true that certain racial groups lag behind in terms of socio-economic growth, the policies and approach adopted by our countries should not be communal but rather focused on general upliftment that would address inequality regardless of racial and cultural differences.
A racial approach to social issues is no longer relevant in our society today and it merely serves to articulate and entrench racial and cultural stereotypes. Instead, we must attempt to adopt policies that address the social-economic inequalities from a societal level. The real fracture isnt between Mariamman and Mohammed, it lies between the Maserati and the MRT.
Pravin Prakash
The Social Swami
The Social Swami 
Minority Report
In Political Commentary, Pravin Prakash, Social Commentary on November 19, 2012 at 8:49 pmA recent article in the Straits Times caused much furore online with many finding the article to be rather abrasive in its presentation. Titled “48 per cent of drug offenders held last year were Malay”, it was accompanied with a picture of 5 Malay youths dressed in traditional attire. Perhaps a pictorial explanation would do better to illustrate this :
An online version of the article without the picture can also be found at this address: (http://news.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20121115-383659.html )
On a superficial level, it is not difficult to understand what so many people found to be offensive. The article, purely on the basis of its title seems to suggest that Malays have a higher tendency to be drug offenders. It is a brutish means of presentation, devoid of both tact and a sensitivity that should accompany any issue that deals with race, ethnicity, religion or culture. The choice of picture merely worsens the rampant insensitivity. By using a picture of Malay youths in traditional attire, it almost suggests that there is a cultural causal factor that needs to be addressed and that Malays are culturally predisposed towards drug abuse.
The article itself is not blatantly insensitive and it would be almost ridiculous to claim that there is a racist agenda as has been suggested by some online. Rather it is somewhat reflective of an insensitive and somewhat naive style of reporting that should not be acceptable from a newspaper that claims a high standard of journalism. Recently, a satirical movie, “Sex.Violence.FamilyValues” was banned for “racial references which are demeaning and offensive.” Surely then, our media needs to find a balance that properly articulates its stand on race, culture and religion. If satirical racist commentary, often meant to mock the very words it articulates is deemed racist, then surely the article in the Straits Times is unacceptable in terms of its presentation.
However, above and beyond a superficial level, this article is symptomatic of a bigger problem that affects society in Singapore. As a nation, we must stop viewing issues from a racial or cultural perspective. Let us look at this article for example. We are informed from the get-go that 48% of drug offenders are Malay. Is there any benefit from such a statistic? Are we to believe that there is a cultural impetus at play that causes this particular phenomenon? If we are told in another article that 38% of alcoholics in Singapore are Indian, is there any rational argument that would explain that Indian culture promotes the drinking of alcohol excessively?
Our society I would argue needs to re-evaluate how it views and stratifies society, and by extension we perceive problems and issues within general society. Problems such as drug abuse, alcoholism and crime rates are general social problems that must be dealt without a racial or cultural perspective. If more Malays, Indians, Chinese or Africans for that matter benefit from a certain policy, then it is beneficial to that group but more importantly, it is beneficial to society in its entirety.
The real problems in this society find their basis in socio-economic divisions and fractures, not cultural or racial differences. Our policies and approach must understand this fundamental concern and our policies must adapt to address these concerns. Whilst it may be true that certain racial groups lag behind in terms of socio-economic growth, the policies and approach adopted by our countries should not be communal but rather focused on general upliftment that would address inequality regardless of racial and cultural differences.
A racial approach to social issues is no longer relevant in our society today and it merely serves to articulate and entrench racial and cultural stereotypes. Instead, we must attempt to adopt policies that address the social-economic inequalities from a societal level. The real fracture isnt between Mariamman and Mohammed, it lies between the Maserati and the MRT.
Pravin Prakash
The Social Swami