Racial Sentiments..Very Unlikely

I had never grew upor brought up having racial sentiments towards other races. I respect and tolerate other people's religion as I was brought up not to ever to have prejudism or any racial sentiments towards ant race. No worries, this entry would not be some crappy racist entry but more of how we should respect each other as human beings not because of our colour.

I really do not understand how people can be racist or prejudice and not tolerate other people's belief and race. Why I say that is because, this year alone I had encountered this sticky situation, twice. I find it hard to reconcile in my brain, how can we, Malaysians, living in a multicultural community can become intolerant to one's belief. How can a person be labelled incompetent and unsuitable for a job, not because of his or her ability, experience, competencies, education background or other related capabilities in seeking for a job, but rather be access due to his/her race. Funny isn't it but reality bites, that is what had happened to me, my friends.

Take for instance this one scenario that I have experienced. I was contacted via email urging me to call to set up an interview for this job that I enquired on. So, I did just that, called them up. Then, they told me that they were looking foward to meet up and have an interview with me. So, to cut the story short, I was set with an interview, the following day. When I arrived at the premise, I went up to the receptionist to introduce myself and asked to see the HR Manager that I had an appointment with. I handed her my CV together with duplicated copies of my certs. She then noted down my name, took my resume and told me to sit down while she called the person that I was scheduled to see, to know the next course of action. At first, I could hear her voice telling the other person on the line, that I was already at the lobby. Then, out of sudden, I felt like her voice was getting softer by the second and by the end of it all, I couldn't decipher what she was mumbling over the phone.

10 Minutes passed...nothing, no reaction from anybody. I waited anxiously for any movement or for someone to call out my name or whatsoever. I kept looking at the receptionist but I could see that she was trying to avoid whatsoever eye contact with me. Hmm..something smells fishy but I was still optimistic, hey..they were the one who were so anxious and persistent that I come for the interview. Tak pe Ya, wait so more, but I felt really uncomfortable with the "chi" that I am sensing across the room. I continued to pretend to be oblivious to my surrounding and continue reading intensely to a 2004 issue of some crappy Free Health Magazine. However, I didn't fail to notice that there were no Malays in the whole organization except for the cheerful tea lady who was kind enough to offer me a drink.

20 minutes passed, now I am getting kinda irritated that my presence seems to be ignored, like I was just some potted plant sitting at one corner looking pathetic. So, I decided to go up to the receptionist and asked, how long more I had to wait and who was I supposedly waiting for me. Not even wanting to establish eye contact, this A-Moi dresses very the Ah-Lian like said to the monitor of her computer, You wait aaa, they got meeting..

I almost gave up after 45 minutes of waiting (yeahh, I was that tolerant) when that A-Moi of Receptionist said to me, Miss, You wait at Room No 3. I looked around and asked her. "And where is that?" Still my eyes was still wondering around looking for room No 3, just incase it was in my face but I was too annoyed to notice it. She said "You go straight, turn right and when you see the blue door, don't go in, walk straight and you open the door next to the black door, go up the stairs and Room No 3 is the no-3 room on your left" I paused for a while trying to get it all into my head. So I said to her, "up the stairs and its the 3rd room on my left". She said no3 room..I said to my self..Duhhh Bite Me!!

Then finally I was in Room 3. It was a small cubicle sized room filled with boxes of god knows what. I could have sworn I smell the odour of a dead lizard. After again waiting for 15 minutes, to muy surprise, the HR Manager was the chick that was seating two tables behind the receptionist. She wasn't in a meeting, she was there all along and didn't move an inch throughout my waiting there.

She didn't establish positive eye contact and her body language was very hostile. So, I said, what the heck, I wasn't keen in joining this moronic Organization even if it paid me 1/2 a mil monthly. So, not wanting to hold back anymore, I said " Don't mind me asking but why is that everyone here seems very hostile and unfriendly? Do you have anything against me? Look, I didn't want this job, you guys came looking for me, so what's the deal?". She paused, looked up to me and said "Actually we donno you are a Malay, I thot you are Eurasian, you sound like that..You English too good for Malay." I was beyond stunned although I could see that it was coming from the very beginning? Huh? Nursoraya Abd Rahman sounds Eurasian to you??? She paused and said "But your email and the way you talk on the phone like Eurasian, then when you come you are a Malay with tudung, so we donno what to do. Our Boss don't LIKE Malays working here.

Ya Rabbi at that time I felt like slapping the bitch and passing some sarcastic remarks , but I said to myself, No I am not going to be as petty as they are. So, I asked to see the GM or whoever is in charge. She had no choice but to oblige. So, to cut the story sort I went in to see him and he told me that the CEO didn't like Malays working for him. I said why? He said very leceh, a lot of excuses, cannot do work cannot speak English well, cannot interact well. Then I said to him :then, what do you call me then and wow your English is certainly beyond impressive??" He was perplexed beyond words..I gave him a piece of my mind which all sums up to - You live in my f#$^&*@ country and your CEO is making money from the resources and my people and how there you instill such racial sentiments in your company. You should have this sign at your lobby " No Malaus beyond this point" Makes things easy for my people and I don't have to waste my time waiting like a dumb fool. He has that dumbfonded look, and I left..

I left the company feeling annoyed, not because I didnt get the job but more of why on earth is this still happening in our country, and this a multi-national company owned by a foreigner making the big bucks from our people, our country.. This was my 3rd experinece encountering racial sentiments siruations like this. Ya Allah, never imagined how these people capitalize on us yet look down on our people not more than just a speck. I felt beyong insulted..spasm to the max..

Like Mr President as I would like to call him, Obama, I feel for him, everyday he's dealing with crap like this, I feel for him. Being coloured, underestimated and ridicule are some of the many crap he is facing everyday, day in day out and even constant death threats. I have high respect towards him and I know, he's the Man who would finally make a difference.

Comments anyone?