“My family regularly goes on a vege diet because CNY falls on a new moon day. If you look at real Chinese, they eat anything. It’s only in Malaysia that we have this zealousness about pork because it’s a differentiating factor between us and them.” Sybreon

I’d like to understand viewers’ opinion as to how religion creeps into the issue. Or is it culture that is the issue? Or is it both? They are some Chinese who are not Muslims who do not consume pork as a matter of personal choice – not on account of any religious beliefs. I believe there are more Chinese in this world who are Muslims than they are Malays.

Sybreon’s comment above opens up a different and interesting perspective to this ‘old’ issue. Could it be a convenient label used to differentiate as he says “us and them” and if so why? Sociologists may have something to say. Or is it just part of the racial profiling to which all Malaysians have been made accustomed over the years, is not illegal and convenient. Or is there a more sinister motive?

Malays and Muslims are not the only ones who do not consume pork. There are Christians who do not. The Jews certainly do not. Pigs are classified as being among one of the ‘unclean’ animals and not to be consumed – according to the Old Testament of the Christian Bible and the Jewish Torah (the first five chapters of the Old Testament). I do not think Chinese everywhere else find this offensive as it is part of somebody’s religious beliefs, but in Malaysia many like Old Timer seem to find it increasingly so and the question is why? I would like to think it is a reaction to the increased efforts at Islamization by the government and the perceived intolerance being shown to Chinese culture and customs. Pork is not a religious issue to the Chinese.

Orthodox Jews religiously avoid coming into contact with ‘unclean’ food much like the Muslims in Malaysia. They use different dishes when entertaining their non-Jewish guests at their homes, store non-kosher food in different freezers and wash their dishes in different sinks etc. Many shop only at kosher outlets. More would only dine at ‘kosher only food’ restaurants – just like Muslims only go to halal only eating places, restaurants and wet markets.

Is the anger expressed here by Old Timer a reflection of the broader intolerance he sees today to “Chinese customs” which was not the case he saw in the 50s, 60s, and even the 70s and 80s? If so it would be understandable.

The issue really is about pride of the Chinese in their language and culture which has a history of more than 5,000 years – and the fact that assimilation is anathema to the Chinese. How else would you explain the numerous Chinatowns we see dotted all over world?

““Undergrad made an eloquent theory that it was all about pride of the chinese ‘in their language and culture.’I would like to respectfully disagree on this point because like the title of this article mentioned,it is all about misrepresentation.” Richard Teo

I understand it is about misrepresentation of the way Malaysian Chinese celebrate their Chinese New Year. But I cannot explain away the anger that is expressed here without referring to the pride the Chinese have over their language and culture. RTM is a government channel, and this is not the only gross misrepresentation. But it seems to touch the nerves of those who viewed it. At least that was what the writer would have us believed.

It was my offer of an explanation for what it is worth (just my 2-cents) as to why the writer seems to harbor so much anger.

I certainly have not seen and therefore do not profess to know exactly what the writer is talking about; but if Zack’s comments “I think the show is about Chinese Muslims right from the beginning, and I doubt if it is for the Chinese audience at all” are worth anything, the issue has to be looked afresh.