In Malaysia, the presence of the Chinese community not only enriches the local cultural landscape, but also is a living historical witness. These Chinese, whose ancestors crossed the ocean, from China's coastal cities such as Fujian, Guangdong, and Guangxi, pursued their hopes and dreams in life, and took root in the tropical land of Malaysia. Today, the Chinese descendants here are still proud of their Chinese and have deep affection for their motherland.
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For many of the Malaysians, Malaysia's friendliness is obvious to all, and the intimacy seems to tell them that despite being in a foreign country, there is a warmth of home here. However, the world is not perfect, and not all stories will be as we would like.
Recently, the experience of a Chinese female netizen circulated on the Internet, who excitedly shared that she was about to go to Malaysia to take up business and was looking forward to tasting the famous Musang King durian there. However, her journey was saddened by an accident.
During a Malaysia Airlines flight, a storm was caused by the lost property of a passenger with AED 1,000 in cash. And this turmoil eventually turned into an unfair treatment of Chinese passengers.
When the plane landed and all the passengers were ready to leave, an unexpected check began.
The behavior of Malaysian airport staff was particularly striking – they only stopped passengers with Chinese passports and demanded that they be searched for physical searches. This practice is undoubtedly a kind of discrimination against Chinese passengers and a blatant injustice.
In the midst of the heightened emotions, the Chinese passengers who were stopped rallied questioned and protested why they were the only ones being singled out and why they were subjected to such unequal treatment.
Although airport staff explained that they also checked passengers from other countries who were in the same row as the owner, this differential treatment is still unacceptable.
Eventually, the staff had to give in to the resolute opposition of the Chinese passengers. The incident sparked a heated discussion on the Internet, and many netizens expressed their dissatisfaction and indignation at this discriminatory behavior.
At the same time, there are also voices calling for the people of a region not to be judged on the basis of a single incident.
A blogger excerpted in the comment section also said that there are many people who have traveled to Malaysia and many unpleasant experiences, and it can be seen through the comments that their xenophobia may not be aimed at all foreign populations.
This netizen also said the same, Malaysia and Singapore have been to them, and these two are also relatively large Chinese countries, but I feel that I am really not so friendly to treat us Chinese, and I can't understand where they come from, and where is there anything beyond us?
Although this incident exposes to some extent the injustices that may be encountered in international travel, it also shows the unity and courage of Chinese people in the face of injustice. Let's remember that behind every story, there is complexity and multifacetedness. Respect and understanding are perhaps the most important things we can learn from all this.
This is not an isolated case.
Mr. Tong, a travel blogger from Sichuan, had an unpleasant experience in Singapore. Suffice it to say
On his trip to Singapore, Mr. Tong met a local staff member at a nature reserve, and at first, when the staff member learned that the previous tourist was from Japan, his face was full of appreciation, praising Japan as an amazing country.
But when it was Mr. Tong's turn, the staff member's attitude changed dramatically. When he learned that Mr. Tong was from China, the staff member reacted very flatly, simply raising his hand and signaling him to pass.
However, an even more shocking scene is yet to come.
That night, while sorting out the day's shooting materials, Mr. Tong stumbled upon the staff member's extremely insulting behavior - in front of two Japanese tourists, he actually made a thumbs-up motion towards Mr. Tong's back. This move is not only an insult to Mr. Tong personally, but also disrespectful to all Chinese.
Faced with such a blatant insult, Mr. Tong was outraged and decided to share the video on the Internet and called on everyone to support him in complaining and defending his rights. Netizens reacted strongly, and everyone stood up in solidarity with Mr. Tong and expressed their dissatisfaction and indignation at this behavior.
Fortunately, the incident ended up getting official attention.
The Parks Board of Singapore not only replied to Mr. Tong by email, but also took the initiative to call to apologize, promising to investigate the security guard. Regarding the question of the staff member suspected of wearing a uniform from the Singapore Polytechnic University, the park department also said that it would investigate in-depth.
Both incidents, one in Malaysia and the other in Singapore, involved unfair treatment of Chinese tourists. Although the two events are independent, they raise a common set of questions and reflections. Here are three big questions about these two incidents.
1. What is the source of cultural bias?
First, both incidents clearly involve cultural bias and discrimination. In the Malaysian incident, airport staff searched only Chinese passengers, while in Singapore, staff at one attraction carried out a clear disrespectful act against Chinese tourists. This raises questions about the roots of cultural bias.
How does this bias develop? Is it based on historical misunderstandings, political factors, or negative media coverage, or is it due to a lack of cross-cultural communication and understanding?
2. What role do local laws and regulations play in preventing such incidents?
The second question relates to the role of local laws and regulations in preventing and dealing with such incidents.
In both cases, there appears to be some degree of official involvement – in the case of Malaysia, the actions of airport staff sparked discussions about the equal treatment of all passengers, and in the case of Parks Singapore, which responded and apologized for disrespecting tourists. This begs the question: are the existing laws and regulations strong enough to prevent such discrimination on the basis of nationality, and if not, how can they be strengthened?
3. How can a deeper level of cultural exchange and understanding be promoted?
Finally, both events highlight the importance of cross-cultural communication and understanding. While globalization has brought people around the world closer than ever before, these events have shown that there are still deep cultural divisions and misunderstandings. This raises questions about how to promote deeper cultural exchange and understanding.
How should countries and individuals act to build a more open and inclusive world, whether through education, tourism or other means?
In today's globalized world, cross-cultural understanding and respect are more important than ever. By delving deeper into these questions, we will not only be able to better understand the reasons behind these events, but also find ways to promote cultural exchange and enhance mutual understanding and respect. Raising public awareness and respect for different cultures, whether through improved laws and regulations, education and public policy, is an important step towards building a more harmonious world. Ultimately, by working together, we can look forward to a future where unity is found in diversity and respect is found in difference.
Most importantly, these events highlight the urgency of fostering deeper cultural exchange and understanding. In a multicultural global society, it is essential to promote mutual understanding and respect between people of different backgrounds. This needs to start with education, not only in schooling, but also in education and the media, to promote awareness and appreciation of different cultures. At the same time, individuals should also actively participate in cross-cultural communication, through travel, cultural events, and social media, to understand and experience different cultures with an open mind.