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Writer's pictureHussein Abdul Hamid

PERCEPTION: again that K word!


anon


In Malaysia, in the Cantonese dialect, an Indian is a "keling yan" or "Indian person". In Penang Hokkien, it's "kelinga". In southern hokkien, it's "keling knia" or "Indian boy". It's part of Malaysian/ Singaporean/Indonesian Chinese vocabulary. When I grew older, I was surprised to learn that it was a derogatory word. It's part of our language! We never meant anything derogatory. Just like we call the Europeans "angmor" or "red-haired". Nothing derogatory, it's our language for "European".

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vspl
vspl
Dec 27, 2023

Golliwog was an affable character in the west and that caricature was at times synonymous with a black person and was quite acceptable to be thrown around till 30 years ago. Just as the brain is not dead but quite able to adapt to its changing surroundings that caricature is now considered a racist term. If the white fella can comprehend that and we can’t, we must surely be slow ( grey matter has stalled) So if the Indian fella says it is offensive, desist. What good does it do you carrying on.

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naidu simon
naidu simon
Dec 27, 2023

If you visiting UK or USA, try calling a black man a nigger or negro

After all it is a word meaning black originating from Latin

And see what happens to you after calling him a nigger

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Foo FAH LIM
Foo FAH LIM
Dec 27, 2023

When I was a little boy, I recall asking an Indian man how the word, Keling, came about. He told me it was because Indian women in the then early Malaya, wore a lot of bangles on their ankles and hands making loud "Kling, Kling,"sounds. If this is truly how the word, Keling, originated, I wonder how it is offensive to the Indians. I recall the early Indian woman wearing plenty of colourful bangles would be dancing to the beat of Indian musical instruments, going from shop to shop to earn some tokens as another means of livelihood.

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vspl
vspl
Dec 27, 2023
Replying to

Hello there, if they tell you now it causes offence than why insist it does not, unless the receptors are faulty

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Alfred lim
Alfred lim
Dec 27, 2023

Zainal Kling is different...he help organise MALAY unity Congress (slang) 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 no foreskin abang-adek mah....🤫🤫🤫

"Unity Minister" must publish ALL the K(e)ling that exist in Malusia b4 independant till NOW....😘😘😘dont missed out Masjid 🤐🤐🤐

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dr kamsiah
dr kamsiah
Dec 27, 2023

What about the well-known Professor, Zainal Kling? Is he offended by the term 'keling'?

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vspl
vspl
Dec 27, 2023
Replying to

depends how thick his hide is

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