Before I start my thought of the day, I would like to share my bitter experience when I visited a school’s sports day where my son was schooling in 2008. As everyone knows, sports day in primary school is similar to a family day where parents will be having good time with their children and teachers.When my son approach the finishing line in 200meter dash run with a stunning finishing, everyone were clapping as well as the students of red house he represented. I over heard a tiny voice of a student who was standing beside me telling her mother “anak keling menang, anak keling menang”.
As I turned my head to the direction where the voice is coming, I had a direct eye to eye contact with the mother of the student who was trying to shut her daughter’s mouth. I smiled at them and the mother smiled back and move away in a hurry.
The kid must be 10 years old and I am definitely not going to blame or curse her for her statement. She is so young to understand the meaning of this word. But, guess who would have thought her to address an Indian as keling?
This actually shows, still, there are low mentality Malaysian who failed to understand Malaysian as a Malaysian. This shows Malaysian of a certain race need to be more sensitive of other ethnic in Malaysia. Failure to compromise, understand and ignore the feeling of others may lead to a fatal feeling of certain race.
Everyone knows the word keling is used to address an Indian or a Indian Muslim. And of cause all the Tamils and Indian muslims will be very very mad. This word was believed to be considered as a sensitive word to address someone from the origin of India or Indian muslim. Similliarly even calling a black guy from Africa as a “Negro” is offensive to African too.
Just like others, I use to be mad too. But my anger triggered me to find the actual meaning of this word. I started to ask around as well as finding in the dictionary and from the internet too.
Some inteligent creative nuts even said, keling came from the sound of the bell from the Indian temple. Everyone knows, Indians use bell when they are performing their prayers and some said the word keling came from the bell Indian wear on their legs when they are performing the traditional dance “Baratha Nathiyam”.
Lately, the Indian muslim from all over Malaysia was mad with (DBP) Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka cause DBP refuse to withraw the word “keling” from the dictionary. The DBP have their reason for it and don’t ask me what was their reason. If you are curious, you can call DBP and ask them for yourself.
So, what is the meaning of this word “Keling”?
The usage of the word keling to address Indians actually was started from 14th century. The time when people from India came to Melaka as we know Melaka at that time of Parameswara is a bussiness hub in this region. This attracted the chinese too, to venture their bussiness.
In 14th century a part the country India today was known as “KALINGA (link)". A great forgotten kingdom. Let me repreat again, the country INDIA today is a new name and before it was known as India it was called as “KALINGA”.
Guess what? The chinese are the one who started to address Indian those days as “kaling Chai” for Indian male and “kaling moi” for Indian female. (Kling chai or Kling moi)
Even until today they still address Indian as kaling chai or Moi and logically what else name to call Indian if not kaling man from Kalingan?
Even worst, some of them called Indian as “Kaling Kui” ~ Indian devils when they are mad about Indians. And if you ask them why they are calling Indians as “kaling chai” or “kaling Moi”, they will say “I don’t know” ~ I dono’ wo…. Exact word pronouce in cantonese is : "kling gan".
They always stick with their famous quote “tak tau” (don’t know ~ duno’). But they still stick to this calling until today. They don’t know why they are calling Indians by this name but they still address them as in the14th century. The best joke is, if you ask them what they duno’, they will still say duno’again.
Basically, It is no harm for anyone to address Indian as Keling in the term of history. But if someone’s feeling hurt with this calling, I think as a Malaysian we should avoid using this word.
The Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka should be more alert and be sensitive about this keling word. They should give an actual meaning of this word. Don’t remove it. So, from young age Malaysian will start to understand and will be more understanding about others sensetivity.
To all the Indian muslim brothers. I hope you can be more wise in making accusation.
Lets be more Malaysian, lets be united, lets be more sensitive and lets be more responsible towards others sensitivity as a human. We may have different political ideology, we may have differenses in our believes and religions but we are all one when we are talking about Malaysia.
Cheers.
By,
lvbala
As I turned my head to the direction where the voice is coming, I had a direct eye to eye contact with the mother of the student who was trying to shut her daughter’s mouth. I smiled at them and the mother smiled back and move away in a hurry.
The kid must be 10 years old and I am definitely not going to blame or curse her for her statement. She is so young to understand the meaning of this word. But, guess who would have thought her to address an Indian as keling?
This actually shows, still, there are low mentality Malaysian who failed to understand Malaysian as a Malaysian. This shows Malaysian of a certain race need to be more sensitive of other ethnic in Malaysia. Failure to compromise, understand and ignore the feeling of others may lead to a fatal feeling of certain race.
Everyone knows the word keling is used to address an Indian or a Indian Muslim. And of cause all the Tamils and Indian muslims will be very very mad. This word was believed to be considered as a sensitive word to address someone from the origin of India or Indian muslim. Similliarly even calling a black guy from Africa as a “Negro” is offensive to African too.
Just like others, I use to be mad too. But my anger triggered me to find the actual meaning of this word. I started to ask around as well as finding in the dictionary and from the internet too.
Some inteligent creative nuts even said, keling came from the sound of the bell from the Indian temple. Everyone knows, Indians use bell when they are performing their prayers and some said the word keling came from the bell Indian wear on their legs when they are performing the traditional dance “Baratha Nathiyam”.
Lately, the Indian muslim from all over Malaysia was mad with (DBP) Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka cause DBP refuse to withraw the word “keling” from the dictionary. The DBP have their reason for it and don’t ask me what was their reason. If you are curious, you can call DBP and ask them for yourself.
So, what is the meaning of this word “Keling”?
The usage of the word keling to address Indians actually was started from 14th century. The time when people from India came to Melaka as we know Melaka at that time of Parameswara is a bussiness hub in this region. This attracted the chinese too, to venture their bussiness.
In 14th century a part the country India today was known as “KALINGA (link)". A great forgotten kingdom. Let me repreat again, the country INDIA today is a new name and before it was known as India it was called as “KALINGA”.
Guess what? The chinese are the one who started to address Indian those days as “kaling Chai” for Indian male and “kaling moi” for Indian female. (Kling chai or Kling moi)
Even until today they still address Indian as kaling chai or Moi and logically what else name to call Indian if not kaling man from Kalingan?
Even worst, some of them called Indian as “Kaling Kui” ~ Indian devils when they are mad about Indians. And if you ask them why they are calling Indians as “kaling chai” or “kaling Moi”, they will say “I don’t know” ~ I dono’ wo…. Exact word pronouce in cantonese is : "kling gan".
They always stick with their famous quote “tak tau” (don’t know ~ duno’). But they still stick to this calling until today. They don’t know why they are calling Indians by this name but they still address them as in the14th century. The best joke is, if you ask them what they duno’, they will still say duno’again.
Basically, It is no harm for anyone to address Indian as Keling in the term of history. But if someone’s feeling hurt with this calling, I think as a Malaysian we should avoid using this word.
The Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka should be more alert and be sensitive about this keling word. They should give an actual meaning of this word. Don’t remove it. So, from young age Malaysian will start to understand and will be more understanding about others sensetivity.
To all the Indian muslim brothers. I hope you can be more wise in making accusation.
Lets be more Malaysian, lets be united, lets be more sensitive and lets be more responsible towards others sensitivity as a human. We may have different political ideology, we may have differenses in our believes and religions but we are all one when we are talking about Malaysia.
Cheers.
By,
lvbala
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