The State Governor, Professor David de Krester, was formerly from Sri Lanka while the State Premier (= chief minister). Steve Brack, was of Lebanese origin.
But wait, there’s more of the multiethnic culture - the city’s Mayor, John So was originally from China. Recently he was voted the World's most outstanding mayor!.
All are top officials in the State of Victoria in Australia. On Australia Day, Mayor John So presented a citizenship certificate to Malaysian born sweetie, Sharon Siew Kien Wroblewski, who has an Indian mum and a Chinese dad, while her hubby's parents are German (mum) and Polish (dad).
It seems the best rojak (with plenty of Keat Hoe's petis udang or hare-koh), which Johor UMNO chief Abdul Ghani Othman has so strongly and sneeringly rejected as unacceptable to his 'pivotal race' supremacist ideology, can be found in exquisite delicious abundance in Australia.
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Penang boy's achievement in Canada
I agree with that.
ReplyDeleteThere's way too many 'rojaks' here in Oz
Hi KT,
ReplyDeleteIt's not that rosy in Oz, lah. True, Australia has virtually no official race discrimination, but scratch a bit deeper, and there's plenty of it still there. Its just unofficial and informal, that's all.
A lot of Malaysians who emigrated to Australia have good education and are relatively well off. If your social and work relationships are mainly with the comfortable bubble of middle-class Australia, yes, they pretty much accept you as equals.
The wider working-class Australia ? Don't bet on it. There are still many people in Australia who's racial attitudes wouldn't be far off Abdul Ghani's or Umno Youth's.
Of course nto, but let's face it, it's a whole lot more rosy than Malaysia. But one thing there works better - the justice system and the public service. We need to improve ours.
ReplyDelete