COMMENT | Will Pekan Nanas become Pineappolis?

COMMENT | I don’t usually agree with Rais Yatim’s political views but his swipe at local authorities for adopting English names over Malaysian names is well taken.

When I recall the acrimonious controversies during the 80s and 90s over the National Culture Policy when Chinese signboards and banners were being taken down, this infatuation with English/American names is as nauseating as it makes a mockery of the so-called “National Culture Policy”.

Travelling down the North-South Expressway, we see signboards to a significant number of new townships with names like Ainsdale or Southville and we wonder if we are in some American suburbia. As we saunter further toward Johor, we wonder whether Pekan Nanas will soon be renamed 'Pineappolis'.

Rais also takes a swipe at the Chinese who adopt Western names. Well, that is a touchy subject for those who have done so and not my business to comment on personal choices.

I just remember I used to have fun when I was in school during the 60s, and I would adopt different names I thought were cool. I remember I was ‘Unkenny Kua’ for a while, and then I changed it to ‘Spermato Kua’ after a Zoology lesson. But you still can’t beat ‘Forklift Chang’, a name I saw in the yellow pages once.

Post-colonial psyche

Still, as an ethnic Chinese, the name that my parents gave me take on a distinctive cultural (what we call in sociology, “indexical”) meaning. My name in Chinese characters not only makes sense culturally but is particular to our family line and that was the name my parents gave me.

Our history of British colonisation seems to have produced “comprador intellectuals and officials” among the middle class who consciously or sub-consciously uphold a view that what’s Western is better, and that whiteness is desirable.

Just look at the numerous billboards along the highways promoting “whitening cream”! Franz Fanon was right about our post-colonial psyche being fractured by Western cultural domination.

Do we really know who we are? Isn’t it high time we reclaimed our rich cultures and ancestries?

Certainly, adopting Western names erases our identity and reinforces a colonial worldview steeped in racism. Imagine growing up in Kampung Kerinchi and suddenly having to tell folk you live in Bangsar South which has now been gentrified with expatriates and tourists. Can’t the municipal authorities think of a better local name or maintain the same historical name?

Native groups all over the world have begun movements to preserve and revitalise their cultures. They believe that by bringing back traditional practices, languages, and values, they will become proud of their heritage. By raising their self-esteem, this will in turn create healthier individuals and communities.

Likewise, for generations, immigrants have taught their children to love their roots by promoting their language, their values, and traditions to their children.

Building cultural familiarity and pride can help to support mental well-being and equip our youth to navigate the impact of racism, xenophobia, and other prejudices they may face, especially when they travel abroad. They will then be able to challenge systemic inequities linked to racism.

When we look around at the degradation not only of names of places but physical spaces everywhere, all municipal officials need to attend courses not only on historical and cultural pride but also on aesthetics and environmental preservation.

KUA KIA SOONG is Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) adviser.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.