COMMENT | What is Chinese in me?

COMMENT | I am prompted to do a stock-take of my ethnicity because of DAP's Sungai Pelek assemblyperson Ronnie Liu’s term, “Chinese-ness.”

He used it in reference to his party, saying "The party need not dilute its Chinese-ness just because of the criticism from our political enemies. We have to safeguard the culture of the party.”

That drew charges from party colleagues of him being a toxic chauvinist, which in turn led Liu (above) to trot out the usual “misinterpretation” motivated by prejudice retort. This followed by so-called party grassroots standing straight and tall holding signs that note that the DAP is for everyone. An ideological and personal squall, not gripping drama, it will pass.

But really, Liu, to throw into the mix of your ideal society and party more Malay-ness and Indian-ness, Iban-ness and Kadazan-ness, it’s too many “nesses” for me to take in.

I think I have enough of a problem with qualifying for sufficient “Chinese-ness.”

Right from the start, I was at a disadvantage. Dad was Hokkien. Mum spoke Hakka at home, and she was home-tutored...