TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Statement of the former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said that people of Chinese descent who still use chopsticks to eat show that they have not yet mingled with other Malaysians, sparking controversy.
“They haven’t adopted the Malaysian way of eating. They keep the chopsticks, which is the identity of China, don’t they Malaysia, and many other things,” he said, launching a memoir Catch Hope: The Struggle Continues For A New Malaysia, Sunday, December 12, 2021, as quoted Star.
The Democratic Action Party Secretary General, Lim Guan Eng, described the statement as “simple and offensive”. He said the tools were also an integral part of other cultures.
“This is not only simple but also offends the Chinese community here. Tun (Mahathir) should be reminded that not only China or Taiwan but countries like Japan, South Korea and Vietnam also use chopsticks,” he was quoted as saying. CNA, Monday, December 13, 2021.
He also said that the former prime minister should focus more on integration.
“Tun is wrong to focus on assimilation rather than integration and using chopsticks instead of adopting the Malaysian way of eating by hand is one of the reasons for the division among the people,” said Lim, who served as finance minister in Dr Mahathir’s cabinet during the Pakatan Harapan rule of 2018 to 2020.
Mahathir’s statement also provoked comments from former PM Najib Razak. He mocked Mahathir by calling him an “expert” in using chopsticks.
Najib Razak uploaded a photo montage of Mahathir using chopsticks, apparently tossing “yee sang” at a Lunar New Year event, and commented below “Skills expert”. The photos are not dated, quoted from Free Malaysia Today.
– .
