There’s no denying that Malaysia has become one of the countries that is famous for its melting pot of races, religions and cultures living together, and because of this, Malaysians have learnt to accept one another despite such a diversity of race, religions and languages.
However, not ALL individuals are willing to accept the fact that being a Malaysian is not limited to a specific race or ethnicity. This was evident when Malaysia model, actress, and TV host Amelia Thripura Henderson was criticised for seemingly not being Malaysian.
The 23-year-old from Klang, Selangor is a stunning beauty queen whose mother is a Sri Lankan Malaysian dentist who married a Scottish architect. She was born and raised in Malaysia and has been in the country’s entertainment industry ever since she was three years old.
Source: The Coverage
Source: Buro247
On 12 June, Amelia uploaded an Instagram video of herself giving a speech after she was awarded Model of the Year for Malaysia at the 2019 Asia Model Festival in Seoul, South Korea. Her caption reads:
“Never forget where you come from ??. Thank you @asiamodelfestival for the award ❤️.”
The comment section on her post began filling up as hundreds chimed in, including local celebrities, congratulating her on her win. However, among the 1,500 comments were two that said she did not deserve the award, as one claimed that she is “not Malay” and the other called her Filipino, reported Malay Mail.
The first comment by @mesh_dola28 reads, “You’re not Malay, the Malaysian people should stand up to foreigners like you. So you may be pretty, but you don’t represent Malay people.”
“Maybe some high echelons people is paying you to say this for social engineering. Put it this way… YOU ARE NOT MALAY.”
Source: Twitter
The second commenter wrote: “Why are you representing Malaysia. You are Filipino. I’m mad at foreign people and Filipinos representing Malaysia. Go represent your own country.”
Amelia then responded with a perfect comeback that truly reflects who Malaysians truly are. In a lengthy comment on her Instagram post, she wrote:
“I’m so sorry to see this comment coming from a fellow Malaysian. It’s 2019, in order to be stronger collectively as a country, we need to understand that we are diverse and multi-ethnic.”
“Yes, I am not Malay, but I was born in Klang, Selangor, Malaysia, to a Malaysian mother and despite my father being a foreigner, I was raised in my country, I was educated in my country, I work in my country.”
“Malaysia is my country just as much as it is yours and nothing makes me more proud and honoured than to represent my home.”
Here’s the rest of her comment.
imagine having to defend your own citizenship. I never have to reply, but what is the use of having a platform if it’s not used to educate? pic.twitter.com/F2qamX8WXv
— Amelia Thripura Henderson (@ameliath) June 12, 2019
On Twitter, Amelia highlighted both the comments and also included a screenshot of a now deleted comment by @mesh_dola28, who replied to the second user with a derogatory racial slur, saying, “Filipino? She’s k*****g”.
Amelia, member of Mensa International with a certified IQ of 180, responded:
“Using the K word is absolutely unacceptable. It is a racial slur used to demean an entire race, by people who feel like they do not belong in a country they were born into.”
more education: using the K word is absolutely unacceptable. It is a racial slur used to demean an entire race, by people who feel like they do not belong in a country they were born into. I am Indian, and proud of it! That would’ve been a better word to use in this context. pic.twitter.com/jCryGoMNIt
— Amelia Thripura Henderson (@ameliath) June 12, 2019
The second user later commented again and apologised for thinking that Amelia is Filipino.
Source: Malay Mail
It’s sad to see that many individuals still have the mentality that only being of a certain race qualifies you to be a Malaysian. We need more people like Amelia who will call them out and ‘educate’ them on what it truly means to be a Malaysian.
Also read: Malaysian Contestant Emerges Among Top Three in Mrs World 2019 For The First Time in 35 Years
