#malaysian tamils

[thozhar]

In the episode Hometown, the narrative delves intriguingly into the cord between the Tamil Muslim diaspora and their ties to the Tamil Motherland, unveiling a unique transnational culture distinct from that of the Indentured Tamils, who form the ancestral roots of most Malaysian Tamils today. Throughout the narrative, viewers encounter characters proudly listing their ancestral villages such as Alangankulam, Panaikulam, Saanthankulam, and Chittarkottai, all nestled within the Ramnad district, a stark contrast to the reality of most Indentured Tamils, who struggle to even identify the district their ancestors had come from. While this intimacy between the diaspora and the mainland is alien to the displaced Indentured Tamils, the narrative presented in the mockumentary form a parallel with the descendants of wealthy Tamil Hindus and Christians who may still bear strong connections to the Tamil lands.

This contrast is also important to note between Tamil Muslims and the Indentured Tamils because it reveals the plurality of both the Malaysian Tamil community, and the contradictory contexts of migration, which have never been linear. While this comparison is between these two distinct but related communities, the narrative however, introspects upon other Tamil Muslims who do not have a transnational link to their ancestral village in Tamil Nadu. The narrative ruptures this hegemonic view of the connections between the Tamil Muslim diaspora and Tamil Nadu, by expressing that to bear no link doesn’t completely uproot one’s identity, consciousness, and culture.

Shafie notes that the insistence within the community to inquire and investigate the roots of another Malaysian Tamil Muslim does not come merely from an innocent sense of curiosity but arises through the need to access how they would need to treat the other person and how they should relate to the other person. In the micro-series, we witness how a character simply stating that his native is Ampang causes dissatisfaction within others, who continue pestering him about his roots. To this annoyance, the simple yet piercing line of “oorachum mayirachum” is delivered; it interprets not just a retort against annoyance but also an affliction against the idea that a person can be reduced to land he bears severed connections with. It iterates that the connection to land alone cannot encapsulate both the dialectical consciousness of man and his ancestral soil.

— The Bhais: Tamil Muslim Mockumentary Explores the Complexities of Being a Minority within a Minority

[donmystarey]

[gomzdrawfr]

Sometimes im reminded that Malaysian tend to have like the habit of switching up languages with no big issues and forgot that not everyone can do that

I went to the local food market, the type that is out in the open with several stalls all placed together closely and its crowded and stuff right

So I talk to my brother and sister in English, Mandarin + Cantonese to my mom and dad. If we're ordering food from the aunty uncle, we either use hokkien / fujian or Malay (depending the race of the seller)

There was a neighbouring customer who were white(think they were from America judging from the bag and general mannerism) that started talking to my dad and he was just saying how insane we sounded switching languages around HAHA

[alvin8808]

[kharthikh]

Dear Friends, I have new video of food review. Please support my channel by subscribe, like and share to your friends for new updates.

Please find the link below:- #tamilvlogs #TamilFoodie #tamilyoutubers

[therukurals]

Are u Tamil?

Yes

[janujanujanu]

chakra sonic

[thisisbjoeblog]

History 101: Famous Malaysian Indians & Their Major Achievements

Malaysia’s rich cultural tapestry is woven together by the diverse communities that call this beautiful country home. Among these communities, the Indian diaspora has played a significant role in shaping the nation’s history and development since achieving independence, known as Merdeka, in 1957. Image source: Aliran Continue reading History 101: Famous Malaysian Indians & Their…

[mibeau]

[PEOPLE] I'm Ceylonese, Not Indian.

Disclaimer: This is the personal story of Keshika as a Malaysian-Ceylonese. Each family may have differences in their traditional practices.

Keshika Ganendra, who touched my heart with phone calls and flower bouquets sent to my home the night my dear mother passed away, all while she was far away in India. I’ll always remember that. She is currently still in India, but we would always meet up at least once a year. I first met her in Basic Pharmacology class, and we instantly clicked. Her laugh is contagious. At first, I thought she was a Punjabi. Then, I found out, she is a Tamil. But, she is not Indian. How? Let’s get to know her heritage better in this article. *smiley emoji*

A Ceylonese is a person who is a native, inhabitant of Sri Lanka and their descendants.

There are two major ethnic groups which are the Sinhalese and the Tamils. Keshika is a third-generation Malaysian of Sri Lankan Tamil/Ceylon-Tamil descent. She was born in Subang Jaya. Her family of five lived in Petaling Jaya and Puchong, then moved back to Subang Jaya during her adolescent years, till this date. Both of her parents and grandparents were born and bred Malaysian-Ceylonese. Except for her paternal grandfather, who was born in Sri Lanka, and migrated to Malaya when he was young. When asked what languages she is fluent in, she answered,

“I speak English at home and some Malay. Not as fluent, but I can also speak a little bit of Tamil and Hindi. Though Tamil is a common language between the Indians and the Ceylonese, certain words, pronunciation and accents are different.”

Digging deeper into the family history, Keshika’s maternal great-grandfather was one of the first Ceylonese in Malaysia to obtain an ACCA title and he then proceeded to have his accounting firm in Brickfields. He was also the co-founder of the Sri Kandaswamy temple, located at Jalan Scott, Brickfields. He was a prominent figure in the Ceylonese society, loved by all and known for his charity work. Her paternal great-grandfather was a Financial Assistant (FA) under the government of Malaya. Adding to that, her paternal granduncle who was a doctor, served as a private GP for the Sultan of Kelantan back then.

Talking about the Ceylonese Communities in Malaysia, generally, they are concentrated mainly in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. According to Keshika,

“Initially most Ceylonese settled down in Taman Yarl, Taman Kanagapuram, Brickfields, Petaling Jaya, Bangsar and Seremban. The majority of them settled in the KL region as they were mostly brought over from Sri Lanka to work as government office servants. Fun fact, Taman Yarl is named after a place in Sri Lanka, Yarlpanam.”

Her favourite Ceylonese dishes are Sweet Appam, Uthappam, and string hoppers(putu mayam or idiyappam) with Sothi and Kool(broth made with seafood, mainly crabs). However, being a true Malaysian, her favourite dish will always be Nasi Lemak! When it comes to festivities, the Ceylonese Tamils celebrated the same festivals as The Indian Tamils, such as Deepavali, Ponggal, Tamil New Year, Thaipusam and more. Yet, the traditions practised are different.

How different or similar is the Ceylonese Culture from Indian Culture? We will focus on three aspects to compare.

First, in terms of wedding rituals, most festivities take place in the bride's house.

Whereas in Indian households, the celebrations mostly take place in the groom's house. Sri Lankan brides usually wear a saree with a veil that covers the face, whereas Indian brides do not as the veil is not part of their culture. The sacred thread ’thaali’ which the groom ties around the neck of the bride is an actual yellow thread in Indian culture where three knots are tied, whereas for Ceylonese the thaali is a gold chain with a screw that is screwed around the neck. Also, there is a pre-wedding Ceylonese ceremony called ‘ponurukku’ which loosely translates to ‘melting of gold’ ceremony which is not part of the Indian culture. In addition, back when the concept of dowry was practised, in the Indian culture the bride's father/family presented the groom/groom's family with whatever dowry is agreed upon, differing from Ceylonese culture whereby the dowry given by the bride's father/family goes to the bride itself. For example, if the dowry is a house, the house would be under the bride's name not the groom's.

Second, pregnancy rituals whereby first-time Indian mothers have a bangle ceremony which is done on the 8th month of pregnancy.

This is meant to be a blessing for the mother and child, in opposition to Ceylonese culture where we do not hold the said ceremony.

Third, the food.

Although the Tamils have similar food they do not always eat it the same way. For example string hoppers, Ceylonese people usually pair it with a yellow curry called Sothi. Whereby Indians usually like to have it with brown sugar, the way most Malaysians are familiar with it. Remember when we were young, uncle on a bike would go around the neighbourhood, honk a few times and yell “Putu Mayaaaam..” *laughing emoji*

I’m going to be side-tracked and stereotypical a bit here.

To be honest, often in Malaysia, the Javanese, Bugis, Minangese, and Melayu Pattani would just label themselves as Malay as a race, then when people ask further only they introduce their designated ethnicity, if they are aware of it. Unless, they are proud of their ethnicity and grew up in a specific area concentrated with that particular ethnicity, like Bugis in Pontian or Javanese in Muar. In the cities, even among us Malays, we cannot differentiate them at a glance. But for sure, other races would just perceive us as the Malays.

And we usually grouped Tamils, Telegus, and Punjabis as Indians. Although, we do know Punjabi are different. And Indian Muslims, no matter where their ancestors were from, we call them mamak. Many older generations might get offended when we say that, cos they were Pakistani or not from southern regions of India.

Back to Keshika.

Growing up as a Ceylonese Tamil in Malaysia, having to tick the ‘lain-lain’ box on every form starting from the mere age of 7 did make Keshika feel like a bit of an outsider, especially without fully being able to grasp the concept of race and why am I ‘lain’ from my friends at that age. However, it did get better and less confusing over the years.

From the public perspective, the non-Indians usually will assume her to be an Indian and the majority of Indians think I'm Punjabi based on looks or features. In terms of speech, when conversing in Tamil, most Indians can differentiate almost immediately because of the difference in accent.

Today, as an adult, Keshika does see the importance of heritage and history and understands the insistence from her ancestors not to give in to pressure and be assimilated as Indians. Because her ancestors were never from India, they are from an island in South Asia called, Sri Lanka. The more she explores her culture and background the more connected she feels to her ancestors, realising the sacrifices they made and how much they contributed to building this country and nation. She commented, “I feel proud, despite still being ‘lain-lain’ I am truly Malaysian and a single checked box on a piece of form is not going to make me feel otherwise.”

My dear homies, Keshika Ganendra has a few words to share with our fellow Malaysians.

“Dear Malaysians, we are all of different races, ethnicities, religious backgrounds and ultimately from different places but our ancestors came together to build this nation and we are here together presently on this beautiful land called Malaysia. Our differences ARE our uniqueness and strength in this big wide world. There can never be another Malaysia. So cherish one another and always stick together, we are ONE as a nation.”

---

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[kameapengal0]

Malaysian Tamil girl in saree ..

Comment &reblog how is she for more

[thozhar]

Sun-J: It all started in the 1980s in the television industry. Many of the filmmakers who are now freelancing started their careers in the television industry. Back then, to become a filmmaker, you had to be dependent on a TV station, and I too was part of a production house. I decided to work in the television industry, making dramas and other productions to learn more about the industry. I had the option of working in the Malay film industry or becoming a journalist, however, I wanted to make my own Tamil films with an independent spirit, so I started my own production house in 2011.

From the 1990s to the early 2000s, the Malaysian Indian film industry was controlled by a small group of people. Without them, it was difficult to break into the industry, but suddenly around 2006, the industry opened up and anyone could become a filmmaker. So I was in a generation in-between.

With the spread of digital cameras, Final Cut Pro (video editing software for professionals) became widely used around 2006, and with the expansion of social media, it became possible for people to produce and post their own videos. “Fire on Water” is set around 2004 to early 2010, so it depicts the analog and digital eras, separated by around the year 2006. 

Another turning point in the Malaysian Indian film industry was the inclusion of non-Malay films, such as Tamil and Chinese, in the “Skim Wajib Tayang” (Compulsory Screening Scheme), which was previously only for Malay-language films, enabling Tamil-language films to be screened in major cinemas in the country since 2012. And in recent years, social media has become the new platform for people. TikTok, in particular, has seen some influencers earning significant income.

— “Fire on Water”, Unraveling Malaysia's Indian Community through the Tamil Film

[donmystarey]

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[kharthikh]

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[chimaeraonwards]

Pendatang and why I think it's important for the fight against censorship

Malaysia's first fully crowd funded film is finally out and its free on YouTube!!!

(btw its fully subtitled in English, Malay, Chinese (Simplified), and Tamil for those who want it)

Pendatang by Kuman Pictures is set in a dystopian future where, due to racial extremism, Malaysia is fully segregated. Citizens live in their own areas based on their race and mixing between the races is punishable by 25 years in prison.

The story centers around a Malaysian Chinese family who is forced to relocate to a designated house by the authorities but they find a Malay girl hiding in their attic.

Anyone who is familiar with the Malaysian film scene would be wondering, "A Malaysian movie about race and inequality? How the fuck did this movie get through the censorship board?". Well, easy. They didn't even try.

In the name of keeping peace in the country, The Malaysian Film Censorship Board (Lembaga Penapis Filem - LPF) is notorious for censoring local movies to the point it loses its impact or keeping movies in a limbo for years. But films need LPF's approval to be able to release theatrically local cinemas.

The makers of Pendatang knew that this film wouldn't have made it past the censorship board or any other kinds of local governmental/commercial release or funding channel. So from the start, they set out to crowd fund this movie to release it for free online - where the LPF has no jurisdiction.

They managed to raise past their goal of RM300k (which is about slightly less than 100k USD). And one year later, they've kept their word - the movie is available on YouTube for free with no ads (making it a non-profit movie).

This is what the makers have to say about this move and what they hope it achieves:

So not only is it a badass move to bypass censorship and non-profit, its also a ground breaker and this opens up a whole new avenue for Malaysian filmmakers.

But it can't be that bad, can it? Well here are some films that weren't so lucky with the LPF.

Mentaga Terbang a story about a young girl's religious journey after her mother's passing to find out what happens after death. It was banned in Malaysia.

Tiger Stripes, the Cannes award winning teenage body horror film detailing a girl's journey with womanhood. It was so heavily cut by LPF that the filmmaker has disowned the censored version and has come out to say that essence was removed from the movie.

Spilt Gravy on Rice is a dark comedy based on a play of the same name. It is a story about a journalist who is close to death and decides to fix his family issues with his 5 kids who all have different mothers. The film was submitted for approval in 2012 and was forced to make changes (including an alternate ending) and was finally approved in 2020. Due to covid, the premiere was delayed till 2022. The original playwright, Jit Murad, passed earlier that year and never got to see his story in the big screen. You can find the film with its original ending on Netflix now.

This is why a movie like Pendatang is so important. Some suspect that Pendatang will be taken down or blocked by the government. I hope it won't.

Malaysian filmmakers want to share good stories that shouldn't be watered down. Malaysian voices want to be heard and shouldn't be unnecessarily filtered and censored.