If I were a Malaysian...

My name is Mario Rustan and I’m doing an experiment. I’m imagining how things would have turned out had I been born a Malaysian of comparable class and background.

There is a good reason I could have been born a Malaysian, had my father’s ancestors from southern China landed not on the coast of western Java, but on British-held Malaya or the Straits Settlements (Penang and Singapore).

The more tricky part is imagining my mother’s heritage. Had she been Malay and my father was still Catholic, then we would have had trouble. The Malaysian government and society do not accept a Malay woman practicing any faith other than Islam, nor marrying a non-Muslim man who retains his religion. More...

Don't miss:

1. Malaysian rapper faces sedition charge...
2. Malaysians use social media to bypass censorship...
3. Malaysia bans anti-govt. political cartoons...
4. “What has happened to my Malaysia?”
5. Cops in Malaysia brutally beating up suspect...