My National Day 2-cents
Happy 2005 National Day, SingBalls!
I m quite sure many of you have already seen the MTV this year’s National Day theme song, “Reach Out for the Skies” (or whatever the song is called la), where we have our very own SingaBall Idol, Taufik and Archar-girl Rui-En belting it out. The song is not bad, with the usual cheesy choreography and lyrics, but the overall look is fine. The singing is not bad too. So…. What’s the problem?
http://ndp.org.sg/index.jsp?page=videos.htm
I 1st saw the MTV when I was twanging around (aka slacking) with my friends at the McDonald’s at Parklane. There is this wide screen plasma TV mounted onto the wall playing the usual McDonald’s “DADADA-DADA~~ I’M LOVIN IT~” propaganda, as well as the occasional MTV or “educational” video clip.
When I 1st saw the MTV, with Taufik and Rui-En dancing around in red & white attires, I was like “Huh? National Day so soon?”. Anyway, I sat and watched the MTV while waiting for my friends to order their food. After the MTV was over, they played yet another “I’M LOVING IT~~” clip and then the MTV was played again! However, when I saw it for the 2nd time, something felt amiss….
Taufik was mysteriously “edited” out of the MTV!!! I see Rui-En, the same people from the opening dance-scene, the same people from the underpass scene, and even more Rui-En wearing some evening-gown looking happy into front of some pyrotechnics… But where is Taufik!?
Pardon me for being blur (must be too much PS2 gaming the night before), but I then realized that the 2nd MTV was actually the Chinese version!
I don’t want to sound too racist here, but initially, I thought that it’s ok since Taufik is a Malay and he probably doesn’t know how to sing Chinese songs. But then…. Our SingaBall National Anthem is in Malay and our Chinese population seemed to have no complaints/problems singing it! Not to mention that all the freaking marching-commands that we guys have to learn in NS (National Service) are in Malay too!! There are many more examples of non-Malay people learning how to say/sing Malay.
My point is, if Taufik is THE SingaBall Idol, that means he is the icon of our singing talent, right? If normal people of all races (such as the National Day Parade choir) have no problem belting out Malay and Tamil songs to the nation, what’s holding Taufik back from singing a Chinese song?
If you readers think I m sounding racist, I m telling you, my stand is against racism! To make it clear:
Racist: I m a Malay, and I don’t understand Chinese, so I can’t be bothered learning a Chinese song for the National Day! Screw the Chinese!
Non-Racist: I m a Malay, and I don’t understand Chinese, but I don’t mind learning a Chinese song for the National Day! I won’t isolate the song just because it’s a different language from my own!
Get my point? The thing is, whoever is the one who gave the approval that it’s ok for Taufik to skip the Chinese version of the song should be taken out & shot. Our country had endured years of racial dissension in the past, and we have come a long way to our current state of racial harmony. To exclude a guy from singing a Chinese song just because he isn’t Chinese reeks of sick racism. It’s also like an insult to the Malays, since many Malay friends I know have no problem speaking fluent Chinese and even Hokkien!
I seriously hope it isn’t Taufik’s idea to skip the Chinese version, though… Because if it is, what kind of Idol is that, huh?
Ta ta….
I m quite sure many of you have already seen the MTV this year’s National Day theme song, “Reach Out for the Skies” (or whatever the song is called la), where we have our very own SingaBall Idol, Taufik and Archar-girl Rui-En belting it out. The song is not bad, with the usual cheesy choreography and lyrics, but the overall look is fine. The singing is not bad too. So…. What’s the problem?
http://ndp.org.sg/index.jsp?page=videos.htm
I 1st saw the MTV when I was twanging around (aka slacking) with my friends at the McDonald’s at Parklane. There is this wide screen plasma TV mounted onto the wall playing the usual McDonald’s “DADADA-DADA~~ I’M LOVIN IT~” propaganda, as well as the occasional MTV or “educational” video clip.
When I 1st saw the MTV, with Taufik and Rui-En dancing around in red & white attires, I was like “Huh? National Day so soon?”. Anyway, I sat and watched the MTV while waiting for my friends to order their food. After the MTV was over, they played yet another “I’M LOVING IT~~” clip and then the MTV was played again! However, when I saw it for the 2nd time, something felt amiss….
Taufik was mysteriously “edited” out of the MTV!!! I see Rui-En, the same people from the opening dance-scene, the same people from the underpass scene, and even more Rui-En wearing some evening-gown looking happy into front of some pyrotechnics… But where is Taufik!?
Pardon me for being blur (must be too much PS2 gaming the night before), but I then realized that the 2nd MTV was actually the Chinese version!
I don’t want to sound too racist here, but initially, I thought that it’s ok since Taufik is a Malay and he probably doesn’t know how to sing Chinese songs. But then…. Our SingaBall National Anthem is in Malay and our Chinese population seemed to have no complaints/problems singing it! Not to mention that all the freaking marching-commands that we guys have to learn in NS (National Service) are in Malay too!! There are many more examples of non-Malay people learning how to say/sing Malay.
My point is, if Taufik is THE SingaBall Idol, that means he is the icon of our singing talent, right? If normal people of all races (such as the National Day Parade choir) have no problem belting out Malay and Tamil songs to the nation, what’s holding Taufik back from singing a Chinese song?
If you readers think I m sounding racist, I m telling you, my stand is against racism! To make it clear:
Racist: I m a Malay, and I don’t understand Chinese, so I can’t be bothered learning a Chinese song for the National Day! Screw the Chinese!
Non-Racist: I m a Malay, and I don’t understand Chinese, but I don’t mind learning a Chinese song for the National Day! I won’t isolate the song just because it’s a different language from my own!
Get my point? The thing is, whoever is the one who gave the approval that it’s ok for Taufik to skip the Chinese version of the song should be taken out & shot. Our country had endured years of racial dissension in the past, and we have come a long way to our current state of racial harmony. To exclude a guy from singing a Chinese song just because he isn’t Chinese reeks of sick racism. It’s also like an insult to the Malays, since many Malay friends I know have no problem speaking fluent Chinese and even Hokkien!
I seriously hope it isn’t Taufik’s idea to skip the Chinese version, though… Because if it is, what kind of Idol is that, huh?
Ta ta….
posted by cc at 11:06 AM
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