Dealing with racism in a multicultural setting: Learning from Aussie response

A video of two Australian women assaulting a female Malaysian and a  female Singaporean undergraduate student along Elizabeth Street near the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne which has since gone viral has raised the spectre of racial profiling and hate crimes Down Under. It was reported that the racist-filled attack was motivated by ideas that Asians brought the Covid-19 virus to Australia. Additionally, parents of Asian descent have also expressed concerned as to the safety of their children studying Down Under.

To address such concerns, I wrote a letter to the High Commissioner of Australia HE Andrew Goledzinowski regarding the attack and to discuss other issues faced between Malaysia and Australia. His Excellency swiftly responded with an invitation whereby a meeting was held with the Australian Head of Mission at his residence on 24 April 2020.

Based on the contents of the said dialogue, I would like to thank the Australian government for taking expedient and stern action against the assailant. She has been identified, arrested and charged in court.

The video was very helpful in highlighting the racist-based assault which caught the attention of enforcement authorities that no government official can deny, and thus had to act swiftly.

MCA also lauds the speedy action by the Australian authorities in applying the rule of law equally irrespective that the two victims were foreigners or that the two assailants were Australians.

We are also assured by the statements of the Prime Minister of Australia, Premier of Victoria, Melbourne Mayor, Melbourne University Vice Chancellor which speak of common universal values ie there is no room for racism and violence in Australia.

I know from my many dealings with Australians and my numerous trips both official and unofficial to Australia that the said assault does not represent the entire Australia. But in every multicultural or homogenous society, be it Australia or Malaysia or anywhere else in the world, there will pockets of people wielding such extremist prejudices.

It is our hopes that the authorities throughout the globe will clamp down on any hate crimes irrespective of perpetrator or victim, and not be blinded by religious or ethnic commonalities.

Meanwhile, as the two undergraduate students are still traumatised from the attack, MCA urges the Australian police and university officials will continue to provide the security and support to overcome these difficult times. Likewise, we also hope that Australian authorities can soon trace, apprehend and charge the other offender who remains at large.

Photo caption: MCA Secretary General Datuk Chong Sin Woon (left) raising concerns with the High Commissioner of Australia HE Andrew Goledzinowski (right) on the racist attack against  two female undergraduate students from Malaysia and Singapore, and His Excellency Andrew Goledzinowski, explaining the quick action taken by Australian authorities.

Datuk Chong Sin Woon
MCA Secretary General

-MCA online-