Racial Harmony

A Chinese funeral and a Malay wedding nearly side by side - a true testimony of racial harmony in Singapore?

I am listening to the Malay songs blasted from the Malay wedding now. Frankly, they aren't that bad. Well, at least I won't cower under the bed thinking it is the worst torture ever heard to my ears. But thinking deeper, what is racial harmony?

Is it really just a bunch of people, from the different races, smiling and holding hands, tolerating one another? Race blind? Personally, I think that's bulls**t. Of course, that does not mean I am racist. My friends from other races are as capable or if not more capable than me.

On the other hand, it is quite obvious we prefer our own race. It is not that I hate the other races, I just like my own better.

I was reading this book (quite controversial and contorted really) called the Malay Dilemma by Mahathir Bin Mohammad. I have not read it all, but the first few chapters already have accusations that Chinese are to blame for the exodus of Malays in the Malaysian economy. And he cites the laid back lifestyle of Malays compared to the hard and harsh environment of ancient china as the deciding factor of the races. True, perhaps. Malays being ousted out of their own land and country. Then there is the genetics of Malays, etc. I digress.

My main point is: is there ever true racial harmony? To me, nope. The highest level of relationship between 2 races is tolerance, or at most friendship. No harmony, because it is built in within us that people of our own 'tribe' is better than that of others.