This document summarizes key lessons and issues related to ethnic relations in Malaysia that were portrayed in the movie "Sepet". It discusses three main things learned from the movie: responsibility, overcoming differences through love, and treating all ethnicities equally. It then analyzes two main issues highlighted in the movie regarding ethnic relations in Malaysia: unequal access to resources along ethnic lines and gendered ethnic relations where interracial relationships are more accepted for men than women. Religious and racial tensions are also mentioned as underlying issues portrayed in the movie.
This document summarizes key lessons and issues related to ethnic relations in Malaysia that were portrayed in the movie "Sepet". It discusses three main things learned from the movie: responsibility, overcoming differences through love, and treating all ethnicities equally. It then analyzes two main issues highlighted in the movie regarding ethnic relations in Malaysia: unequal access to resources along ethnic lines and gendered ethnic relations where interracial relationships are more accepted for men than women. Religious and racial tensions are also mentioned as underlying issues portrayed in the movie.
This document summarizes key lessons and issues related to ethnic relations in Malaysia that were portrayed in the movie "Sepet". It discusses three main things learned from the movie: responsibility, overcoming differences through love, and treating all ethnicities equally. It then analyzes two main issues highlighted in the movie regarding ethnic relations in Malaysia: unequal access to resources along ethnic lines and gendered ethnic relations where interracial relationships are more accepted for men than women. Religious and racial tensions are also mentioned as underlying issues portrayed in the movie.
This document summarizes key lessons and issues related to ethnic relations in Malaysia that were portrayed in the movie "Sepet". It discusses three main things learned from the movie: responsibility, overcoming differences through love, and treating all ethnicities equally. It then analyzes two main issues highlighted in the movie regarding ethnic relations in Malaysia: unequal access to resources along ethnic lines and gendered ethnic relations where interracial relationships are more accepted for men than women. Religious and racial tensions are also mentioned as underlying issues portrayed in the movie.
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Individual Assessment Reflective Journal
1. Explain - What did you learn from this movie?
One thing that I have learnt from the movie “Sepet” is responsibility. This is shown when Jason/Loong decides to break up with Orked and takes up his responsibility to take care of his ex-girlfriend, Maggie who is pregnant until the child is born despite the one he truly love is Orked. Hence, we should always be responsible for our actions even though it means to give up something important to us. Besides that, I have also learnt that love can overcome anything. In the movie, Jason/Loong who’s Chinese and Orked who’s Malay fall in love with each other regardless of different culture, religious, race and belief. Even though Orked’s farther and friends such as Lin’s boyfriend were not supportive of her relationship with Jason due to different backgrounds, Orked still loved Jason for who he was. Lastly, I have learnt that we should treat and respect each other equally regardless of background. This is shown when Lin’s boyfriend criticizes Orked for making friends with Jason and Orked defends. This value is also portrayed when Keong told Jason/Loong that if he continues to hangout with Malay girls, he’s going to be in trouble, but Jason ignored Keong’s statement and chooses to be together with Orked, which is Malay. In conclusion, we must all practice ethnic tolerance because we need to understand the fact that all cultures are special in their own way and deserves to be respected no matter what. Especially living in a country which has plural society like Malaysia, ethnic tolerance is one of the main strategies to keep our people united.
2. Discuss on issues of Ethnic Relations in Malaysia from the movie.
One of the important issues highlighted is the education system. The movie mentioned about the scholarships, where different races get different rate of the scholarships offered. In the movie, Kak Yam said Jason got 7A’s, but he ended up selling pirated VCDs at the roadside while Orked got a scholarship to study in England with only 5A’s. This reflects that the unequal access to resources of Chinese minority such as Jason compared to dominant Malay such as Orked. The reason behind this is because the Malaysian government is largely composed of Malays, which allows them to have more power to decide what the value system in the society is and how to distribute resources. This nepotism allows ethnic stratification in the society to remain durable. Moreover, the movie also illustrates that ethnic relations are gendered. This issue is shown when Lin’s boyfriend criticizes Orked for having a Chinese boyfriend. Orked retorts that Malay men have always married outside their race and that it only becomes controversial when women do it. This discrepancy is further explained when Lin’s boyfriend expresses that he does not think it is wrong for Johari to force Orked to have sex with him, saying that it is what girlfriends are for. His attitude shows that one feature of the dominant discourse is the unequal treatment of men and women, promoted by men who have more power in order to retain that position. Religious issues are mentioned as well. Jason was told by his friend, Keong, that he shouldn’t hang out with Malay girls. He specified that Jason will have to change his religion and pork would be forbidden to him. The film talks about racial issues. This can be seen via Lin’s boyfriend who portrayed a nepotistic nature when he condemned Orked for having a relationship with Jason. He called the latter “sepet”, or slant-eyed, a derogatory Malay term which is used to describe Chinese people. This proves that there are underlying racial tensions which are not shown on the surface.