Since we live in a diverse country where there are people of different races and religions living together, it is a given that interracial relationships are bound to happen. Based on data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia, in 2019, around 22,134 out of 203,821 marriages were between couples of different ethnicities.
While interracial marriages and relationships are a sign of openness and growth from the past, there are many who still go through struggles and face problems in our society. Here are some of the honest opinions of locals who are or were in interracial relationships:
# Vaish, in an interracial relationship for 2 years
- "You don't get to share some inside jokes from your culture with your partner because they wouldn't understand."
- "Lifestyle differences from the stuff you eat to the way you keep your house."
- "Families unsure about certain customs and afraid of common societal issues."
# Prem, in an interracial relationship for 6 years, married for 3 years
"Racism from other people."
# Nat, in an interracial relationship for 3 years
"We can't eat at the same place. We get stared at a lot. People think just because he's the brown one he's with me for my money."
#Oy, in an interracial relationship for 1 year
I am Chinese and I used to date a Malay, unfortunately, had to end things earlier than expected due to the whole converting thing. If it wasn't for family and government forcing me to convert, we could've made it."
# Vinu, in an interracial relationship for 9 years
"Racism."
# Yan, in an interracial relationship for 9 months
Since I am Chinese and was dating an Indian at the time, my family was very angry with me. When they found out I almost got chased out of the house and they even brought up the fact that my children would be dark-skinned which was something they didn't like or want,
# Hiro, in an interracial relationship for 7 months
"Food preferences. My girlfriend and I have different food preferences making it hard for us to explore new restaurants."
# D, in an interracial relationship for 4 months
Honestly, I had to end things because I loved bacon more. To think that in the long term I would have to give up bacon was very upsetting and it made me decide that I can't be in this relationship.
# Jay, in an interracial relationship for 2 years
The main struggle is being forced to convert because of the country's laws. It's like I have to choose between my religion or the love of my life. I am not willing to give up both, but I am being forced to.
# Sean, in an interracial relationship for 5 months
"The clashing of cultures can sometimes be an issue. Other than that, Malaysians as a whole are pretty accepting of interracial couples these days"
# AS, in an interracial relationship for a month & a half
"Normally when we go out, we'd usually get stared at a lot. I guess the sight of interracial couples isn't really normalised yet in Malaysia. Other than that, breaking the news to family members could be tough as well."
# Mel, in an interracial relationship for 4 years
"Cultural upbringing."
# M, in an interracial relationship for 9 years
"There's always the judgement from society about converting in terms of religion, even if it is not bound by the country's laws. They always ask why am I not sharing my religious beliefs with him because they believe that it is a sin to be involved with someone from a different religion and they kept asking me to bring him to church."
# Sin, in an interracial relationship for 4 years
"Parent's opinion."
# GG, in an interracial relationship for 10 months
"My parents were very strongly against my relationship when they found out that I was dating a Malay girl. It was a truly horrible moment for me. They sat me down and talked to me sternly, my dad even shouted at me. I had to pretend to break things off and date her in secret."
Are you in an interracial relationship? What are some of the struggles you face in Malaysia? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
