Racist Teacher - Child Abuse

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Racist Teacher - Child Abuse

TW: Child Abuse

I don't have any fond memories of my time in Kepong—especially because of how I looked without my headscarf. I remember, during my primary school days, I was subjected to racism by several teachers simply because I looked like a Chinese girl.

They would say things like, "She can't write Malay, speak Malay, or read Malay. She can only communicate in English. But she has a Muslim name."

One teacher would slap me, make me crawl around the classroom for 20 laps, and twist my ear until it bled because I have ear piercing then—in front of 30 students—simply because I was a slow learner when it came to the Malay language. I was only eight years old and had no knowledge of how to communicate in Malay.

My mother had to come to the school and confront the teacher, explaining who I was and who I belonged to. She told them I had Malay parents—not mixed Malay-Chinese heritage. After that, the treatment changed—but the damage had already been done. I was mentally scarred.

I didn’t make any friends in that school, except one. The racism didn’t stop with the teachers—it spread through the classroom too. Students would spit in my face, throw stones at my eyes, and alienate me during sports activities.

You might wonder why the students were able to behave that way. It’s because the teacher set the tone. She was the head of the class.

There was no need for caning—just public humiliation. And I am no stranger to physical abuse in school at the hands of teachers. 

To adapt, I had to put on my headscarf.


These are my personal memories and lived experiences. You are not permitted to reproduce, adapt, or portray this scene in any form of media, out of respect for my reality. The original publisher is still alive. Any similarities or resemblances to this story will be regarded as a violation, and I will pursue legal action accordingly. It is unacceptable to misrepresent or claim my life experience as your own.

If you wish to contact me, please do so respectfully via email: nilhdaf@gmail.com

Do not depict my painful experience in any media format, including films resembling Pekak.

Image Source: Canva
Proofreader: Microsoft Copilot

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