Because of your skin colour.

I have a lot of things to write about and they are all of equal importance, but given the time constraint I am having now with projects, I am gonna just do a quick entry on the one thing I love to talk most about - racism/discrimination.

My lecturer recommended me for an internship position at an advertising firm. It's a pretty well-known firm - it's got a worldwide presence. In Singapore, well, let's just say that its office is located near the river. And it got a mention in the ST on Tuesday (10 April 2007).

So yesterday she sent an e-mail to notify me to send my resume over to the guy from the firm. Which I did immediately.

This morning, I went to see my lecturer as I had a question about the module I take that she's teaching. After answering my question, she turned all grim and said she had some news for me. She told me the guy from the ad firm called her, saying he did not want to hire me because I am Malay. He does not want to hire any Malays. And those are the exact words that my lecturer quoted. Apparently, he had had bad experiences working with Malays in the past.

I could not believe it. I knew race (and gender) was always factor in my employability, being in the minority in Singapore. And I am always prepared to fight racism/discrimination if and when I encounter injustice. But to have it blatantly said to my face was really quite a darn hard blow.

What's even more ridiculous is that one of the reasons my lecturer had recommended me for this position was because the firm had a few Indonesian accounts to handle, therefore hiring someone with a basic knowledge of the Malay language (and perhaps culture) would be a plus.

My lecturer tried to fight my case, but he stood firm by his decision. He did not want to even look at my resume, he did not even want to give me a chance.

Now, this is just unfair. And "unfair" doesn't even begin to describe how warped and unjust this situation is. You work hard, you know you can be a valuable employee to a company, but you are not even given a chance to prove it. Because of your skin colour.

This is plain racism. It happens, people.

But that doesn't mean that it should continue happening. Nor does it mean that we should not try to do anything about it.

Under the Equal Protection clause of the Constitution of Singapore (Part IV - Fundamental Liberties), Article 12 states that, "Except as expressly authorised by this Constitution, there shall be no discrimination against citizens of Singapore on the ground only of religion, race, descent or place of birth in any law or in the appointment to any office or employment under a public authority or in the administration of any law relating to the acquisition, holding or disposition of property or the establishing or carrying on of any trade, business, profession, vocation or employment."

I am not taking this lying down. And trust me, it's not about the job. I wouldn't want to work in an environment that perpetuates racism. It's about the larger issue of being discriminated against because of your race.

I am going to do something about this, and I am thankful I have the support of my family and friends behind me. This is not the last you will hear of this.

If anyone has had a similar experience - of being rejected for a job on the basis of race even though you are well-qualified for it - do speak up. Drop me an e-mail at silk_shantung@yahoo.com.sg. Thanks.