Kidd Santhe on the irony of racism in multicultural Malaysia

"RACISM stems from the person that you are and says more about you than it does about me," says Malaysian rapper Kidd Santhe.

Speaking to Sinar Daily, the 28-year old singer believes that true change starts from within, and that prejudice is often a reflection of one's insecurities.

Kidd, whose real name is Parssanth Navaratnam, does not shy away from calling out the absurdity of racism in a multicultural nation like Malaysia.

"I think Malaysia and the people are doing their best, but it is really funny when anybody goes through any sort of racism. Majority of the people worldwide and even our neighbours listen to Tamil music,” he said, highlighting the cultural contradictions many fail to recognise.

A recent clip he posted on Instagram where he was rapping about “Kisah hidup seorang budak India” (Life of an Indian kid) garnered both criticism and support by users, linking his lyrics to the Black Lives Matter Movement that is primarily focused on police brutality and racially motivated violence against black people in the United States.

The song's lyrics read “Berapa hari polis tahan budak India tak lepas, hari-hari kena gari buat cam barang hias” (How many days did the police detain the Indian boy without releasing him, every day he was handcuffed like an accessory?). Among the many comments, user Syafiq Nasrud dropped said: "Why do the lyrics sound racist? In Malaysia, the police won't arrest you because of your skin colour, unlike in the United States.”

Kidd points out the irony of the users commenting on the post, saying that they enjoy Tamil music in general but display racist behaviours when faced with such situations.

"How can you be racist when you're on TikTok listening to Zubir Khan? How is that even possible? How can you be so contradicting to listen to Zubir's 'Machan Machan' song and at the same time close your nose when you're in the lift? That's funny," he said.

Kidd also talks about how the Indian culture influences Malaysian society, even among those who harbour prejudiced views such as the most common food and wedding festivities.

He called on for a collective introspection to overcome these stereotypes.

"A lot of us must take a step back, open the blinkers, and realise that we all are more together than we realise.

"It's just we've got certain stereotypes that are hard to break, things that have been installed in our minds," he said.

Kidd believes that by addressing these internal biases, individuals can begin to see each other as fellow human beings, fostering a more inclusive society.

He said racism or prejudice is insecurity within oneself and has nothing much to do with the other person.

"It's just about having a better worldview. Racism stems from the person that you are and says more about you than it does about me," he said.

He confronts the harsh realities of life in Malaysia, tackling themes of loss, racism, and societal challenges in the song “Bawah”.