Stratiotes

The stories showing the life trajectories of émigré musicians from Nazi-Europe in Britain, presented in the 'Migration, Music, Mobility' exhibition in the RCM Museum, had not only shed light on the fusion of cultures resulting from the migration, the pain of war, as well as settlements and establishments of music career in Britain, but also concomitantly portrayed a generally all-embracing community that offered those musicians a creative home where they could continue to do what they've been doing with freedom, without being persecuted for their identity or falling victim to the war fire. This has sparked inspiration and prompted reflections, which eventually reminded me of the sacrifices made by many Malaysian Chinese educators in the 50s, particularly having Mr. Lin Lian-yu in mind, to fight for equality amongst ethnicities, to preserve our culture, and protect our rights to receive education delivered in our mother language, despite the huge obstacles posed by the big environment of the time. The winding journey was long, and still proceeding these days, but all the struggles and realization of its difficulties have kept most of the Malaysian Chinese mindful and grateful for being able to speak, read and write in Chinese alongside other languages, and in this case, even being able to know and play the traditional instruments. The price paid behind this flourishing peaceful scene will always be remembered. Some of us might have once questioned our own identity, but undoubtedly as a Malaysian, we can also be proud of the cultures of our ethnicities, seeing it as enriching the nation's cultural life. Nationality and ethnicity can be congruous, and we shouldn't be put into a situation that makes it conflicting. The term 'Stratiotes' is derived from the scientific name of water lettuce, an aquatic plant commonly found in freshwater regions in Malaysia. It has an epithet of 'water soldier' as suggested by its blade-like leaves and metaphorically its high survivability, implying its resilience. Each of us is small in view of the entire population, but every effort counts and makes a massive difference when converged.