COMMENT | In Malaysia, it is possible that 3 + 3 = 8.

No, this is not the latest “syllabus” from our dear Education Minister. Rather, I am talking about how the different races can combine their efforts and create something greater, just as mixing Malay and Chinese cooking has resulted in our world-famous Nyonya food.

For this Merdeka month, let’s have a ceasefire to the endless arguments about khat, Zakir Naik and politics, and see how a multicultural Malaysia can be stronger together.

There’s no better place to start than our national obsession - food. The racial tensions in our society have not stopped Malays from adopting and adapting yong tau foo, pau, tau foo fah and mee hailam. Just as Nyonya assam laksa is different from laksa Kedah, Malay pau has its own unique twist with fillings such as beef rendang and sardin cili api...