Bridging the differences

(From left) Ben with his Indian mother Padmini and Chinese father Low

In the past, mixed marriages were rather uncommon in rural areas as there was little opportunity for members of the various communities to socialise with each other.

When it came to contact or communications in those days, generally, the Malay community would stay in the kampung, the Indians stayed in the plantations and the Chinese would either be in the new villages or the townships.