NST : It's History: Kissing a hot topic in 1940
Uncle Yap
16th February 2004
It's History: Kissing a hot topic in 1940
Khoo Kay Khim
MALAYSIA’S social history has not been accorded the importance it
deserves owing to the excessive attention given to political history.
There have been, for example, few attempts to study changing social
behaviour. Yet the subject is fascinating due to Malaysia's ethnic
diversity.
In early 1940, two interesting issues were briefly discussed in the
Women's Supplement of the Straits Times. One was a wife's status in
Chinese society and the other was the Asian attitude to kissing.
In the first instance, it was pointed out that after the Chinese
Revolution (1911), sexual equality was enshrined in China's
constitution; the situation in Malaya, however, was different. Here, a
Chinese wife was subject to her husband's whims and fancies; she was
treated as housekeeper rather than as companion.
It was not yet the custom for a Chinese husband here to take his wife
to clubs, parties or other social gatherings. Chinese men tended to
enjoy themselves at teahouses. Some met there daily, where they
talked, laughed and joked. Some enjoyed mahjong. Occasionally, they
sent for a sing-song or cabaret girl instead of asking their wives to
join them.
The popular complaint then was that Chinese men had no respect for
monogamy. Nor was it legally mandatory in Malaya, whereas in China
bigamy was already illegal. Many cabaret girls became mistresses of
those who could afford them. Such mistresses were usually paid a
monthly allowance and had nothing to do but wait for their men to
visit them. Bigamy was not declared illegal until after World War II.
In the second instance, it was the subject of kissing which gained
attention. This occurred when one contributor to the Women's
Supplement gave the impression that before their contact with the
West, Asians knew nothing of kissing. This elicited comment from a
reader who remarked that kissing was as instinctive as eating. "It is
to descend from the sublime to the ridiculous," she added, "to suggest
that this physical expression of an emotion inherent in human nature
(love) is a modern development." This reader pointed out that "the
ancient Hindu treatises on love dwelt at length on the art of
kissing." The ancient Hindus who developed kissing into a fine art
advised men and women to keep their teeth and gums in good condition.
Referring again to the original article which claimed that Indian
girls, as a rule, would not have been kissed before marriage, it was
observed that the ancient Hindu love treatises laid down three classes
of kisses for young unmarried girls: the nominal kiss, the throbbing
kiss, and the touching kiss! The only difference between Asians and
Westerners, according to the reader, was that the latter were more
publicly demonstrative, so kissing in the open was not prohibited. In
the case of the former, demonstrations of affection were usually
confined to the privacy of the home. Apparently it was not unusual in
Singapore then to see husbands walking with their wives trailing
behind.
But already the younger Asian generation was shrugging off such
behaviour. Younger Asian women expected the same courtesies from their
escorts that European women received in public, such as being helped
into cars or ushered across streets.
The changing behaviour of Asian women received greater attention than
that of men. In general, the post-World War I era witnessed
interesting changes in Asian society as a result of Western
influences, for example, the advent of Western dance and dress. More
women also chose careers, and their public participation in sports
became increasingly common.
Pan
wrote:
>From The New Straits Times
>16th February 2004
>
>It's History: Kissing a hot topic in 1940
>Khoo Kay Khim
[snip]
Thanks, Uncle Yap. That was really interesting.
Best,
Michael
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