Taboos surrounding menstruation make it difficult for women to talk about our periods, often leading to silence, shame, and misconceptions. It’s the same with discussions on racial issues. In Malaysia, we don’t often hear of violence among races, but ethnocentricity and racial tension are inconspicuously present in our country.

I was 18 years old and serving in the Malaysia National Service programme when I encountered a traumatic incident. Late at night, a group of female trainees and I were ordered to wash all stained sanitary pads in the disposal bin to cast away an evil spirit from a possession incident. The scariest thing about the incident was neither the possession nor the unwashed pads, but rather witnessing how the relationship between our interracial friends was torn apart by the constructs which were supposed to unite us - education, cultural beliefs, and legalism. Since then, it has brought into question my place and responsibilities to my country.