I am Malaysian. Don't Ask me my race!

Ever since i can remember I've always had people asking me or my siblings, what race we are.

Now why is race so important? Just because our skin color is not actually Chinese looking or Indian looking or Malay looking so they wonder what we are.
Rojak is what I'd like to tell them!

I'm a real Malaysian, my dad is a descendant of Indian parents. My late beloved mom was descendant of Chinese parents.

My dad was raised by his parents in Singapore during the British rule. Being of the catholic Faith they don't follow any Indian rituals or customs.

My mom was raised in a convent of orphanage kids by nuns from all over the world. She has no clue of Chinese customs.

Me, i had to deal with people lumping me into categories, or at least doing their best to lump me into their categories.

Why is it, the government categorize me by looking to my father's race? Where does it say that the male parent the dominant factor in determining my race? My dad sorry to say but he has never had a say in my up bringing.

I was raised by my mom and with the irreplaceable help of my 'Grandma' (she was the lady who came to look after us when we were toddlers when my parents were working and my family owes everything to her! She is of Portuguese descent)

Yes i am Part Indian and i'm proud of it, and yes i'm part Chinese and I'm proud of it too. And being raised by my Grandma I'm Part Portuguese and I'm Proud of it too. (Eh, BTW, Excuse me, but i speak fluent Melaka Portuguese, OK!) But most importantly i'm just me i'm an individual person, I'm Malaysian.

My daughter, she is part of me and part of her father. Her father is part Welch and part English.
Now even htough she was born in malaysia, in her birth cert it states She is British under race /Bangsa.

She is not British! She is Malaysian! Her birth cert has given her a My Kid card to state she is malaysian. she hold a malaysian international passport yet ,..... she had to be lumped into a category by the government! Yet even though she has never met her father, they had to categorize her according to her father! WHY!?! It makes me mad!

And every one that sees her, wants to know what race she is!

Therefore again i ask my question, Why ?