A Malay or A Malaysian?

A Malay is defined in our constitution as a person who professes the Islamic religion, speaks the Malay Language and follows the Malay culture. By this defination, many others of different origin have since claimed that they are Malays, a lots of them to simply enjoy the special privileges accorded to them under the New Economic Policy (NEP). The New Economic Policy formulated to help the underprivileged irrespective of race and religion has since been hijacked to help the bumiputeras (as the Malays came to be known); on the assumption that they are the backward class. This might have been true to some extent during the independence days, but after 50 years since Merdeka, to continue harping that the Malays have been left behind is a fallacy.

Since 1969, the bumiputeras have enjoyed preferance in admissions to universities, scholarships, bursaries etc till it can be believed that the majority of the graduates of the public universities are them. This is besides the thousands sent overseas on government scholarships to foriegn universities. Employmentwise, nearly 95% of top jobs in the government services are filled with bumiputeras, the indians making up the menial labour force while the chinese have since shunned the public service sector for employment. Loans and grants by Government agencies too have shown a marked preferance towards helping the bumiputeras forge ahead while the others have been sadly beglected.

Many a malay entrepreneur have today stopped relying on such goverenmental assistance and have discarded the crutches offered. But the majority it seems have become dependent on the government for their livelihood and survival.

Why many people of other origin wish to be classified as bumiputeras becomes evident as they continue to enjoys the perks offered by the ruling entity, at the expense of the other Malaysians.

Does the defination of a malay justify the perks granted under the NEP? I would have certainly thought that the Malays who warranted such attention were those whose forefathers had settled in this country generations ago; those who had been ignored by the British. However, when we look around us, we suddenly realize thatit is the many 'malay' related people of Indonesian origins who are complete newcomers to this country, compared the the thousands of Indians and Chinese, who have been absorbed into the Malay community and enjoy the special privileges that had been set forward.

Amongst them are those who have been bestowed 'Datoship' and have become community leaders, UMNO chairpersons and probably divisional heads.

Whilst in Batam recently, I was introduced to Indonesians, who claimed to be of Malay origin; not javanese, not bugis, not acheinese, but malay from Indonesia. How do we look at them; as Indonesians or Malaysians? Why they fit the bill as a Malay, so can we take it for granted that they can be bumiputeras on their arrival into our country?

A serious rethink is in the offing to change thinking ourselves as Malaysians rather than of one particular race. They call for Ketuanan Rakyat by PKR is most appropriate. Its time that the racially divisive policies of UMNO, MCA and MIC are made obsolete and the new generation of Malaysians wake up to the reality of non ethinc policies.

A recent call by the Indian muslim community wanting to be identified as malays would be negated as it would not matter which race they belonged to to enjoy life as a Malaysian.