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‘Malay Muslim first’: the politics of Bumiputeraism in East Malaysia

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posted on 2023-05-24, 04:57 authored by James ChinJames Chin
This chapter traces the political marginalisation of the main Bumiputera (indigenous) political grouping in the East Malaysian states of Sarawak and Sabah. Often ignored by scholars working on Malaysia, their political plight and marginalisation by the Muslim powerbrokers in both states in the past two decades are symbolic of the making of a ‘Malay Muslim’ state, rather than the promise of multi-ethnic and multi-religious Malaysian federation. In theory, the Bumiputera were favoured in all political, economic and social spheres under the infamous New Economic Policy (NEP). They are supposed to get easy access to government jobs, scholarships and places in public universities, special licences and easy credit. In reality, it would appear that these benefits are only available to Muslim Bumiputera (MB) while the majority Bumiputera, being non-Malay and non-Muslim, are marginalised or get very little benefit from the NEP and other affirmative action policies.

History

Publication title

Illusions of Democracy: Malaysian Politics and People

Volume

II

Editors

S Lemière

Pagination

201-220

ISBN

978-967-0960-87-6

Department/School

College Office - College of Arts, Law and Education

Publisher

Strategic Information and Research Development Centre

Place of publication

Selangor, Malaysia

Extent

15

Rights statement

Copyright 2017 Sophie Lemiere

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Government and politics not elsewhere classified

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