Malaysia bills itself as a model of peaceful multiculturalism, but despite nearly half a century of nationhood, the races that make up its population have never been further apart.
Separate schools, separate friends, separate social lives -- Malaysia marks 50 years of independence Wednesday but many citizens lament the lack of ties between majority Malays and the Chinese and Indians living alongside them.
The widespread racial polarisation on campus -- a microcosm of the national picture, the various races only mix among themselves. There is very little interaction.
Malaysia's population of 25 million people is dominated by some 60 percent Muslim Malays. Chinese and Indians, who began migrating here in the early 19th century, make up 26 percent and 8.0 percent respectively.
Racial interaction is declining because the minority races feel they are being pushed aside."Overall, the people live in harmony but there is some degree of tension due to the feeling of being discriminated.
The young generation are not mixing as much as the older generation.
UMNO is the dominant party in the National Front coalition which has ruled Malaysia since independence in 1957. The coalition is a grouping of more than a dozen mainly race-based parties including Chinese and Indian groups.
Anwar Ibrahim caused a stir by proposing to reform the political landscape which he says is straining national harmony. "We need to appeal to the Malays, Chinese and the Indians and the rest that we need to go beyond race-based politics. If you continue to harp and support this racial equation, you will never be able to overcome racial divisions," he says.
Scholars and politicians warn that the existing peace and harmony in the country must not be taken for granted and have pressed for a national convention to identify a strategy towards a united Malaysian race.
A military-style "national service" program for 18-year-old youths was introduced last year with the aim of boosting racial integration. Students are chosen at random and taken to camps for up to three months in the hope they will learn team work and absorb each other's culture. But the scheme has been plagued with problems, including reports of race-based fighting, deaths, riots and extortion which have prompted opposition politicians to call for it to be suspended.
P. Ramasamy, political science lecturer at the National University of Malaysia and an ethnic Indian, describes race relations in Malaysia as "pretty bad".
As evidence he cites the UMNO general assembly last month, where powerful youth wing leader Hishammuddin Hussein held aloft a keris, a traditional Malay weapon, while his supporters chanted "Long Live Malays".
What message did they intend to communicate to the Chinese and Indians in the country. Are they saying, if you challenge us, we will impose violence?" he asks.
The New Economic Policy was introduced following deadly racial clashes in 1969, mainly between the Malays and the Chinese.
Its aim was to eradicate poverty and restructure society irrespective of race but after 37 years, the Chinese continue to dominate the economy, Malays have moved up the social ladder and control politics, while the Indians have emerged as the new poor.
Anwar has also attacked the New Economic Policy, saying it has only served to feed corruption and cronyism in the government.
Who are the guys who benefit from the NEP. They are the richest of the Malays. They are not protecting the interest of the poor Malay. They are only protecting their own interests.
No comments:
Post a Comment