As Malaysia’s bumiputra policy turns 50, citizens debate impact of affirmative action
- The New Economic Policy is attracting mixed responses about its impact since Malaysia introduced it in 1971 to enrich the lives of ethnic Malays and native groups
- But five decades on, economic inequality has only deepened, leading even bumiputra beneficiaries to question a policy that experts say is in dire need of reforms
The ethnic Malay grew up in a home in Sarawak with an annual household income of some 4,800 ringgit (US$1,200), and in 2013 won a preferred spot in a pre-university programme – based on his race – that subsequently allowed him to gain entry into Universiti Malaysia Sarawak to read engineering.
Without the state’s support, Firdaus would not have been able to see the inside of a tertiary institution and improve his prospects.
But on campus, he soon discovered that not everyone who benefited from the New Economic Policy, often called the “bumiputra” (sons of the soil) policy, came from the same background.
Many of his peers were well-off Malays enjoying the same preferential treatment as he was. Others had clearly fallen short of qualifying for university entry but still managed to gain admission despite their subpar grades, thanks to the NEP or their connections.
In contrast, Firdaus said some of his friends who came from ethnic minority backgrounds struggled to get university placements even though they had aced their secondary school exams.
