Kota Kinabalu: University of Tasmania’s Asian Institute Director, Professor James Chin, questioned the sudden desire of Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim to consider giving Bumiputra status to Malaysia’s Indian Muslims.
Mahathir
This desire is odd when his predecessor Tun Dr Mahathir, who said he was not ashamed of his Indian blood, never did despite having been asked by the Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress for more than two decades.
“These Indian Muslims want to be categorised as Bumiputera for economic and political benefits.
Many of these Indian Muslims have, in fact, registered their children as ‘Malay’ for many decades.
“Malaysia’s best known Mamak who was the longest serving PM did not grant them Bumiputera status.”
He suggested that Anwar grant Bumiputera status to all poor Malaysians, regardless of race or religion as Bumiputera is an administrative category rather than a Constitutional one (The word Bumiputera does not appear in the Constitution).
“You should give the message that the Bumiputera category is founded on assisting the lower class to advance. Then you can claim to have gradually built a cohesive and united Malaysia.”
Prof Chin noted that the non-Bumiputras are left to look after themselves, with occasional ad-hoc help from the government.
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