The Concept of the Pan-Malay Union: A discussion

[Aepsilons]

An Analysis of the Bumiputra System


By: @Nihonjin1051​

Overview


Malaysia has been viewed as one of the less developed world’s success stories since its independence from Britain in 1957. Its annual GNP growth rate averaged more than 7 percent for over twenty years, and its changes of government, with on exception, have been according to constitutional processes. The country has taken advantage of its rich agricultural and mineral endowments to expand its export base, while more recently the economy has been diversifying into the production of manufactured goods for both the domestic and export market. Naturally, the foreign companies and foreign direct investors.


The major policy initiative was the New Economic Policy- the so called Bumiputra Policy, which was started in 1971. It was initiated to elevate the economic and educational status of the ethnic Malays. The Bumiputra policy was intended to redress imbalances in the educational and economic position of the Malays.Bumiputra was supposed to be implemented only for 20 years and was expected to expire by 1990-1991. Its retention in policy remains a mystery. Its been 23 years its expected expiration.


Background of the Bumiputra Policy


Malaysia’s potential for economic prosperity and for ethnic strife both predate the country’s independence. In the colonial times overseas investors, mainly from the UK but with a smattering from other industrialized countries, were attracted by the rich lodes of tin and other minerals and the good soil and climate for rubber growing. The territory’s commercial development was greatly advanced by Chinese immigrants who had arrived by way of Singapore and spread northward into the Malay Peninsula. The British government limited the right of the Chinese to acquire land and enter the colonial administrative service in an effort to “protect” the ethnic Malays, who were considered lazy and less sophisticated and thus vulnerable to exploitation. The Malay’s economic advancement was further hindered by their preference for remaining in their rural kampangs (villages) and by the fact that as Muslims they had religious prejudice against the charging of interest on loans and, by extension, against financially complex transactions or other “big business”. So this was largely something that was a cultural hindrance in regards to the Chinese who were prevalent in the money lending market, as well as in the overall economic sector of the country.



Reference:


Stoever, W. A. (1985). Malaysia, The Bumiputra Policy, And Foreign Investors: An Evaluation. Studies In Comparative International Development, 20(6), 86.

 

[Aepsilons]

Affirmative action in Malaysia has run into negative effect. Its making the Malays difficult to employ into the private sector. The majority quality of the graduates are low quality. This in turns making the divide stronger, as the government absorb most of the Bumiputera students. The amount of labor working in the government sector is as high as Greece. So much worker were employed to do nothing. Its unsustainable.

Because of the Malays were not catching up, in the 1990s a decision has been made to make few elites rich to reach the target 30% set. It created some illusion that the chinese were still holding majority the economy. But in actual fact, they had already reach 30% private holding in year 2000, higher if counted by market value. This is not including the goverment GLCs 30%. That is already 60%. The goverment dismiss and insisted in counted in par value (any people with financial background will tell you this is ridiculous). To the chinese is a betrayal, as the goverment renegaded it promise to stop affirmative action businesses. And the malays were not happy as non-elite life were not improve.

When the question this, UMNO (ruling government) said not to question malay rights, and promises to spill chinese blood just like 13 Mei 1969. And that is that famous waving keris-muddin incident. Since then support from non-malay plummeted. Sometimes its hard not to be racist.

I'm for affirmative action in education not businesses. PISA 2009,2012 was an eye opener. It greatly shows you need to fix the education, not business quotas. You need scientist and engineers to propel the nation foward. You can't run sweatshops like China if you want to be a high income nation.

The Dichotomy between Indonesian and Malaysian National Body Policies

I would like to point out that both Malaysia and Indonesia share a similar national language, similar predominant religion, similar geographic location in the fact that both nations are situated in the Malay Archipelago. But there are dichotomies in how their governments handle ethnic minorities, as a whole.

Indonesia, a nation of over 250 million and more than 1,000 ethnic and sub-ethnic groups, is undoubtedly one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse nations in the world. The Javanese and Sundanese are two of Indonesia’s largest ethnic groups. In comparison, only about 2-3 percent of the population are ethnic Chinese, making them one of the many minority ethnic groups in Indonesia. But one thing that is unique about Indonesia is that during Suharto’s regime, a policy of assimilation to absorb the Chinese and other minorities into the national body was observed. The policy of multiculturalism has been endorsed by Indonesia’s current holders as a preferred approach to rebuilding the nation, consistent with the national motto: “Unity in Diversity”. Incidentally, there are no Bumiputra system in Indonesia as in Malaysia.

Reference:

Hoon, C. (2006). Assimilation, multiculturalism, hybridity: The dilemmas of the ethnic chinese in post-suharto Indonesia 1. Asian Ethnicity, 7(2), 149-166. doi:10.1080/14631360600734400

 

[powastick]

Suharto's assimilation doesn't work. Doesn't stop May 1998 riots. The pressure buildup is there, any economic stress will make the chinese as an easy target to blame. Did you read the news, Christian Chinese governor in Indonesia is being protested. Currently, booming trade with China is preventing economic pressure on the population. If China's economy collapse, we are toast. But for how long, high native population growth and job loss due to automation are a scary prospect.

 

[Rechoice]

I think Vietnam should also be included in that union.

Vietnam joined to ASEAN, .

 

[INDIC]

BTW @Nihonjin1051 Bumiputera is a Sanskrit origin word, in Sanskrit Bhumi means land, Putra means son. We also use that word in Hindi.

 

[Aepsilons]

Suharto's assimilation doesn't work. Doesn't stop May 1998 riots. The pressure buildup is there, any economic stress will make the chinese as an easy target to blame. Did you read the news, Christian Chinese governor in Indonesia is being protested. Currently, booming trade with China is preventing economic pressure on the population. If China's economy collapse, we are toast. But for how long, high native population growth and job loss due to automation are a scary prospect.

I'm sure much has changed since 1998, my friend. Afterall, its been almost 16 years since then. Indonesia has progressed since then.

 

[Cossack25A1]

BTW @Nihonjin1051 Bumiputera is a Sanskrit origin word, in Sanskrit Bhumi means land, Putra means son. We also use that word in Hindi.

I think Malay culture has some aspects of South Asian culture since some words in Filipino (a few of which are also similar to Bahasa Ianguages save for the spelling) are derived from Sanskrit.

 

[Developereo]

No, in the US, Canada and Australia, the affirmative actions favor minorityhile in Malaysia it favors majority.

The concept of affirmative action is to favor those who face discrimination. It has nothing to do with majority or minority since, in many countries, ethnic minorities exert disproportionate control over elite sectors of the economy.

Affirmative action in Malaysia has run into negative effect. Its making the Malays difficult to employ into the private sector.

I was talking about the theoretical rationale for affirmative action.

I can fully accept that its implementation in Malaysia may have been hijacked by opportunists, to the detriment of the wider society, including all ethnicities, majority and minority.

 

[Nike]

Suharto's assimilation doesn't work. Doesn't stop May 1998 riots. The pressure buildup is there, any economic stress will make the chinese as an easy target to blame. Did you read the news, Christian Chinese governor in Indonesia is being protested. Currently, booming trade with China is preventing economic pressure on the population. If China's economy collapse, we are toast. But for how long, high native population growth and job loss due to automation are a scary prospect.

It's working, you can see how many ethnics in Indonesia gradually loose their grips over their own culture and language to be replaced by National identity of Indonesia, using Indonesia language, forgetting about their own local identity and the National building is worked everywhere at incredibly pace. Javanese, Sundanese, Minahasa, Papuans, Timoreans, Bugis, Minangkabau, Dayak, everywhere speaking in Bahasa Indonesia today, left their local identity behind. The scale is big, very big and the process is still continued until today in this very minute.


The Javanese today is very different with Javanese 50 or 60 years ago, the Indonesian Chinese today is very different with the Chinese 50 or 60 years ago, the same cases applied for every ethnics in Indonesia.

 

[tonyget]

The concept of affirmative action is to favor those who face discrimination.

No, the concept of affirmative action is the group who is in power give favours to the groups who are not in power. What's happening in South Africa and Malaysia is the group who is already in power using affirmative action to reinforce their power.

 

[Maxtini]

Suharto's assimilation doesn't work. Doesn't stop May 1998 riots. The pressure buildup is there, any economic stress will make the chinese as an easy target to blame. Did you read the news, Christian Chinese governor in Indonesia is being protested. Currently, booming trade with China is preventing economic pressure on the population. If China's economy collapse, we are toast. But for how long, high native population growth and job loss due to automation are a scary prospect.

Suharto's assimilation does work in the limited sense~
All in all of course it won;t stop racial profiling to occurs especially in crisis. Even in the US, Obama ascendency was marked with racial accusation.

But the importance is, with this assimilation policy, there were justification to abolish any economic discrimination based or racial issue.

Why do you think Malay in Malaysia still clinged to Bumiputera policy and emphasizing Islam as its identity? It is exactly that the Chinese community has stubbornly clinged to its Chinese roots and refuse to accept any compromise.

Why do you think Indonesian government willing to pass law that declare Indonesian Chinese as Native Indonesian? It is exactly that the Indonesian Chinese community has made the "sacrifice" and compromises in managing their identity. Especially in the area of language and education; that means they will receive education in Indonesian language and Chinese language will be demoted as secondary language.

But It doesn't mean that Chinese Indonesia lose their Chinesess, they still celebrate Chinese New Year and they can express their culture freely now. The only differrent is that Chinese Indonesian will gradually lose grip of their own language. But the same thing also occurs to the Javanese, the Sundanese, the Papuans who adopted Indonesian language lose grip of their own ethnic language. By relegating their own ethnic language to secondary status, all ethnic groups in Indonesia foster their unique identity as Indonesian.

 

[Developereo]

No, the concept of affirmative action is the group who is in power give favours to the groups who are not in power. What's happening in South Africa and Malaysia is the group who is already in power using affirmative action to reinforce their power.

Around the world affirmative action policies are based on redressing historical and ongoing discrimination. There is nothing that says the ethnic majority always holds economic power. If a minority group holds disproportionate power and discriminates against the majority, then affirmative action is called for.

 

[tonyget]

Around the world affirmative action policies are based on redressing historical and ongoing discrimination. There is nothing that says the ethnic majority always holds economic power. If a minority group holds disproportionate power and discriminates against the majority, then affirmative action is called for.

According to this logic, Nazi's "affirmative action" was justified.

 

[Developereo]

According to this logic, Nazi's "affirmative action" was justified.

You need to get your medicine.

The fact of anti-Malay discrimination during colonial centuries and ongoing discrimination by minorities is well known.

If minorities engage in ethnic nepotism, why should the majority allow it and suffer?

Would you allow it if elite whites running rich Western companies in China discriminated against Han Chinese and favored whites?

 

[Indos]

@Developereo @Maxtini

Some of Indonesian Native ethnic is actually a Mix Chinese like Betawi/ Palembang ethnic etc. There was no problem before Westener came, during that time many Native marry Chinese ethnic and many of Chinese converted into Islam as well. The tension between Chinese ethnic and Non-Chinese ethnic started during Dutch Colonization, in which Dutch prefer Chinese entrepreneurs to work with them and put them as the first partner in trade, and also despise native ones as a second grade people. It is a devide at empera tactic.

Serikat Dagang Islam or Islamic Trade Union which has become the first organization who started nationalist agenda in 1911 and create many Indonesian leaders was first set up to counter Chinese businesses which is preferred by the Dutch since empowering this ethnic will get less risk politically than empowering the native ones.

It's working, you can see how many ethnics in Indonesia gradually loose their grips over their own culture and language to be replaced by National identity of Indonesia, using Indonesia language, forgetting about their own local identity and the National building is worked everywhere at incredibly pace. Javanese, Sundanese, Minahasa, Papuans, Timoreans, Bugis, Minangkabau, Dayak, everywhere speaking in Bahasa Indonesia today, left their local identity behind. The scale is big, very big and the process is still continued until today in this very minute.


The Javanese today is very different with Javanese 50 or 60 years ago, the Indonesian Chinese today is very different with the Chinese 50 or 60 years ago, the same cases applied for every ethnics in Indonesia.

It is true that despite our differences in ethnicity, we love Indonesia more than our ethnicity. Some of my family for instant married Javanese, Acehnese, Bataknese, and even Chinese.