Racism & Racial Discrimination in Malaysia - 9789671426388 - SUARAM

"... a brave analysis of crude communal populism, corrupt crony capitalism, fueled today by the privatization of state assets, and the lasting impact on Malaysias maligned and vulnerable ethnic minorities of state violence." — Liz Fekete, Institute of Race Relations, London

This is the second edition of Kua Kia Soongs classic expose of racism and racial discrimination in Malaysia, updated with the latest political developments. Packaged as affirmative action in favor of Bumiputeras (princes of the soil), racism and racial discrimination have been practiced with impunity since the start of the New Economic Policy after 1969 May 13 pogrom. Recently the Pakatan Harapan coalition failed to ratify ICERD when faced with the threat of repeat on May 13 by Malay supremacists and their Shared Prosperity Vision is merely a rehash of the NEP. The new coalition of UMNO, PAS and Parti Pribumi has already committed to the Bumiputera Agenda.
This book is about the politics of race and class in Malaysia, highlighting the structural conditions that enable the crude manipulation of race to serve the economic interests of the ruling class under the Barisan Nasional, Pakatan Harapan and now Perikatan Nasional administrations. The chapters on the Emergency contain declassified documents from the British Public Records Office, which were made available after the 30-year secrecy rule was lifted. The author offers alternatives that are needs-based and thus race-free by doing away with such discriminatory policies, rent-seeking activities and patronage politics.