“The Malay Dilemma” authored by Mahathir about 40 years ago during his days in the political wilderness after he was sacked by Tunku. He was sacked from UMNO for rebuking the then PM for failing to resolve the Malays’ shambolic economic status.
The book dwells on the dispossession of the Malays. As an ultranationalist then, he envisioned radical concepts of Malay ownership of Malaysia. He felt that Malay tolerance and non-confrontational nature allowed them to be subjugated in their own land by other races and that the Chinese economic dominance needed to be checked and shared. He also insisted that Malay, the national language should be promoted, used and conversed by all Malaysians.
“The Malay Dilemma” later became for foundation for the New Economic Policy, popularly known as the Bumiputra Policy. In simple term, it is an affirmative action programme to improve the economic status of the indigenous Malays.
Last Sunday, while attending a Malay right- wing group Perkasa, he made a speech specifically targeting the Malay audiences. The following excerpts were taken from New Straits Times.
Today’s situation is more dangerous than the time of the British when they planned to conquer all the Malay states under the Malayan Union precept. Now, Malays cannot describe this state as a Malay state, cannot describe this state as the Malay Peninsula. Japan can be called a Japanese state, Korea as a state for Koreans, China as a state for the Chinese and India as a state for the Indians. Previously, it was possible but not now. Now Malaysia is everybody’s right but not a Malay right. The willingness of the Malays to share ownership of this country is not a little bit appreciated. The bestowing of one million citizenships by Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra to the other races is not only not appreciated but unremembered, forgotten just like that…”
Malays are said to be immigrants in their own state and other immigrants cannot be referred to as the immigrant race. If anyone does that, they have to apologise (but) nobody needs to apologise if they say Malays are an immigrant race…If Malays are not allowed to talk about their own problems, there is a possibility they will become dispossessed in their own country. This is the dangerous truth because we have seen the pressure and the contempt towards the Malays when they became a minority in a region that was once a part of the Malay states.”
He kept the strongest criticism for the Malays, he said
Malays are self-destructive. They don’t want to capitalise on opportunities presented to them. University places are not taken. Business opportunities are abused. Malay youths don’t want to study, preferring to loaf around or become Mat Rempits. The majority of Malaysians abusing drugs are Malays; the ones infected with HIV-AIDS are mostly Malays while rape and other crime cases are mainly Malays. The ones who failed in business are mostly Malays, debt delinquents are Malays, dishonoured contracts are Malays too, the AP predilection involves Malays too.........”
And it is ironic that 40 years after the book was written and Mahathir went on to become Prime Minister for 22 years, he is still talking about the Malays’ problem. They questions I beg to ask, what did he do to address the ‘dilemma’ while spending 22 years in the highest office. I can only think of a few reasons for the failure of this policy.
1. The New Economic Policy failed
2. The Prime Minister failed
3. The race failed to benefit
4. It was intended to make slow progress so UMNO can continue to champions this policy
One must not forget that Mahathir is a consummated and shrewd politician. With a new Prime Minister, he must have realised that he will be sidelined and may even be forgotten. He cares very much for his legacy in history. He is now in no position to win favours by dishing out projects and contracts. Thus it is a wise move to bring back the topic of Malays special rights to remind the Malays he still cares for their well being. This political platform had propelled him to the highest office and kept him there for 22 years.
Perhaps this is the only platform left for him to exploit the emotion of the political mass and give him some relevance.
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