MalayMail-Aug 2
A study by Iman Research found Malay youths are supportive of pluralism and want ethnic-based policies like the NEP reformed to benefit all Malaysians, not just elites. Respondents viewed multiculturalism as a positive asset and linked it to justice and fairness, with universities seen as crucial spaces for inter-ethnic understanding. The report concluded that dismantling race-based policies and promoting pluralism are seen by young Malays as essential for building a fairer and more united Malaysia. Despite assumptions, Malay youths polled by think tank Iman Research have indicated that they are actually more supportive of pluralism and are calling for reforms of ethnic-based policies such as the New Economic Policy (NEP). Presenting the findings of it “Orang Kita: The Politics of Acknowledgement and Resentment” study, Iman’s research director Aziff Azuddin said young Malays generally believed in a multicultural Malaysia and did not want non-Malays excluded from the economic process. “I think I’m happy to report that all the Malays I spoke to, and I think generally across the board, they do believe in the multicultural Malaysian. They do not want to exclude the non-Malays out of the process or the economic process,” he said during the report launch yesterday. He said respondents saw the policy as originally designed to equalize the economy after the bloody racial riots of May 13, 1969, but over time it had evolved into something that benefitted the connected and the elite. The report noted that many young Malays associated pluralism with justice and fairness across communities.
“Most participants agreed that multiculturalism was something to be celebrated as a part of what it meant to be Malaysian. Diversity was seen as a positive asset, and many stated that the perceived harmonious relationship (outside political polarization) between the different ethnic groups was something to be grateful for. Aziff also highlighted education as a factor shaping attitudes towards pluralism. He said respondents described Malaysia’s schooling system as socially divisive, with students separated from a young age and unable to share the same realities. Universities, however, were cited by respondents as places where Malays had their first positive interactions with non-Malays. “Upon entering university, they are able to engage with non-Malays and find it to be a very important experience,” Aziff said. Read more at:
