Young Malays Reject Equal Rights: “We Need Our Privileges”
A recent Merdeka Center survey reveals a stark generational divide in Malaysia’s racial politics, with 73% of young Malays supporting the continuation of bumiputera privileges.
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In a revealing snapshot of Malaysia’s racial divide, 73% of young Malays have voted to maintain their special privileges – effectively endorsing unequal treatment of their fellow citizens in a country where they form 60% of the 32 million population.
The Merdeka Center’s recent survey of 1,605 young people aged 18 to 30 lays bare an uncomfortable truth.
While respondents across all ethnicities were evenly split on equal rights, with 48% supporting equality and 49% favouring special privileges, the breakdown among Malay respondents tells a different story.
An overwhelming 73% backed continuing bumiputera privileges, with only 24% supporting equal rights for all Malaysians.
Defending Inequality
“I wouldn’t be where I am without bumiputera rights,” says Aidil Azmady, 23, an engineering student at Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysia France Institute (UniKL MFI).
Living in Bangi, Selangor, a Malay-majority enclave near Kuala Lumpur, Aidil has few friends from other races and views these special privileges as “citizen’s rights” that should be maintained.
“I studied in a private college before – the fees are not affordable for Malay students,” he said.
In the northern state of Kedah, 30-year-old padi farmer Syakir Hamzah offers another perspective from rural Malaysia.
Working his family’s one-hectare rice field on Malay reserve land, he earns barely RM950 monthly.
For him, these privileges aren’t about advantage but survival.
His land, protected by affirmative action policies, has been in his family for generations.
73% of Malay respondents are in favour of retaining special rights for bumiputeras and this point of view seems to be based less on bigotry or bias, and more on a genuine concern for their economic security and cultural identity https://t.co/lUlprulGzo
— Franky Tts (@FrankyTts) November 24, 2024
Privilege By Design
This stance effectively endorses a system where university admissions, housing rates, government positions, and business opportunities are allocated based on ethnicity rather than merit.
While defenders frame it as protection for disadvantaged communities, critics see it as institutionalized inequality that divides modern Malaysia.
The survey findings appear to reflect deeper concerns about economic security and cultural heritage rather than racial prejudice.
Young Malays consistently express concern about maintaining Bumiputera representation and protecting disadvantaged members of their community.
However, after over half a century of affirmative action, the policy’s effectiveness remains questionable.
Among all those interviewed, they only spoke about getting handouts and university spots and scholarships, but nothing about any of the higher level benefits that the NEP was also meant to address such as increased bumiputera shareholding in listed companies or jobs pic.twitter.com/lPmodhlUKU
— Benjamin YH Loh (@ThatBenLoh) November 24, 2024
Nationwide Sentiment
From Melaka, where over 70% of the population is Malay/Muslim, to the bustling streets of Kuala Lumpur, where diverse communities intersect, the sentiment remains surprisingly consistent among young Malays.
Their strong support for continued privileges suggests Malaysia’s racial divide may persist well into the future, even as the country aspires to compete in an increasingly merit-based global economy.
The findings present a challenging paradox for Malaysia’s future: how can a nation progress while its majority youth population actively supports unequal treatment based on ethnicity?
As one young respondent put it, these privileges are seen as “birthright” – a perspective that raises serious questions about Malaysia’s path toward true economic competitiveness and social cohesion.
Social Contract and Diversity
Nevertheless, these preferences are enshrined in Malaysia’s social contract – a foundational agreement dating back to independence that guarantees special rights for Bumiputras in exchange for citizenship rights for other ethnic groups.
Furthermore, the term Bumiputra encompasses not only ethnic Malays but also the indigenous peoples of Peninsular Malaysia (Orang Asli) and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak.
This historical compromise, while debated, remains a cornerstone of Malaysian society and politics.
Yet despite these challenges, Malaysia has emerged as a notable model of multicultural harmony in Southeast Asia.
Different ethnic groups, religions, and cultures coexist peacefully, a stark contrast to the ethnic conflicts that have plagued many other diverse nations.
[Based on an article by Singapore media, The Straits Times.]It’s not spelled out “social contract” in the constitution, but it is a reflection of what was agreed during the formation of Malaysia. I’m not Malay, but i’m a native sarawakian Dayak, if you question bumi rights, you’re questioning mine and many others like me too pic.twitter.com/2TiSSh1BeT
— ASallula (@Radullahradulla) November 19, 2024
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