The Malaysian Insight

MALAYS are going through a “new dilemma” and how the community resolves this difficult question will determine the shape of a new Malaysia beyond 2020, Umno MP Khairy Jamaluddin has said.

According to the Rembau MP, how Malays – as well as Sabahan and Sarawakian natives – resolved the dilemma will impact every future socio-economic policy, whether it be how limited welfare aid is distributed or how to give out scholarships.

The term Malay dilemma is a play on prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s own seminal book, the Malay Dilemma, which was published in 1970 and had a huge impact on ethnic relations during his first term as premier from 1981 to 2003.

The new Malay dilemma, said Khairy, is how to settle an agreed upon interpretation of Article 153 of the federal constitution that deals with the special position of Malays and natives of Sabah and Sarawak because the two different interpretations of this provision by Malays themselves have influenced government policies that affect Malays and Sabah and Sarawakian bumiputra, as well as non-Malays, he said.

The first interpretation, which Khairy termed the “light touch”, is that the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong only sets aside a limited number of scholarships and positions in the civil service for Malays and Sabah and Sarawakian natives.

The second interpretation, he said, was that the special position encompasses everything from scholarships to government positions to business permits to housing discounts to shares in private companies.

“The Malays, and Sabah and Sarawak natives have to decide what is the interpretation of Article 153 in the future,” Khairy told a public talk titled Beyond 2020: Fresh views and New visions organised by the Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia today.

The talk was also organised by The Centre, a new think tank that Khairy had set up together with Umno Youth deputy chief Shahril Hamdan.

Pride without entitlement

Once this dilemma is resolved Khairy said, the nation can then craft better affirmative action and redistributive economic policies.

“Resolving the Malay dilemma will lead to resolving the new Malaysian dilemma, which is to ensure that every Malaysian, regardless of race of background will get every chance and opportunity to excel.”

Interpretations of Article 153 has underpinned many of the former Barisan Nasional government’s policies for Malays, and natives of Sabah and Sarawak.

The former government’s approach to Article 153 caused dissatisfaction among the country’s non-Malay and non-Muslim communities, who felt they had been marginalised.

One common BN approach was the excessive distribution of government contracts, licences and permits to Malay businessmen, which bred a culture of entitlement among Malays.

Khairy disagreed with the entitlement mentality, saying that Malay businessmen should not feel proud for being successful due to government contracts.

“I don’t think it is a matter of pride for Malays to say the state is there for me. I think eventually Malays would want to pride themselves on succeeding without the state.

“Resolving the new Malay dilemma would mean Malays would no longer need the state. This is not a point of pride.

“A proud Malay businessman should be one who makes it on his own without intervention of the state.” – August 19, 2019.