With bumi status for Indian Muslims, real Malays to lose out

PM: Gov’t to study ways to grant Indian Muslims bumiputera status

David Dass: What does bumiputera status bring? Article 153 provides special rights to Malays. Who was a Malay for the purposes of Article 153?

Article 190 defines a Malay as someone who spoke the Malay language, practised Malay customs and followed the Islamic faith – and who was a citizen of Malaya at the time of independence and his descendants.

With the formation of Malaysia, this was extended to cover the natives of Sabah and Sarawak.

The rationale for Article 153 was to help those who needed assistance. It was to help the Malays compete with the then more advanced non-Malays.

The New Economic Policy (NEP) has gone much further than the kind of assistance contemplated by Article 153. It has resulted in the exclusion of non-Malays from some educational institutions and certain government institutions. Non-Malay poor do not receive the kind of assistance that Malays receive.

Indeed, bumiputera status should not be given as a gift for loyalty to Umno. That would be wrong.

Slumdog: PM Najib Razak is good at pretending to do things that he thinks will win him votes. This latest charade is cynical, opportunistic and devious, and a carrot to dangle in front of Indian voters with GE14 in sight.

What has he done for those Indian Malaysians whose families were born here and are still without citizenship? What happened to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) he signed with Hindraf to entice Indian Malaysians to vote for Umno in GE13?

MIC president Dr S Subramanian, here’s your chance, you and your lot can all convert to Islam and become bumiputeras overnight, imagine the benefits that will flow your way.

6th Generation Immigrant: There are also centuries of Chinese history in Malaya or Malaysia, perhaps even more outstanding than those of Indian Muslims.

There are ample historical records of 5th, 6th, 7th generation Malaysian-born Chinese serving the government or Armed Forces, and yet nothing in the form of bumiputera recognition was ever discussed.

So, what’s so special about Indian Muslims apart from their religion? It’s dangerous to use religion as a carrot – the Lord can tempt, but the government doing so is actually trying to deputise for God, there will be a heavy price to pay one day.

StrainingGnats, SwallowCamels: Dear PM, you are bringing religion into politics again. Am I wrong or is this a complete contradiction of the 1Malaysia concept?

What is the real motive for even mooting this idea? There is no such thing or person who is ‘more equal’ or more deserving of others. Not on the basis of religion and race.

But politics can be twisted to achieve this. Surely this is not a teaching from God or Muslims of any race, or from the God of any known religion? Is it not true that there is no such God except the ones people manufacture after their own image?

Anonymous #33227154: It looks like Umno is playing their expert game of divide and rule again to continue to stay in power. Since the Malay votes are split, it’s time to fish for the Indian votes.

Clever Voter: Yes, once again the divide and rule is being used. There is no end to this establishment using sweeteners to win votes.

After almost 60 years of independence, why certain groups are given special status when there are other deserving cases based on socio-economic status and income?

Mushiro: Najib had just insulted a former premier “who is of Indian heritage” last week and the Indian Muslims still do not realise this. GE is around the corner and Najib is in the mood to promise the sky.

Tpn: Soon the Chinese Muslims will ask for the same thing. The pure Malays stand to lose out. Any reaction from Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM), Perkasa and other ultra-Malay NGOs?

Gaji Buta: On one hand, the government claims to be providing current bumis with education and training and opportunities so that they become less dependent and can compete on equal terms, but at the same time, they want to bring in new people to be reliant on government.

It just goes to show there is no intention to work towards a fair society, but the reverse.

Monty: What a great proposal, PM. Now the grand plan for bringing in hundreds of thousands of Indians, Nepalis, Bangladeshis, and Pakistanis comes to fruition. And with them the additional vote bank to replace the votes from Sarawak and Sabah.

The original bumiputeras, especially in Sabah and Sarawak, would most definitely lose their status. At the last election, the BN lost the Chinese vote, now they can be sure that MCA and Gerakan will be wiped out completely.

As for MIC, still struggling to find their relevance, they will be hard pressed to explain how this proposal will benefit their constituency.

This proposal shows just how afraid and desperate Najib and Umno are. The opposition under Dr Mahathir Mohamad have clearly rattled their cages.

Ironic really as it was Mahathir himself who started the practice of bringing in foreign workers from the Indian sub-continent. And he now leads the opposition. Be afraid Najib, be very afraid.

The Fog of Life: It’s time for our country to grow up and remove all such labels. The only status that will unite us and take us forward is the status of being Malaysian. The rest is secondary.

Mahsuri: Go read journals on social sciences on Malaya pre- and post-colonialism. That was when the definition of bumiputera was constructed.

Yes, a mere by-product of colonial public policy, not written in holy scriptures, and typically British in appearing seemingly harmless at first but later becomes the source/catalyst for immense discord.

Shame on us all for not addressing this thorn sooner or at all. The point being, our fellow Orang Asal’s distinguishing characteristic, then or now, is not how Muslim they are, it is the fact that they are the original sons and daughters of our Malayan soil. All else are pretenders and even, ‘perompaks’.

Anonymous 29051438068738: The Indian fugitive Zakir Naik now a bumiputera?

Chai Tau Kway: If I were a born-and-bred Malay, I would object to this PM sharing my wealth with even more people, not to say having more competition for top government jobs.

I would rather befriend the Chinese and non-Muslim Indians who pose no threat and do not make unreasonable demands on the country.

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