The term was only used as a feel-good factor so that the majority of Malays could be manipulated by Malay politicians, to harness Malay votes.
What has “bumiputeraism” done for the Malay, apart from giving him a sense of entitlement and make him lord it over the other Malaysians who are not Malay?
The so-called “bumiputeras” could make a real difference in Malaysia, but labelling people, “bumiputera”, is not the way forward.
After 63 years of sleepwalking, of which 40 were spent living in denial, Malaysians need to wake up.
The term “bumiputera” needs to be consigned to the history books, immediately.
If the people want another reason to reassure them that “bumiputeraism” is wrong, and misleading, they need only look at the Orang Asli, and think, “Why are they, the original settlers of the peninsula, not considered ‘bumiputera’?”
The Malays are as pendatang as the non-Malays whom the nationalist Malays like to denigrate.
The word “bumiputera” is synonymous with privilege and division. It manifests itself in racism. It is divisive. It is unfair. It creates a lot of angst and builds resentment.
No parents would like to admit that any one of their children is their favourite.
No teachers would like to admit that they have pupils whom they like best and treat better than the rest of the class.
Why should any Malaysian leader mark out a section of the population, to whom they give special treatment? Some of us complain about the west having a class system; we are no different.
For more than four decades, the Malays were told that as “bumiputeras”, they were special.
In reality, the term was only used as a feel-good factor so that the majority of Malays could be manipulated by Malay politicians, to harness Malay votes. – Rebuilding Malaysia