A Review: Rethinking Ethnicity in Malaysia

In June 2009 the Malaysian Journal of Economic Studies released a special issue on ethnicity in Malaysia. This was the result of a broad collaborative effort from distinguished University of Malaya faculty members. Guest Editor Kee-Cheok Cheong (2009: 3) hoped that this compilation of articles would help shape the future of Malaysia by challenging ethnocentrism and encouraging a new national political consciousness. The general thrust of the argument seems to indicate that the authors collectively support a liberal view of universal rights based on jus soli and equal citizenship. By logical extension, this is a call for the de-racialisation of Malaysian politics, the gradual erosion of Malay special rights, and the eclipse of pseudo-democratic, ethnically-segregated political party coalitions. No one would dare say this directly, of course, for fear of breaching perennially ‘sensitive’ issues.(copy from article)