Exclusion of non-Malays are not simply domestic affairs

May 02, 2014

Prime Minister Najib Razak has done little to redress the growing divisions and social inequalities between communities within Malaysia. The apparent powerlessness of Najib in the face of increasingly intense Malay politicking suggests that his tenure will not extend too far into the future.

The increasingly divisive dispute between Muslims and non-Muslims in Malaysia over the use of the term ‘Allah’ has further incited sentiments nationwide, while discussion of the extension of hudud laws to non-Muslims has also induced concerns among much of society. Recent events have, through their nature and intensity, led some observers to suggest the imminent demise of democratic constitutionalism in Malaysia, and the growing potential for ethnic violence. The parlous state of the Malaysian press is also attracting wide attention, as is the continuing decline in the quality of education in Malaysia. None of these issues can be discussed in isolation from the systemic racial discrimination which has marked the Malaysian administration intensely since 1969.

The exclusion of non-Malays from virtually every aspect of public life in Malaysia and the increasing dissatisfaction of Malaysians in the Bornean states with Kuala Lumpur are not simply domestic matters. Neighbouring states and global powers are closely watching the evolution of the Malaysian polity as it moves further towards crisis. As the US and China spar for influence in the region, a dislocating Malaysia will offer them either threat or opportunity.

What do these diverse and increasingly intractable problems within Malaysia mean for regional stability and for major power relations in Southeast Asia? -- CPI