Second-Class Bumiputera? The Natives of East Malaysia
It is almost certain that politics in Sabah and Sarawak will follow the West Malaysian model where race and religion are paramount to one’s identity.
James Chin
In recent times, the non-Muslim natives of Sabah and Sarawak claimed that they are being marginalised by the Malay/Muslim bumiputera. Some called themselves “second class bumiputera”, signifying the fact that they are missing out on ‘special rights’ opportunities given to the bumiputera community.
In this article, James Chin, writes that the marginalisation of the non-Muslim bumiputera population was a deliberate strategy to politically control the native population of Sabah and Sarawak. Putrajaya fears that if non-Muslims holds the chief minister’s post in either Sabah or Sarawak, it will lead to a period of confrontation, similar to the period when PBS was in power in Sabah (1986-1994).
In particular, the writer identifies the consequences of political marginalisation of the non-Muslim bumiputeraby Putrajaya. They are
1) Denial of political power despite being the majority in both states
2) Political Under-representation by manipulation the electoral system
3) Missing out on the benefits of NEP
4) Religious discrimination
He concludes that in the long term, it is almost certain that politics in Sabah and Sarawak will follow the West Malaysian model where race and religion are paramount to one’s identity. The so-called special religious and racial harmony in Sabah and Sarawak will disappear and it will be nothing more than a historical footnote.
