BY: CHRISTOPHER FERNANDEZ

When the New Economic Policy (NEP) was introduced in 1970 and subsequent affirmative action policies were provided to cater to Bumiputras or ‘indigenous people,’ the country’s leaders thought this was the way forward.

By coining the previously non existent term ‘Bumiputra’ to appease Malay Muslims and including a selection of other Malaysians, merely to give the indigenous claim a genuine outlook, Malay leaders thought their deceit had hit the jackpot.

But more than five decades of affirmative action for Bumiputras has left a bad taste in their mouth and things seem to have turned sour for them as many of them render the special rights and privileges accorded to them as being a mere fallacy.

Bumiputras are now realising the painful truth that affirmative action as designed by successive Malaysian governments have caused them to become soft in their belly and being unable to rise up to face challenges and competition.

The Bumiputra dream is now fast turning into a nightmare as the onset of globalisation has unravelled the reality that affirmative action that was not based on fairplay and justice but being biased and prejudiced has backfired on them.

The evolving conundrum is that Bumiputras are not able to pull their weight and have developed a welfare or handout mentality to get by, which means in no uncertain terms that it looks like the community has unwittingly painted themselves into a corner.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE

** The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher