KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — Reforms sweeping the country as a result of a new government are unlikely to extend to the controversial area of pro-Bumiputera affirmative action, according to The Economist.

While the Pakatan Harapan (PH) is seeking to remove many of the country’s discriminatory practices, its components are in agreement that the Federal Constitution and the privileges for Malays are supreme and sacrosanct.

The special position of the Malays are provided for in Article 153 of the constitution, but additional privileges were introduced in the form of the New Economic Policy (NEP) following the race riots of 1969.

The NEP has become a point of contention among the country’s various communities, but Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar said caution must be exercises in this area.

"You shouldn’t push too hard… your efforts must gain traction with the electorate,” she said.

Overstepping here could cause a schism between urban supporters and the rural electorate who are typically Malay-Muslim and consider the affirmative action to be a birthright.

Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman concurred.

While he said Malaysia was headed towards greater diversity and inclusiveness, he conceded that broaching the topic of Bumiputera privileges would lead to "a tough discussion”.

However, the PH government has introduced various measures and reforms to at least placate those wishing for a completely equal Malaysia.

It has already appointed an ethnic Chinese as finance minister, the first in decades, and made an ethnic Indian lawyer the Attorney General.

Other concessions to diversity include the appointment of the country’s first female deputy prime minister.

However, The Economist predicted that these will not likely be followed by anything "more audacious” and warned that the PH administration may not again find the level of support needed to attempt such controversial reforms.