JULY 20 — Pusat Komas applauds the suggestions made by the Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak to study the inclusion of Indian-Muslims as bumiputeras. However, we believe that the study should not only be focused on Indian-Muslims but it should encompass Malaysians from different races to be in line with the values promoted in the 1 Malaysia concept introduced by the Prime Minister.
Pusat Komas would like to reiterate that the term “bumiputera” does not exist in the Federal Constitution of Malaysia; instead, it was a term frequently used by those who are in power as a political tool. At the same time, the term is also a policy construct that is often used in many main policies that is drafted by the government. Furthermore, this term is often used in relation to Article 153 of Malaysia’s Federal Consitution which legally refers to the special position of the Malays and those of Sabah and Sarawak.
The term bumiputera in short, refers to “the son of the state” or “the son of the soil”. It is deplorable that even after 60 years of independence and 54 years of the formation of Malaysia, the term bumiputera continues to be applied only to Malaysians from specific races while Malaysians from different races were deprived of the same privileges even though they were born and have been spending their entire lives in Malaysia since independence.
For that matter, Pusat Komas welcomes the intention of the Prime Minister to expand the bumiputera status beyond a group of particular races as an act of the purification of the national spirit from the following ideological perspective, “to build a state of nation that is built on the true national foundation which is in accordance with the broad meaning of humanity and justice that is equally fair and qualified, and no longer on the rigid interpretation of nationality based on racism and the feeling of backwardness and archaic”.
Looking at this perspective, Pusat Komas believes that it is timely to have an in-depth and inclusive research to study on the methods of how Malaysian citizens, of all races and not only from a particular race, including the Orang Asli to be given the recognition of a bumiputera, in line with the international human rights standards particularly the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination 1965 (ICERD).
Echoing the demands and hopes of Malaysians through the TN50 dialogue to have a Bangsa Malaysia identity, Pusat KOMAS reiterates our call that it is of utmost importance for Malaysia to conduct such a study immediately through an open and transparent manner as this would be a progressive and proactive step for Malaysia to be a truly developed and socially cohesive nation.
* Adli Zakuan is programme director of Pusat Komas
** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.
