Written by Aimira Ain Qarlissa, she is a member of Akar Umbi Kita, a programme for emerging advocates against racial discrimination by Architects of Diversity, Imagined Malaysia, IDEAS and the European Union. This article is published in conjunction with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Although they say Malays are privileged and that I should not say anything if I am from a place of privilege, I do not fear equality at all. Instead, I fear whether an equal future is viable for all of us and whether we will be harmonious if systemic racism continues to take place in this beloved motherland of ours. Growing up as a Malay who lives in the capital city of Sarawak, personally, I have never felt that systemic racism is an unfortunate thing. This is because I was ‘taught’ that the affirmative action that the government introduced back then did not directly affect me and my future generation and that I should not worry. I felt secure and never felt as if I would ever be deprived of any rights. However, it struck me how our country emphasizes national unity without fail, every time it’s our National Day or Independence Day, but never cared to provide equal opportunities for all regardless of our race and skin colour.

The root of racism in this country stems from the pro-Malay affirmative action that the government has put forward which further emphasizes the concept of Malay supremacy and gave rise to Malay nationalism. Although the New Economic Policy was introduced with the objectives to eradicate poverty regardless of race and eliminate identification of race with economic function, in reality it has brought more problems rather than solving the existing problems. In fact, it resulted in resentment in other races who felt the favoritism in these measures. Although it fulfilled the purpose to level the playing field, back in the 1970s, as the economic gap between the Malays and Chinese were wide due to geographical factors – as Malays were highly populated in the rural areas whereas Chinese were in urban areas and the mean income in a Chinese household is higher than Malays’, this affirmative action has, in present day, become obsolete. The generalisation of Malays are poor and Chinese are rich, gives a rise to racial segregation.

It is unfair to generalise that all Chinese belong to T20 groups and all Malays are poorer, and to give more resources and opportunities only to the Malays, while neglecting the Chinese and other races. Apart from that, nobody was excluded from being affected by the pandemic. People lost jobs, had to work multiple part time jobs, some had to stop attending private university because their parents couldn’t afford it anymore, and it happens regardless of their racial background. However, financial aid alongside the racial quota in public universities is still limited for non-Malay students. This clearly contravenes the SDG 4 which aims to provide quality education regardless of their background, skin colour and ethnicity. Hence, I believe by abolishing this affirmative action especially in educational institutions will create a more united Malaysia as we all are presented with equal opportunities.

To sum up, Malaysia can move forward towards a more united and inclusive society by firstly putting an end to racial bias. I also believe that without affirmative action, Malaysia will no longer be segregated by race, and we will be able to become a harmonious society.