Editing Bumiputera (Malaysia) (section)

==History==
At the time of Malaya's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, the population included many first- or second-generation immigrants who had come to fill manpower needs as [[Indentured servitude|indentured labourers]], among rich Chinese merchants and settlers who brought their wealth and investment into Malaysia.

Chinese immigrants, who typically settled in urban areas, played a significant role in the commercial sector after the Indians left the country to return to India, much of the commercial sector was taken over by wealthy Chinese merchants. The [[Communities Liaison Committee]] (CLC), comprising leading politicians from different racial backgrounds, supported the promotion of economic equality for the Malays, conditional on political equality for the non-Malays. CLC member [[E.E.C. Thuraisingham]] later said, "I and others believed that the backward Malays should be given a better deal. Malays should be assisted to attain parity with non-Malays to forge a united Malayan Nation of equals."<ref>Ongkili, James P. (1985). ''Nation-building in Malaysia 1946–1974'', pp. 82–84. Oxford University Press. {{ISBN|0-19-582681-7}}.</ref>

[[Article 153 of the Constitution of Malaysia|Article 153]] of the Constitution states that,

{{blockquote|It shall be the responsibility of the [[Yang di-Pertuan Agong]] to safeguard the special position of the Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other communities in accordance with the provisions of this Article.}}

[[Article 160 of the Constitution of Malaysia|Article 160]] defines a Malay as being one who "professes the religion of [[Islam]], habitually speaks the Malay language, conforms to Malay customs and is the child of at least one parent who was born within the Federation of Malaysia before independence of Malaya on 31 August 1957, or the issue of such a person."

[[Constitution of Malaysia#Article 8 – Equality|Article 8]] of the Constitution, states that all Malaysian citizens shall be equal under the law, and "Except as expressly authorised by this Constitution, there shall be no discrimination against citizens on the ground only of religion, race, descent or place of birth in any law or in the appointment to any office or employment under a public authority or in the administration of any law relating to the acquisition, holding or disposition of property or the establishing or carrying on of any trade, business, profession, vocation or employment." Article 153 itself expressly forbids particular forms of discrimination; clause 5 states that "All persons of whatever race in the same grade in the service of the Federation shall, subject to the terms and conditions of their employment, be treated impartially," while clause 9 states: "Nothing in this Article shall empower Parliament to restrict business or trade solely for the purpose of reservations for Malays."

The concept of the bumiputera's special position has been disputed. The [[Reid Commission]], which drafted the Constitution, initially proposed that Article 153 expire after 15 years unless renewed by [[Parliament of Malaysia|Parliament]].<ref>{{Cite book|title=Lim Kit Siang: Defying the Odds|last=Kee|first=Beng Ooi|publisher=Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Pte Ltd|year=2015|isbn=978-9814516259|location=Singapore}}</ref> This qualification was struck from the final draft. After the [[13 May Incident]] in 1969, representatives within the government argued over whether the special position of the bumiputera should have a [[sunset clause]].{{citation needed|date=July 2012}}

[[Ismail Abdul Rahman]] argued that "the question be left to the Malays themselves because ... as more and more Malays became educated and gained self-confidence, they themselves would do away with this 'special position'." Ismail believed the special position was "a slur on the ability of the Malays."<ref name="ismail bio 1">"Snag in policy implementation", ''New Straits Times'', 31 December 2006, pp. 8–9</ref> In 1970, however, one member of the [[Cabinet of Malaysia|Cabinet]] said that Malay special rights would remain for "hundreds of years to come."<ref>Lim, Kit Siang (1978). ''Time Bombs in Malaysia'', p. 218 (2nd ed.). Democratic Action Party. No ISBN available.</ref>

In the 1970s, the government implemented the [[Malaysian New Economic Policy|New Economic Policy]] (NEP), designed to be a more aggressive form of affirmative action for the bumiputera than Article 153. Article 153 provides specifically for the use of quotas in the granting of scholarships, positions in the civil service, and business licences, as well as native reservations of land. Policies under the rubric of the NEP include subsidies for real estate purchases, quotas for public equity shares, and general subsidies to bumiputera businesses.{{citation needed|date=July 2012}}

Former [[Prime Minister of Malaysia|Prime Minister]] [[Abdullah Ahmad Badawi]] and his predecessor [[Mahathir Mohamad]] have both suggested that Malays should depend less on government assistance. Many observers believe full abolition of bumiputera privileges is unlikely, especially in view of the constitutional issues involved, although successive administrations since Mahathir have attempted to reform the system of government aid for the bumiputera.{{Citation needed|reason=Aug 2009|date=August 2009}} Some bumiputera groups believe further affirmative action is necessary.{{Citation needed|date=November 2009}}

[[Parliament of Malaysia|Parliament]] began to use the term ''bumiputra'' in 1965. Following debate of the act to create the [[Majlis Amanah Rakyat]] (MARA), the government founded an agency to preserve bumiputera interests.<ref>Tan, Chee Koon & Vasil, Raj (ed., 1984). ''Without Fear or Favour'', p. 10. Eastern Universities Press. {{ISBN|967-908-051-X}}.</ref>

In July 2017, Prime Minister [[Najib Razak]] said that the government would consider the request of the Muslim Indian community to be recognized as bumiputera, in what is seen as a move to woo voters in the lead-up to the [[14th Malaysian general election|upcoming general election]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Putrajaya to study Indian Muslims' call to be recognised as Bumiputera |url=https://www.todayonline.com/world/asia/putrajaya-study-indian-muslims-call-be-recognised-bumiputera |access-date=2023-03-22 |website=TODAY |language=en}}</ref>