COMMENT | The lost cause of needs-based affirmative action

"We need to create awareness that Malaysians – the Malays, Chinese, Indians, Ibans and Kadazans – should be seen as one community with equal rights and privileges."

– Anwar Ibrahim in 2019

COMMENT | As reported in the press four years ago, Anwar Ibrahim said he will accelerate the transition from race-based affirmative action economic plans to one that is needs-based when he becomes the prime minister.

The PKR president also said: "This is the position of Pakatan Harapan. This is the position of the prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.”

Anwar’s recent encounter with an Indian student who was, in essence, demanding to be treated like an equal citizen of this country, is a prime example of why needs-based affirmative action is a lost cause for the non-Malays in this country.

The so-called social contract, bumiputera rights etc, are all red herrings. The key is when Anwar talked about “fairness” to this young girl, implying that by virtue of her ethnicity and her question, she was victimising the Malay community...