The Marginalised Tamil Indians and Their Lived Experience in Multicultural Malaysia

The study aims to explore the Tamil Indians’ lived experience during the country’s economic progress under Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s premiership as the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia. The period was chosen to reflect on the nation’s economic success since independence. The study adopts the Acculturation Model to analyse the living conditions of minority groups, particularly in the multiracial context of Malaysia. Using in-depth interviews with 23 informants, ranging from political leaders, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), academics, media organisations and youths, qualitative data was collected. Data for the study were analysed using the NVIVO 12 software and a thematic analysis approach was adopted for analysis. Two broad themes derived from the findings of this study are the responses to marginalisation issues and aspirations of Malaysian Tamil Indians. Findings from this study highlight the existence of the acculturation model, which Malaysian Tamil Indians encounter as one of the minority groups in Malaysia. The study suggests a need for improvement to the system to avoid institutional failure within multicultural Malaysia in the long term.