Affirmative Action in Malaysia

After presenting data on the economic segregation of the Malaysian economy along ethnic lines, an attempt is made to evaluate the effectiveness of the New Economic Policy (NEP) in alleviating this situation. Formulated & implemented 1971-1990, the NEP is a comprehensive system of preferential policies & programs designed to benefit ethnic Malays. The extent to which the NEP has succeeded as an affirmative action measure in terms of increased Malay participation in the economy & in higher education is explored, along with its impacts on overall ethnic integration & on class inequalities within the Malay community. The larger impacts of such affirmative action plans on Malaysia's economic competitiveness & knowledge economy are also discussed. K. Hyatt Stewart