A country in search of soul

The International Herald Tribune had an article titled Ethnic anger on the rise in Malaysia published yesterday.

Below is a sample:

“The biggest losers in the current system are Indians, who, according to government statistics, make up 9 percent of the labor force but hold 16 percent of menial jobs and control just 1.2 percent of equity in registered companies in the country.

Indians are not aided by the affirmative action program, because it is based on ethnicity, not need.

"You can push us, you can cheat us, you can discriminate against us, but you can't tell us that we're not Hindus after we are dead."

The Indians' anger appears to have rattled the government the most. Abdullah sought to woo back Indians by declaring the Hindu festival of Thaipusam, which was celebrated Jan. 23, a federal holiday. A court decision in a highly emotional dispute over whether an Indian man should be buried according to Hindu or Muslim rites has been postponed indefinitely.

Analysts say race relations could become more tense as the country prepares for elections, which are widely expected to be called for March.”

Ethnic anger on the rise in Malaysia