Question 1.

Bincangkan hubung kait antara pembangunan ekonomi dengan hubungan etnik di Malaysia (sebelum merdeka, selepas merdeka dan sekarang). Discuss on the relationship of Malaysia's economic development and ethnic relations from pre-independence, after independence and current situation point of view.

Malaysia is a typical multi-racial and multi-religious country. Before independence, the ethnic relationship of Malaysians fitted well into the attributes of plural societies.The economic condition of the various ethnic groups in Malaysia, under the ‘divide and rule’ policy (practice by the colonial) which was for benefit of the colonizer. Accordingly ethnic divisions were reinforced by economic differences between ethnic groups. As a result, each ethnic group had misconceptions, prejudices, misunderstandings and stereotypes of its own toward other ethnic group. All these factors apparently contributed to ethnic problems in Malaysia However, today Malaysia does not fit into this situation as there is now more interethnic interaction in all places. There are also now more interethnic social gatherings and interactions especially for the young people in the schools, workers in the factories and also in the social clubs. Social interaction now goes beyond the markets and sundry shops.

Question 2.

Terangkan bagaimanakah kedudukan ekonomi Bumiputera / Kaum Cina / Kaum India / Kaum lain sebelum dan selepas Dasar Ekonomi Baru? Nyatakan impak Dasar Ekonomi Baru ke atas kumpulan etnik di Malaysia. Explain the economic ranking and situation namely for the Bumiputras, the Chinese, the Indians and other ethnicity after the implementation of New Economic Planning. State the impacts of the New Economic Policy on the Malaysian ethnic group.

Post-NEP, the wealth ownership of the Bumiputera had increased from 2.4% to 19.3%, the share of the Chinese, Indians and other Malaysians was 46.8%, surpassing the target; while the share of foreign ownership was reduced to 33.9%. By 2008, Bumiputera share had increased slightly to 21.9%, non-Bumiputera share was reduced to 36.7% and the share of foreigners, 41.4%. This is a much more equitable and sustainable distribution compared to the 2.4 – 34.3 – 63.3% ratio pre-NEP. At the same time, after the NEP in 1990, the number of Bumiputera employed in the industrial sector like mining, manufacturing, construction and utilities also had arose significantly. Bumiputera representation also increased in professional and technical categories and at the administrative and managerial levels.