The dominant UMNO and the weakening ethnic Chinese Community in Malaysian politics as the by-products of the New Economic Policy (1970-1990)
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Abstract
This research article aims to study ethnic politics in Malaysia during the implementation of New Economic Policy (NEP) between 1971-1990. It proposes that the NEP brought about two related by-products: first, the political dominance of the UMNO-Malay party and second, the weakening power of the ethnic Chinese community in Malaysian politics. UMNO domination of politics derived from three factors. First, NEP created a newly rich middle class of Malays so that the need for financial support from the Chinese business community was no longer as important as the pre-NEP period. Secondly, it gained control of the main state institutions: the bureaucracy, the armed forces, judiciary and the monarchy. Thirdly, the control of election process contributed highly to UMNO’s advantage in general elections. As a result, the political power of the Chinese community significantly lessened in terms of political participation and bargaining power.
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