The Echoes Of Division Anwar Bumiputera And Malaysia S Racial Divide

---

 
ON March 15, news broke across social media platforms like X about Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s latest initiative: the launch of the Mara Madani Waqf, aimed at empowering the Bumiputera agenda.
The announcement that appeared on X, was met by sharp criticism, with many lambasting the PM for being one-sided.
For some, this signals greater support from the government for the Malaysia’s New Economic Policy (NEP), introduced in the 1970s, aimed to address historical disadvantages faced by Malays, particularly in business, which was dominated by Malaysian Chinese.
Anwar, initially a strong supporter of Malay affirmative action, later evolved in his views.
By 2019, after his imprisonment, he criticised “Malay supremacy” and advocated for need-based rather than race-based policies to support all Malaysians.
Yet, the Mara Madani Waqf launch on March 15, 2025, seemed to signal a return to race-specific policies, sparking frustration among some within the non-Malay communities.
They feel that the Madani government is not doing much for them and are now again sidelined.
On X, users like @kingtawa23  voiced their exasperation: “What about the rest? Forgotten as usual?”

Their sentiment was echoed by @PGeorge9601, who questioned, “Are there similar agendas for Malaysian Chinese, Indians, Eurasians & Orang Asli? Don’t they need help too? Let the ‘1Malaysia’ slogan actually mean something good!!”

By 1Malaysia, the user probably meant a ‘united Malaysia’ as the Anwar government is not using the 1Malaysia identity once used by the regime of former PM Najib Razak.
The criticism grew louder, with some users accusing the government of perpetuating cronyism and misusing taxpayer money under the guise of Bumiputera empowerment.
@Condorretu58866 wrote, “More cronyism and programs to steal from taxpayers using Bumiputera as an excuse and cover-up!”
@ManjitSinghG5 said while it was good for Anwar to empower the Bumiputeras, Anwar is also the Prime Minister of non-Bumis.

“There are many non-bumis who are struggling as well When will you or your gov take steps to empower them?” he said.— Focus Malaysia

---