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The Multi-Ethnic and Multi-Cultural Society of Malaysia

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The Multi-­‐ethnic and multi-­‐cultural society of Malaysia Maryam Azizullah | 3010210 Excursion to Kuala Lumpur SS 2014

H C U H a m b u r g

D r . – I n g . M i c h a e l B o s e

Multi-­‐ethnic and multi-­‐cultural society of Malaysia

Maryam Azizullah – Excursion Kuala Lumpur 2014

Multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society of Malaysia
Malaysia is known as an Asian Tiger State due to its quick dynamic development and its economic growth after independence, but is characterized by the colonial history and old structures. It is also known for its multi- ethnic and multi-cultural society. Its diversity of races, religions and cultures characterizes the country and influences the everyday lives of the population. The Essay will briefly describe the range of ethnic groups, the related challenges of the past and current issues with a closer look at the new concept of the Government named ‘1Malaysia’.
1. Ethnic groups and religions
The Malay population consists of two main ethnic groups, the ‘Bumiputeras’ and the
‘non-Bumiputeras”. The ‘Bumiputeras’ are Malays and other indigenous groups, as for example the ‘Orang Asli’ and constitute the majority with 60.5 % of the population.
The second major group consist of Chinese (26 %) and Indian (8%) people, most of whom migrated during the colonial period as foreign workers. Working on tin mines and rubber plantations during the colonial period, they now represent a socioeconomic well established middle-class with high a number of well educated people who are working in the professional white-collar jobs (Chaulia 2003).
Beside these three major ethnic groups, there are other ethnic groups like

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