Malaysia’s multi-ethnic society, comprising the Malays, Chinese, Indians and the Indigenous people, offers a good sample to study and understand ethnic identity dilemma. The Bumiputera ethnic category was introduced to slot in Muslim and non-Muslim indigenous population in Sabah and Sarawak when Malaysia was formed as having equal and special position along with the Malays in the country.All Malays are considered Muslims and an individual born in a Malay family would be considered a Bumiputera. Majority of Indians in Malaysia are either a Hindu or a Muslim.
Some Indian Muslim families would try hard to classify their newborn child as Malay to benefit the special position of the Bumiputera. Other Indian Muslims who have so much pride in their ethnicity would choose to retain their family roots and prefer to be known as Indian Muslim.
The most famous Malay leader with Indian ancestry is none other than Malaysia's longest serving premier, Mahathir Mohamad who ruled with a fist of iron from 1981 to 2003. Forthright in many ways, Mahathir was coy about his heritage, admitting it only recently. Some of the old-timers in the civil service still talk about how Mahathir purportedly sent his dad on a one-way ticket back to India when he first started to hit the big boys league in Umno.
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