Marina Undau

Marina is a bright 17 year old girl from Seri Aman, Sarawak. Her dad is of the Iban descent and her mom is Chinese. All her life she believed that she is a Bumiputera, like the Kadazans, the Malays, the Senois and the other Ibans. But apparently she not a Bumiputera, at least according to the official Sarawak definition of “children of the soil”, all because her mom is not a Bumiputera.

Marina did very well for her SPM. 9A’s and 1B may not grab any headlines but it is an achievement considering that the limited educational resources accorded to her (and her peers). Thinking that she was a Bumiputera, she applied for the “exclusively Bumi only” matriculation programme. She was denied entry. Because she was not Bumiputera enough. Because her mom is Chinese. Her dad appealed to the authorities. They were all turned down. Officials said they were merely following the rules. She is not a Bumi and therefore she doesn’t qualify.

That’s the funny thing about racial classification in this country. Anyone can be Malay as long as he/she adheres to the definition in the constitution. Click here to know how to become a Malay (and therefore Bumiputera)

Bumiputera has three different definitions, one each for the Peninsular (Malaya), Sabah and Sarawak.

• Article 161(a) of the Federal Constitution which stipulates that for a child born in Sarawak to be classified as Bumiputra, both parents must be a Bumiputra.
• A child born in the peninsula will be accorded Bumiputra status as long as one of his or her parents is a Bumiputra.
• In Sabah, a child is classified a Bumiputra if his or her father is a Bumiputera.
  

Why the three differing definitions/classifications? Do we blame Lord Cobbold for this? Why make life difficult?

Why do we still need to differentiate the Bumi from the non-Bumi? Bumiputera can be translated as children of the soil. And since most of the (50 year old and younger) “non-Bumi” are born on Malaysian soil, it makes them by default Bumiputeras.

Back to Marina, issues like this could make people like her disappointed or even angry with the system. This could drive them out of the country. While we would encourage the criminals to leave our shores, it will be a big loss if quality citizens like Marina emigrate to another country. When people like her make it good in another country, our government would be practically on their knees begging her with incentives thrown in to come back and serve the land she was born in. But policies in the land she was born in made her go away in the first place.

I am a Bumiputera, I qualify as one under any of the three definitions. Why can’t we all be just Malaysians, with equal rights and opportunities? You’ll never know; we might end up making this country a better place ...