Sng: Political will key to Bumiputera status proposal for Chinese Sarawakians

KUCHING (April 3): Julau MP Datuk Larry Sng believes that the decision to grant Bumiputera status to third-generation Chinese Sarawakians ultimately hinges on the political will of the Sarawak government.

In a Facebook post, he said the matter is not constrained by the Federal Constitution, but is instead a policy decision that rests with the state leadership.

Sng claimed there have been cases in Sarawak where individuals of non-Malaysian origin were granted Bumiputera status, which according to him illustrated the flexibility in how such recognition has been applied.

“If we truly believe in Sarawak First or Sarawak for Sarawakians and that we are a region and not merely a State in Malaysia, we should have the political will that reflects the needs to adopt with the times and appreciate all the sacrifices of all Sarawakians,” he said.

Sng was responding to reactions to his suggestion to the Sarawak government to consider granting Bumiputera status to third generation Sarawakians of Chinese ethnicity.

The suggestion was made during a recent podcast.

According to Sng, Sarawak has a strong economic standing but a relatively small population, which puts the state in a position to consider extending Bumiputera status more broadly.

“Chinese families only have one or at most two children. Surely this should not worry other communities, especially when I am only suggesting this for third generation Chinese and above.

“Bottom line, Sarawak can afford to accord Bumiputra status to all communities in Sarawak.

“The decision lies with the Sarawak Premier and his Cabinet. I hope they will consider this matter,” he said.

He also expressed appreciation to analyst Prof James Chin for explaining that Bumiputera status is not written in the Federal Constitution and that Sarawak has the capability to make such a political decision.

Chin, in a recent Facebook post, said the Bumiputera status is not enshrined in the Federal Constitution, but rather an administrative classification.

“A lot of people think Bumiputera status is written in the Federal Constitution. It is not. Bumiputra is just an administrative term used to classify certain segment of the population to grant them certain benefits, mostly educational and economic benefits.

“It is a political decision whether someone gets Bumiputera status or not,” Chin claimed.

Chin also pointed out that a common misconception among Malaysians is equating bumiputera with indigenous status. “Legally, they are different. But most Malaysians believe they are the same,” he noted.