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Indian-origin Muslims have urged the Malaysian government to accord them the status of Malays, which could give them preferential treatment in getting government jobs and setting up businesses.
Indian Muslim Congress, a political party representing the community, passed a resolution to this effect and submitted it to the government. "The IMC submitted the memorandum to the government over the weekend, asking that more than 400,000 Indian Muslims born in the country be given Malay status," its deputy president, Syed Ibrahim Kader, said.
The party cited provisions in the country's constitution, which stated that a Muslim who could speak Bahasa Malaysia and practise the Malay culture was regarded as a Malay, the Star newspaper reported. "If there is a problem in doing so, at least give the Bumiputra status as is being done for the Portugese," it said.
Malays, who are Muslims and make up about 60 per cent of the country's 26 million population, get preferential treatment in business, education and government jobs under a special scheme launched in 1970 to empower them economically.
Indians comprise 10 per cent of the total population. While a majority of them were brought to Malaysia by the British from Tamil Nadu to work at rubber plantations, the Indian Muslims came here predominantly to do business.
Many Indian Muslims feel that though they speak Tamil, they do not follow Indian culture and do not have links with India anymore, the paper said.