Private Sector Participation in Affirmative Action in Malaysia: - Asian ...

state in Malaysia spent resources to a gigantic proportion to achieve such ambitious goals
at least in one generation. Success here has been far below potentials and costs paid for
embarking in such venture have been massive.
What is probably useful from Malaysian private sector affirmative action experience is
the critical and proactive role of state in creating enabling environment and providing
initial breaks to disadvantaged population. Despite many limitations, the preferential
treatments particularly the soft and acceptable instruments such as loans, contracts,
concessions, and scholarships can help accelerate social mobility among disadvantaged
sections as seen from Malaysian experiences. A massive allocations of such critical
resources to create a pool of Malay professionals and entrepreneurs did achieve
tremendous amount of successes. In fact, they critically contributed to expansion of the
Malay middle class. It is here probably India can draw much lessons while designing
affirmative action programmes for its disadvantaged groups that has a negligible presence
in growing private sector.
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