Younger generation disapproves race-based policies, says Cenbet

PETALING JAYA: Most young Malaysians are against race-based policies and favour merits-based dealings, a survey commissioned by the Centre for Better Tomorrow (Cenbet) revealed.
The survey was carried out last year and covered 1,056 Malaysians, aged between 18 and 25 years, in the peninsula of diverse backgrounds.
About 88% of those surveyed favoured merits-based dealings over race, Cenbet co-president Gan Ping Sieu told a press conference here today to reveal the findings of the year-long survey on racism.
He said the survey results would be used to form a statistical model known as the Cenbet Racism Index (CRI) to show the general outlook or attitude of the people.
"Whether it comes to voting for someone who's of a different race, buying properties or socialising with their friends, those in the 18-35 years of age bracket tend to be more colour blind," he added.
Gan pointed out that ethnic Malays were split equally when it came to wanting pro-Malay policies, with 42% saying "no" and the same number of respondents saying "yes".
"The finding contradict suggestions that most Malays are afraid to compete and rely heavily on government aid.
"This shows that they don't necessarily want race-based policies. They are actually divided," he added.
Gan also said it is time that the government develops and incorporates a 'National Unity Index' in formulating key public policies and administrative measures.
The data released was the second part of a survey on racism commissioned by Cenbet.
The first part, which covered a broader spectrum of Malaysians of all ages which showed that more than half of those surveyed admitted to being either selectively or openly racist, was released on March 17.