Possible origins of ketuanan Melayu Ketuanan Melayu

according many historians, root cause of ethnic strife , ketuanan melayu lack of mixing between malays , non-malays. exception straits chinese, managed assimilate reasonably well, despite assimilation taking 600 years including intermarriage. according ming shi-lu, ancestors of straits chinese gifts given sultan of malacca recognition of both bilateral ties between ming dynasty , sultanate, , of malay sovereignty. @ time, rich merchants during british rule instead of manual labourers , many habitually spoke malay, dressed in malay style, , preferred malay cuisine.

the british educational policies segregating different races — providing minimal public education malays, , leaving non-malays own devices — did not matters. malays, predominantly rural-dwellers, not encouraged socialise more urban non-malays. economic impoverishment of malays set them apart better-off chinese fanned racial sentiments.

another contributing factor ketuanan melayu world war ii japanese occupation. war awakened keen political awareness among malayan people intensifying communalism , racial hatred . japanese policies politicised malay peasantry , intentionally fanning flames of malay nationalism. 2 malay historians wrote japanese hostile acts against chinese , apparently more favourable treatments of malays helped make chinese community feel separate identity more acutely... foreign commentator agreed, stating during occupation period ... malay national sentiment had become reality; anti-chinese, , rallying cry [was] malaya malays ...