Racial discord continues to bite in Malaysia

The man's ire was mixed with a large dose of resignation but he spoke with some hope about the future and was thankful for independent websites such as Malaysia Today, which provide a much freer forum for debate than the staid, government-friendly newspapers.

Ben Bland, Telegraph.co.uk

I'm currently in the sleepy river-side city of Kuching in Malaysian Borneo, enjoying a much-needed escape from the ardours of life in Singapore. But, while on the face of it, all seems well in the state of Sarawak, which is one of the most ethnically diverse parts of Malaysia, underneath the surface, the racial tensions are all too evident.

Malaysia is currently facing a deepening political crisis, with the resurgent opposition alliance led by Anwar Ibrahim determined to unseat the ruling coalition, which has controlled Malaysia since independence from the British. One of the key points of dispute between the two groups is the government's long-standing policy of positive discrimination for the Malay majority.

A number of Chinese people I spoke to in Kuching opened up very quickly (once they knew they were not being overheard) about their dissatisfaction with the current government and its affirmative action policy, which to them is nothing short of racism.

One middle-aged man, in particular, was extremely unhappy. He struck up a conversation with me while we were both sheltering from one of the immense rain storms that punctuate the rainy season in Borneo.

Once he was comfortable that there were no Malays (or police) listening in, he soon dispensed with the pleasantries and launched into a tirade against the government and the ruling Malay class. He told me one of his close relatives had been detained for six years without trial under the much-despised Internal Security Act for daring to suggest that Sarawak may be better off as an independent state.

The ISA, which is one of the least positive legacies of British colonial rule, allows the police to lock up anyone who they deem a threat to national security. In recent years, that has meant bloggers, MPs and opposition activists rather than terrorists or insurgents (for whom the ISA was originally intended).

The man's ire was mixed with a large dose of resignation but he spoke with some hope about the future and was thankful for independent websites such as Malaysia Today, which provide a much freer forum for debate than the staid, government-friendly newspapers.

Although Anwar has damaged his reputation with empty boasts about his ability to seize power, he is determined to oust the current government, as you might expect from someone who was imprisoned for five years on charges of corruption and sodomy that many think were trumped-up.

But the government has shown itself more than willing to stand its ground and the political and social tensions will only increase if the Malaysian economy continues to slow down, as most analysts expect.