The Construction of the Malaysian Malay Middle Class: The Histories, Intricacies and Futures of the Melayu Baru

Abstract

The emergence and political nature of a Malay middle class is a fundamental feature of Malaysia's Vision 2020. The Melayu Baru (New Malay), a complex idiom carrying the intricacies of national cultural politics and ethnic-based economic programmes, often escapes analytical capture by conventional class theories not least because of the particular experiences of Malaysia's multiethnic and multicultural complexion. This chapter begins by surveying broadly the Malaysian middle class and notions of the ‘Asian new rich’. Following this survey, the complexities of the Melayu Baru will be articulated. It then suggests that religion will be a site of contention as attempts are made to weave Islam Hadhari into Malaysian national culture, thus serving as a cultural and ideological bridge for the Melayu Baru to journey towards Vision 2020.