Mohan,
The term Bumiputera is most definitely etymologically Sanskrit and you are quite right about the literal translation. There are many Sanskritic phrases and derived words throughout the Austronesian languages. It is a popular belief that the Indian influence and prescence in Malaysia dates from when the British brought over so many loyal civil servants and administrators. However scholars know that the local influence of this oldest of Indo-Arayan languages is ancient, pre dating recorded history. That and the fact that Chinese arrivals here predate history as well, lays suspect the claim of the Malay to occupying one of the groups that make up the Bumiputera (along with the Orang Asli of whom no one argues are true sons of the soil). The presence of Indian and Chinese culture here is, at a minimum, generally acknowledged to date in the millenium B.C. It was a wrong headed premise for affirmative action and they should have called it that IMO. They should have said, "We haven't been as industrious as you, therefore, now that we make up the largest group and have established independence, we are going to stack the deck in our favor. If we do not do that then we will kill you because there is more of us then there are of you."
In the U.S. we did a similar thing and called it manifest destiny.
Best,
Stitch |
