Why are Eurasian Communities Disappearing in Malaysian Society?

Abstract

This article examines the reasons behind the disappearance of the Eurasian minority in Malaysia to shed light on and understand the general community issues such as discrimination, neglect and slight to no political representation. This is illustrated by the British government’s attitude towards Eurasians, the national identity narrative based on the majority racial categories, policies enforced by the Malaysian government and the prejudices that Eurasians face in their communities, and the racism that mixed individuals are exposed to while living in Asian society. Most factors, including identity problems, racism, the inferiority of mixed-race, discrimination, denial of political representation, and the national policies such as the National Education Policies, New Economic Policy (nep), and the National Language Act has caused many Eurasians to emigrate abroad or to other Commonwealth countries. Currently, Eurasians face reduced visibility and influence as their numbers continue to be overwhelmed by other majority races, including Chinese, Indians and Malays. After independence, the Eurasians became a forgotten community in Malaysia as the nation chose to forget the activities of the Eurasian community during the colonial period. Illustrating the study’s conceptual framework and analysing the literature reviewed revealed that the Eurasians are a marginalised minority group whose identity, nationality, culture, and existence are defined by Malaysian national policies in economic, educational, and language acts.