Malaysian makkal sakthi
When activists with the Hindu Rights Action Front (Hindraf) marched on the streets of Kuala Lumpur on 25 November 2007, hoping to highlight the plight of the poorer sections of the Malaysian Indian community, little did they realise that their actions were to act as a catalyst that would change the course of Malaysia's political landscape. Their call for makkal sakthi (people's power) – fuelled perhaps by similar events in Pakistan, Burma and the buzzword of 'change' in the run-up to the US presidential elections – seems to have had a striking impact on the 12th Malaysian general elections, held on 8 March.
Since independence in 1957, Malaysians have been governed by an ethnicity-based tripartite coalition comprised of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) and the Malayan Indian Congress (MIC). This alliance, now known as the Barisan Nasional, was formed in 1955 to contest Malaysia's first general election. In formulating the country's new Constitution in 1957, however, the leaders of the latter two parties conceded a handful of crucial issues to the UMNO: Islam as the official religion; Malay as the national language; and the privileged position to the Malay and indigenous peoples of Malaysia, as well as the special positions allotted to Malay rulers. Under the Malaysian Constitution, the king has the responsibility of safeguarding the rights and privileges of the Malay and other indigenous peoples of Malaysia, with regard to reservations for positions in the public sector, scholarships and the like.