Expound upon the Far East

[JWH]

Interesting stuff although I detect the hand of a Star employee/rival party member in writing the Wikipedia entry!

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Interesting stuff although I detect the hand of a Star employee/rival party member in writing the Wikipedia entry!

Seems to be different definitions of bumiputra depending on where you are as well which might help explain why I've never quite understood the term

 

[JWH]

I thought bumiputra just meant Malay Malaysian, as opposed to Chinese Malaysian or Tamil Malaysian. The schools are all (self-?) segregated, they all pray in different places and vote for different parties so my impression (which might be completely wrong, I am not an expert at all) is that it's almost three parallel societies.

 

[purves grundy]

Burma ffs

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

I thought bumiputra just meant Malay Malaysian, as opposed to Chinese Malaysian or Tamil Malaysian. The schools are all (self-?) segregated, they all pray in different places and vote for different parties so my impression (which might be completely wrong, I am not an expert at all) is that it's almost three parallel societies.

Here's what I've found. Still none the wiser.

It is generally considered that all Malays are bumiputra and that all bumiputras are Malay. This is technically incorrect, as there are cases of non-Malays declared as bumiputra, and similarly of Malays (who are not muslim) who are not considered bumiputra. However, the definition excludes ethnic Chinese and Indians.



This confusion is compounded by the fact that different ministries of the government may have different definitions themselves. What is not obscure is that legally-based preferential racial bias for bumiputra is built into the Malaysian constitution. In practice, racial policies were a consistent, even fundamental basis for the long regime of Mahathir bin Mohamad, 1981 - 2003, as laid out in his own book The Malay Dilemma (1970).

It looks like you have to be muslim as well, but then there's Chinese and Indian born Malaysians who are born or convert to Islam. As for the Orang Asli...

The Constitution defines Malays as being one who "professes the religion of Islam, habitually speaks the Malay language, conforms to Malay custom". Consequently, Orang Asli (the indigenous people of Peninsular Malaysia) are not considered for this "reservation of quotas"

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

but

The Orang Asli are theoretically classified as Bumiputras,[10] a status signifying indigenity to Malaysia which carries certain social, economic, and political rights, along with the Malays and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak.

 

[JWH]

Oh, I see, it certainly is more complicated than I thought, then. Chinese and Indians are definitely out, but beyond that not so much is clear, huh? I confess I hadn't even realised that there was a difference between Indigenous inhabitants of Malaysian and the Malays...I thought that's what the Malays were. Well, that all went over my head.

Burma ffs

huh?

 

[purves grundy]

huh?

The OP should go there.

 

[Minnie_the_Minx]

Oh, I see, it certainly is more complicated than I thought, then. Chinese and Indians are definitely out, but beyond that not so much is clear, huh? I confess I hadn't even realised that there was a difference between Indigenous inhabitants of Malaysian and the Malays...I thought that's what the Malays were. Well, that all went over my head.



huh?

There's tribes that look more like Australian Aboriginals. Saw them in Taman Negara. Not sure about their history or where they came from but they seem to be much darker skinned.

 

[spanglechick]

this is all lovely, but we've booked our flights and are def. going to thailand.

 

[goldenecitrone]

Ko Chang, Chang Mai, Chang Chang Chang. Ok, I made the last one up, but the other two are great.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

Ko Chang, Chang Mai, Chang Chang Chang. Ok, I made the last one up, but the other two are great.

I'm currently thinking Ko Chang for the 'beach' bit of our holiday. Seems a bit nicer than Phuket/Koh Samui and similar places.

 

[shakespearegirl]

West Railay Beach on Krabi is gorgeous. You have to get a boat there so its relatively unspoilt, although not cheap.
We stayed there last Christmas and loved it.
If you wanted something a little less upmarket (and pricey) Tonsai which is 5 minutes boat ride away reminds me of Thailand when I first went 20 years ago.

 

[goldenecitrone]

I'm currently thinking Ko Chang for the 'beach' bit of our holiday. Seems a bit nicer than Phuket/Koh Samui and similar places.

We stayed on the west side of the island and the seas were a bit rough, apparently the east side is better for swimming. We were there in August though. There are loads of places to stay there and we just jumped in the minivan and went as far as we could and stayed in a little hut right on the beach. It's probably worth having a destination in mind, but there are lots of minivans going up and down if you see one place and decide against it. Don't bother walking anywhere with rucksacks as the roads can be quite steep on the west. Have a great time!!!

 

[spanglechick]

we have chosen KO PHAYAM

seems like you could listen forever to recommendations. looks quiet yet still has kinda full moon parties, that we guess will be cool for new years. grinder still has a week before and after this to fill, though - so prob happy to read more tips.

 

[Sunray]

Thailand has few pleasures but all of them great. I'd just stay in the one place or get wasted every night in Kaosan

 

[Hollis]

Thailand has few pleasures but all of them great. I'd just stay in the one place or get wasted every night in Kaosan

Food basically. Good food.

 

[SushiMo]

Just picked this up, maybe too late for OP, but my recommendation would be Malaysia, but not the peninsula. Get to Sabah, Kota Kinabalu has some beautiful beaches, take a few days out to do the Mulu Caves - amazing watching for 1/2 hour long evening bat flight taking place. You can go on the longboats down the river, to long-houses where some Ibans still have the remains of the Borneo head hunters. Play with Orang Utans, see some of the most diverse creatures in the rainforest - you can even spend a couple of days climbing the highest mountain in SE Asia, the stunning Mount Kinabalu.

If you haven't done it - do it one day, it's one of the best trips I have done.