ABSTRACT
This chapter examines a concept that has given rise to considerable controversy in contemporary Malaysia, namely Ketuanan Melayu, a Malay-language term loosely translated as 'Malay dominance'. It seeks to explain that, contrary to what some politicians claim, the scheme of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia ('the Federal Constitution') already entrenches in significant ways the concept of Ketuanan Melayu, and that to challenge these features would be to undermine important foundational principles of the constitutional scheme. The chapter reviews by setting out the social and historical context in which the Malaysian constitutional system operates, highlighting the dynamics surrounding the interethnic 'social contract' which accompanied the birth of the Malayan nation. It investigates the idea of Ketuanan Melayu, contending that fears regarding the 'supremacist' nature of this concept or its tendency to relegate the non-Malay communities to the status of 'second-class citizens' may in fact be quite exaggerated.
