Education Minister Maszlee Malik ignited a firestorm when he defended the racial quota for the matriculation programme on the basis that bumiputera job applicants were subjected to discrimination as certain employers insisted that candidates be Mandarin-literate.

With opinionmakers arguing for or against this, it appears there is a gulf in perception which separates the Malay and Chinese business communities.

Malay business organisations told Malaysiakini that discrimination against the bumiputera community is common...