Why is the ethnic Chinese representation in Malaysian police force so low?

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Ethnic Chinese are underrepresented in Malaysia’s police force because the issue is tied to long-running policies and political debate over ethnic dominance in the public sector
Ethnic Chinese make up less than 4 per cent of Malaysia’s police force despite being over 20 per cent of the population. The coverage connects this disparity to a debate in Malaysian politics about Malay dominance in the public sector, with former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad defending policies that entrenched Malay dominance in the civil service. In his account, the civil service was shaped to create space for the majority community because Chinese groups were dominant in the private sector.
Ethnic representation figures show a large gap
The figures cited show that ethnic Chinese account for under 4 per cent of Malaysia’s police force while also representing more than 20 per cent of the population. The same passage says the situation for Indians is not much better, reinforcing that the concern is not limited to one community alone.
The public-sector debate centres on Malay dominance
The disparity is framed as part of a broader political debate about Malay dominance in the public sector. DAP’s P. Ramasamy is named as calling for an end to this Malay dominance, linking ethnic representation in police work to wider questions about how public-sector roles are distributed.
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad defended civil service policies
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is described as credited with introducing and deepening policies that entrenched Malay dominance of the civil service. He defended the approach by arguing it was necessary because Chinese were dominant in the private sector, so the civil service needed to create a space for the majority community.
A comparison is made with Singapore’s public-sector composition
The text contrasts Malaysia with Singapore, saying Singapore’s public sector composition is more reflective of demographics. It notes that in Singapore, people of Malay and Indian origin are found throughout the civil service, though the Malay community tends to be underrepresented in senior positions.

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Why is the ethnic Chinese representation in Malaysian police force so low?

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