Malaysian ethnic Indians make up less than 7% of the country’s population — but this small community is disproportionately represented in some of the country’s most troubling statistics. Indians form a shockingly high percentage of the prison population, face persistent income and wealth gaps—both between ethnic groups and within their own community—and continue to grapple with access to quality education. These are not isolated issues; they reflect deep-rooted structural inequalities, legacies of colonial exploitation, and decades of policy neglect.

The question is, what can we do about it?



YB Charles Santiago is the former MP for Klang and has been passionate about this issue for years. Recently, he’s worked together with Yayasan Iltizam Malaysia and the Sustainable Initiative for Community Change to come up with some proposals which address this issue as well as how we can make Malaysia more inclusive and equitable for all. In this episode, we speak to Charles Santiago. 


Click here if you’d like to find out more about the specifics of their proposal.



Image Credit: Shutterstock

Malaysian ethnic Indians make up less than 7% of the country’s population — but this small community is disproportionately represented in some of the country’s most troubling statistics. Indians form a shockingly high percentage of the prison population, face persistent income and wealth gaps—both between ethnic groups and within their own community—and continue to grapple with access to quality education. These are not isolated issues; they reflect deep-rooted structural inequalities, legacies of colonial exploitation, and decades of policy neglect.The question is, what can we do about it?YB Charles Santiago is the former MP for Klang and has been passionate about this issue for years. Recently, he’s worked together with Yayasan Iltizam Malaysia and the Sustainable Initiative for Community Change to come up with some proposals which address this issue as well as how we can make Malaysia more inclusive and equitable for all. In this episode, we speak to Charles Santiago.&nbsp; <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://tinyurl.com/IndianRMK13">Click here if you’d like to find out more about the specifics of their proposal.</a>Image Credit: Shutterstock

As they say, democracy doesn't begin and end at the ballot box. 
On Beyond the Ballot Box, we have in-depth conversations about political economy and human rights in Malaysia, Southeast Asia, and around the globe through a class prism.

As they say, democracy doesn't begin and end at the ballot box. On Beyond the Ballot Box, we have in-depth conversations about political economy and human rights in Malaysia, Southeast Asia, and around the globe through a class prism.

Beyond the Ballot Box

As they say, democracy doesn't begin and end at the ballot box. On Beyond the Ballot Box, we speak to politicians and analysts and explore burning issues and questions surrounding our fluid and ever-changing political scene.

As they say, democracy doesn't begin and end at the ballot box. On Beyond the Ballot Box, we speak to politicians and analysts and explore burning issues and questions surrounding our fluid and ever-changing political scene.

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