For more than 40 years the New Economic Policy and its successor programs have shaped MalaysiaA’s socioeconomic development and the allocation of political power. The original policy sought to eradicate poverty and achieve economic parity among the countryA’s various ethnic communities. However, it was based on an apparent paradoxA—the use of ethnic preference to promote national unity. The policyA’s core tenet was affirmative action on behalf of the Bumiputra community. Drawing on a wealth of statistical and documentary evidence, this major new book provides a comprehensive and rigorous assessment of the NEP. The contributors show that there have been some positive outcomes, among them a considerable reduction of poverty, greater inter-ethnic equity parity and the emergence of a resourceful Bumiputra middle class. But these partial success have to be weighed against persistent complaints associated with increasing intraethnic Bumiputra income disparities; the emergence of a small, politically powerful and disproportionately wealthy Bumiputra elite; a serious brain drain; and weak human capital. As a result, divisive debates around group rights, ethnic identity and an elusive national unity dominate MalaysiaA’s policy discourse. The New Economic Policy in Malaysia offers a timely and fresh perspective, suggesting that the long-term implementation of racially-targeted policies reinforces stereotypical ethnic identities and hinders the creation of a more inclusive society.