Racial Majority Group's Support for Racial Equality in Malaysia

When and why does a racial majority group support racial equality? In answering this question, we focused on Malaysia, a multiracial country in which the Malay majority group's special status as one of the country's original inhabitants is institutionalized. Across Study 1 (N = 130) and Study 2 (N = 240), we examined the extent to which Malays' endorsement of autochthony (an ideology of native ownership) is associated with perceived threat from racial minorities, support for racial equality policies, and support for a pro-Malay government. We further examined the moderating role of subjective socioeconomic status to explore heterogeneity within the Malay community. Both studies found that stronger beliefs in autochthony were associated with greater perceived threat from racial minorities and greater support for a pro-Malay government. Additionally, Study 1 (but not Study 2) found stronger beliefs in autochthony were associated with less support for racial equality policies. The role of subjective socioeconomic status was unclear. While Study 1 did not show any moderating effects, Study 2 found that stronger endorsement of autochthony was associated with lower support for racial equality policies amongst Malays from lower socioeconomic status. Taken together, these findings underscore the importance of considering the ideology of autochthony in understanding intergroup relations and the maintenance of the status quo.