Is Malaysia an apartheid state?

[vanguard96]

If any state could be called apartheid (or at least proudly and institutionally segregationist) it seems to me that uMNO ruled Malaysia is it.

Yet the Chinese & Indian populations are prosperous despite the systemic advantages given to the majority Malays. We have some friends who are ethnic Chinese Malaysian and I've worked with an Malaysian of Indian descent and none have mentioned about 'apartheid'. 

[vanguard96]

If any state could be called apartheid (or at least proudly and institutionally segregationist) it seems to me that uMNO ruled Malaysia is it.

Yet the Chinese & Indian populations are prosperous despite the systemic advantages given to the majority Malays. We have some friends who are ethnic Chinese Malaysian and I've worked with an Malaysian of Indian descent and none have mentioned about 'apartheid'.  

Yeah, but the Chinese have historically been the majority in the main commercial centers of KL and Penang. They also have advantages in JB because of proximity to Singapore and in Sarawak where they're the elite minority in a land of minorities much like the Japanese in Hawaii.

Is that the fault of the Chinese? Do you want to discriminate against them or Indians for that matter because of their business success?

In many places outside of China including the US the Chinese don't immediately seek power via government and political representation and policies to benefit their group on the whole. They are different from for instance the Irish in the past in not seeking political means to prosperity.