For decades, the diverse southeast Asian nation of Malaysia has given economic benefits to its ethnic Malay majority, a policy that is now under reconsiderationPhotographs by Rahman Roslan for TIME
Aiming High
A panoramic view of The Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital. The nation's economic prosperity has not benefited everyone equally.Photograph by Rahman Roslan for TIME
Seeking Answers
A man prays at the end of Friday prayers at Masjid Jamek in Kuala Lumpur.Photograph by Rahman Roslan for TIME
A Melting Pot — or Not?
Residents of Kuala Lumpur at at the main train station during peak hours. Despite the move toward reform, the current government will retain some race-based economic policies to help the poorest Malays.Photograph by Rahman Roslan for TIME
In the Mix
Muslim women walk in downtown Kuala Lumpur on a crowded weekend. Amid Malaysia's population of 28 million, comprised mainly of Malays, Chinese and Indians, the official religion is Islam.Photograph by Rahman Roslan for TIME
Minority Report
Malaysia's Chinese community has long been a dominant force in business and trade, prompting, in 1971, a national policy aiming to increase ethnic Malays' participation the economy.Photograph by Rahman Roslan for TIME
The Next Generation
Nearly 30 years later, Chinese and Indian entrepreneurs believe the pro-Malay laws that remain today cap their business opportunities.Photograph by Rahman Roslan for TIME
Missing the Target
Despite decades of aid, 3 in 4 of Malaysia's poorest are still bumiptura, a Malaysian word for ethnic Malays and other indigenous people that make up 60% of the nation.Photograph by Rahman Roslan for TIME
Affirmative Action
Though Malaysia has succeeded at drastically reducing dire poverty, the economy is now stuck in what is known as the "middle-income trap," a stagnation some blame on the economy's affirmative action based model.Photograph by Rahman Roslan for TIME
Left Behind
A Chinese worker in a Halal shop in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia's economy is drawing less money for foreign investment than it was in the mid 1990s.Photograph by Rahman Roslan for TIME
Looking for a Lifeline
A line of Indian Muslim men wait their turn to pick up free food given by a mosque in Kuala Lumpur. The Malaysian Prime Minister wants to phase-out racial quotas and focus on uplifting the nation's poorest 40%, irrespective of race.Photograph by Rahman Roslan for TIME
Sharing the Wealth
Many argue that the government's current race-based economic policy benefit a select few. Pictured here, a high-end department story in Kuala Lumpur.Photograph by Rahman Roslan for TIME
