COMMENT | When I left Malaysia in the late 80s, our population was around 16 million. Today, it surpasses 35 million. Which got me thinking - how has the ethnic composition shifted over the decades?

We were well distributed during Independence in 1957. Malays comprised about half of the 6.8 million population. Today, Malays account for about 70 percent.

Which begs the question: what will happen when the non-Malay population declines further to become politically insignificant?

Non-Malay talents that once anchored the professions, commerce, and education are continuing to drain across the Causeway and Down Under.

Meanwhile, current population growth is made up by the influx of workers from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nepal, and India.