'Race' column with no useful purpose in official forms dropped - Entulu

The Cabinet on Wednesday decided that the 'race' column with no value added or useful purpose, in official government forms be dropped.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun told a news conference here that the government had studied the matter before arriving at the decision.

"Based on the trend, we want to drop the 'race' column, but not now. It will slowly take place over the years.

"For the moment, we are only dropping the column with no value added," he said and cited the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) and the housing loan scheme forms for the low-income group.

To date, more than 120 official government forms have dropped the 'race' column.

Entulu said there were three categories of official forms which still retained the 'race' column, with one of these related to Article 153 of the Federal Constitution to protect the position and rights of communities in the country.

In the second category, the racial identity is required to meet the legal requirements involving land, education, business and those areas gazetted under the acts.

In the third category, the racial identity is needed for research and planning purposes such as in disease control, education enhancement, population demography, and facility and development planning.

Entulu said government agencies were, however, encouraged to drop the 'race' column in the official forms, although until now there had been no directive or circular issued on this.