Policies governing education of ethnic groups in Malaysia favor the Malays, in part to compensate them for disadvantages suffered under British rule. Strong sanctions are used to discourage protest by other ethnic groups. (Author)

Examines the position of Tamil as the language of an ethnic minority in Malaysia and Singapore, placing the issue of Tamil and language maintenance within the larger sociolinguistic milieu in the two countries and drawing conclusions about the role of language policy and planning in the determination of linguistic outcomes. (SM)