How did politics in Malaysia become so racially charged? Was this always the case?

by megami-hime

To keep this within the confines of the 20-year rule, keep the answer up to the year 1998.

mimicofmodes

For clarification, since several now-removed answers have misunderstood: one of our sub rules is that discussions of current events of the past twenty years are not allowed. Questions and answers should not focus on things that happened in 1999 or the 21st century.