Political parties claiming to represent the Indian community in Malaysia have, thus far survived as minority partners in a broad-based Malayan coalition. These have also evolved around the personality of the leader and thrive on the leader's equations with the prime minister. This is in increasing contrast to popular non-official discourse that insists that the present state of economic and social marginalisation of Indians can be represented within a framework that emphasises multi-ethnic politics with nationalities and groups being given equal status.
