1 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN MALAYSIA AND SOUTH AFRICA: CONTRASTING STRUCTURES, CONTINUING PURSUITS Hwok-Aun Lee Department of Development Studies Faculty of Economics and Administration University of Malaya 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia halee@um.edu.my Manuscript submitted for publication. Forthcoming in the Journal of Asian and Africa Studies (DOI: 10.1177/0021909615600470). Abstract This paper examines affirmative action in two majority-favouring regimes. Malaysia’s highly centralized and discretionary program contrasts South Africa’s more democratized, decentralized and statutory structure. In terms of affirmative action outcomes, both countries have made quantitative gains in increasing representation of Bumiputeras in Malaysia and blacks in South Africa, in tertiary education and high-level occupations. However, evidence also points to continuing, primarily qualitative, shortfalls, in terms of graduate capability, dependence on public sector employment, and persistent difficulty in cultivating private enterprise. Our results underscore the importance of effectively implementing affirmative action in education, while exercising restraint in employment and enterprise development. Keywords Affirmative action, education, employment, Malaysia, South Africa