Description

Malaysia is a country with a contrast in terms diversity, history, economics, politics, and culture. As a British Colony under Home Rule, Malaysia was forced to acclimate to a British culture while at the same time holding onto unto its past. The term Bumiputra or Sons of the Soil is a Malaysian identity that connects the original population to their land, culture, and ruler (Sultanate). However, the Sons of the Soil became a different meaning for Malaysia as it evolved into a pluralistic and multicultural society with the introduction of Cheap Chinese & Indian Labor. This manifested itself in the May races of 1969 which the Malay majority protested the inequality economically that they endured at the expense of the wealthier Chinese. Hence, Malaysia has had to readily adapt a strategy that would uplift the social and economic status of the Malay population while pursuing a course of racial conciliation and inter-cultural cooperation. This process was undertaken by the leadership of former Malaysian Prime Ministers Tun Razak and Dr. Tun Mahathir bin Mohamad, who formulated and implemented the NEP (National Economic Policy), the Second Malaysian Plan, and Vision 2020. The success of these monetary strategies was such, that it not only raised the status of the Malay population, but also propelled Malaysia unto the world scene in terms of economic growth. In conjunction with that growth, the Malaysians sought to redefine themselves in terms of Modern Islamic thought and cultural with the concept of HADHARI OR CIVILIZATIONAL ISLAM. Malaysia’s embracing of Hadhari represented a core value of its religious and political landscape and is a prudent example of the country maturing as a multi-ethnic and multi-religious democracy The purpose of this thesis is to explore deeper these different attributes and how they interconnect in making Malaysia a dynamic sovereign nation-state.

We can honestly say that Malaysia indeed is the Asian Tiger that has roared.