Malaysia: Unity in Diversity

Learning Outcomes
Explain the concept of ‘unity in diversity’.
Explain the concept of social cohesion.
Explain the dynamics of ethnic relations in
Malaysia.
 Introduction
In Malaysia, throughout 60 years of independence,
people focus more on conflicts besides of positive
relations amongst Malaysian. But, the positive side
of ethnic relations is still there. Therefore, the
concept of social cohesion posed to explain the
phenomenon that occurs in Malaysia.
 Concept of Unity in Diversity

1. ‘Unity in diversity’ in various perspective:

 Social Psychology - sense of oneness that cross physical and
psychological separation, which includes also the
metaphysical.
 Antropology-sosiology - how people manage and organize
existing social differences among them.
 Ontological - the needs to manage and organize these
differences are, in general, the desire to create peace and
stability in the composition of a community that has a
composite social groups in order to gain pleasure and
perhaps even material prosperity.
 What is Unity?

 The process of uniting the whole society and country

to form an identity and shared values ​and a sense of
love and pride to homeland.
 Unity is uniformity - refer to similarity or equity – one
nation, one religion, one language, one country is just a
slogan.
 unity is uniformity - a picture of a perfect society that
can not be realized.
 Social Solidarity Concept
According tu Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, social solidarity
concept is:
“A social phenomenon that affects the members of the
community to try to achieve unity ".
Understanding the concept of social solidarity
through everyday-defined concept as an access to
unity.
In this case, “everyday-defined” is more effective
than 'authority-defined', as every member of a
society is free to act and behave for the survival of
self, family and social groups.
If there is any conflict, members will soon find a
solution through negotiation in various ways and
forms
 The concept of integration is more realistic in
the context of Malaysia.
 Therefore, the concept of social cohesion posed
to explain the phenomenon that occurs in
Malaysia.
Social Cohesion is defined as a cohesive
society that..
•Works toward the well being of all its
members
•Fights exclusion and marginalisation
•Creates a sense of belonging
•Promotes trust
•Offers its members the opportunity of
upward mobility (rising from a lower to a
higher social class or status)
Source: OECD (2011), Perspectives on Global Development 2012: Social Cohesion in
a Shifting World,OECD Publishing
Comparison: Malaysia & Sri Lanka
1. Malaysia: In general, Malaysia is a peaceful and
stable country, but conflict still exist along the way.
 Era of conflict 1945-1960
 Era of tense but stable 1961-1970
 Era of Social solidarity 1971- 2011
 A | Era of Conflict (1945 – 60)
 Post World War 2
› Ethnic riot - an ethnic conflict between Chinese and Malays which broke out
in relation with Bintang Tiga 14 days after the end of Japanese occupation
› Labour riot - union leaders organizing riots and strikes were arrested and
their organization are banned. The Bintang Tiga involvement by killing three
people of European descent planters in Sungai Siput. The government
declared a state of emergency and end in 1960.

Government Initiatives
◦ Internal security Act
◦ Five Year Plan1950-1955
◦ Ethnic compromise– drafting constitution 1957
 B | Era of tense but stable (1961 – 70)

The formation of Malaysia 1963: Perjanjian 20 agreement with Sabah and 18

agreement with Sarawak.
Confrontation between Malaysia-Indonesia (1963-1966)
Ethnic conflict 1964 & 1969
◦ Julai & September 1964, Singapura
◦ 13 Mei 1969, Kuala Lumpur & 3 other places
Singapura & Malaysia split 9 Aug. 1965
Government initiatives
◦ Majlis Perundingan Rakyat
◦ Jabatan Perpaduan
◦ Rukun Negara
◦ New Economic Policy (1970-1990)
 C | ERA of Social Solidarity (1971-2011)

 After 40 years, Malaysia again facing ethnic conflict

in 2004 known as Kg. Medan incident. This incident
showed that economic factor as a base for social
solidarity.
 Hope for unity is still there: 1Malaysia
 key to social cohesion Malaysia: a stable
relationship, either at the stage Society, State,
Market = S + S + M -even during the global crisis.
 Matured society: Love to argue but not to fight each
other. Conflict exists, but still live in unity.
 SOCIAL CONFLICT & SOCIAL SOLIDARITY|
Comparison Malaysia & Sri Lanka (1945-2011)
MALAYSIA

1948 - 1960 1964 1969 2001

1945 2011

1940-1950 1951-1960 1961-1970 1971-1980 1981-1990 1991-2010

SRI LANKA
KEAMANAN ditakrif sebagai “the absence of violence” (GPI 2011). Konflik berdarah berlaku di Malaysia dan Sri Lanka semenjak 1945. Bukti
menunjukkan bahawa keadaan kesepaduan sosial mendominasi hidup di Malaysia di Sri Lanka didominasi oleh pertumpahan darah,
meragut lebih dari 100,000 nyawa. Untuk sebuah analisis perbandingan terbaik sila lihat, Sirimal Abeyratne, “Economic Development and
Political Conflict: Comparative Study of Sri Lanka and Malaysia, “ South Asia Economic Journal 9:2(2008): 393-417
 MULTISOCIETY IN
MALAYSIA

Ethnic groups, Ethnic groups, Sub- Ethnic groups, Sub-

Sub-ethnic, Tribe, ethnic, Tribe, ethnic, Tribe,
Language & Language & Language &
Dialects - Dialects - Dialects -
peninsula Sabah Sarawak
 Portrait of Ethnic Relations in Malaysia

• Malaysia remains strong demographic composition.

Developed and developing country even respect
Malaysia in the context of a multi-ethnic country.
• Peaceful situation has positive impact on political
stability, economic and social good.
• Malaysia managed to reach middle-income countries
in less than 50 years.
• The uniqueness of governance to manage the
country of unity in diversity is very important.
 Global Peace Index (2011)
Negara Kedudukan Negara Paling Aman di Dunia
New Zealand 1
Iceland 2
Jepun 3
Denmark 4
Republik Czech 5
Austria 6
Finland 7
Kanada 8
Norway 9
Slovenia 10
Ireland 11
Qatar 12
Sweden 13
Belgium 14
Jerman 15
Switzerland 16
Portugal 17
Australia 18
Malaysia 19
Hungary 20
Ethnic Relations from the Perspective of
Conflict

There was a view - a society that has a different

cultures, languages, religions, will be detached and
isolated.
Ethnic differences will create competition between
ethnic groups.
Ethnic minority will be underestimated by ethnic
dominant .
The mass media often report ethnic relations in
Malaysia in a narrow perspective.
Most studies stress on Malaysian conflict paradigm
to analyse and understand problems that exist in
society.
Such visual assume Malaysians are always in conflict,
competing between different ethnic groups and
religions.
Fact elevate the conflict as the core paradigm to
understand the problems of society in Malaysia is
less accurate because the reality is, people live in
peace and stability.
 Ethnic Relations in
Perspective of Conflict
The colonialism basically differentiates groups in the
community to create a clear boundaries and binary
between the colonial power (colonist) and those being
colonized (colony).
They categorized colony over differences on
physiological characteristics, culture, language,
religion.
Added by conflicts of May 13, and emergency.
Malaysian society resulting from the sharing of history -
building a social structure, economy, politics and culture.
Malaysian society is dynamic - build social cohesion
through interaction and daily practices directly and
indirectly continuously.
Social cohesion is also built through a process of
accommodation, acculturation, amalgamation and
assimilation - the mechanism for maintaining tolerance.
 Relationships and Mutual
Interdependence
Ongoing social relations built among the members
of Malaysian society across ethnic, religious,
cultural and language through interaction with
each other.
Umpamanya, nasi yang dimakan oleh pelajar
selepas keluar dari bilik kuliah melibatkan pelbagai
etnik.
 Authority-Defined and
Everyday-Defined
Social cohesion is more focused on the definition of
everyday interaction formed by members of the
community themselves as compared to the
definition of authority-defined.

Definition of authority as the country, for example,

tend to be fixed by the boundary that can not be
changed. The definition of Malays as enshrined in
Article 160.
 Everyday-Defined
Everyday-defined by the definition of civil society is
probably more elastic, liquid, storage, and there is a
wide range of tolerance, accommodation and mutual
understanding among them to ensure they can
continue daily life without any conflict peacefully.
Social cohesion to recognize the everyday-defined in
the context of ethnic relations in a plural Malaysian
society, performed social integration.
 Social Cohesion Through
Accomodation, Aculturation,
Amalgamation and Assimilation

In the process of social interaction, elements such as

accommodation, acculturation, amalgamation and
assimilation always occur at different levels as a
mechanism to maintain ethnic tolerance, acceptance
of differences and social cohesion that exists today.
 .”Al-Quran: Surah al-Hujurat,
49:13.
“O mankind, indeed we have created you from
male and female and made you peoples and tribes
that you may know one another. Indeed, the most
noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most
righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and
Acquainted.”
 Conclusion
Social cohesion can exist especially if there is a
conscious effort stems from the actions defined and
‘top down’ by the authority. That is more
appropriate for us to disclose this situation as "unity
in diversity" (cohesion in diversity).
 Lets Discuss…..
- Would you reside in an area dominated by a race different than yours?

- How many friends of other races (and other nationalities) do you have
in person and not just on Facebook?

- Did you, your kin or your friends marry interracially and was the
reaction of your family and peers affirmative?

- Would you consume food prepared by other races, religious

constraints aside?

- In a multiracial organisation, have you minded or would you mind

being led by a person of a different race?