Malaysian Studies

MALAYSIAN STUDIES - Ethnic Relations and the Culture of Peace
Why these are important for Malaysia?
Based on the Oxford Dictionary the ethnic is define as relating to a population subgroup within a huge or dominant national or cultural group with a common national or cultural tradition. Meanwhile the ethnic relations mean the area of the discipline that studies the social, political and economic relations between races and ethnicities in all level of society. Ethnic relations mostly have been discussed in term of multiculturalism at the level of political policy. In 1960s and 1970s, the anti-racism had formed another style policy as well as the policy on academic inquiry also was created. Ethnic relations are discussed through their experiences of individual racial-ethnic groups. The British colonial rule had transformed the traditional power structure in Malaya. The effect of such separation of power left the ruling class without any specific political power. Moreover, the economic power of this federation who once controlled the royal courts and the economy of the nation were weakened. The impact of colonialism was thoughtful when we look at the growing population of Peninsula Malaya, which was a direct outcome of colonial aspirations for the expanding colonial economy. British labor policy preferred bringing immigrants to develop the country's economy. The difficulty of persuading Malay farmers to work in capital driven enterprises, the British brought labors from India and China, hence this creating a multi-ethnic but segregated society. The strategy of ''divide and rule'' higher the gap between ethnic groups in Malaya, through economically and politically. Later, this showed lack of understanding between different ethnic groups developed racial uncertainties. In general, British labor policy created a multi-ethnic but separated society.
Prepared by: Syakirah Anati binti Abd Razak Email: kyrasyakiera@gmail.com

The segregated or division of ethnics had occurred a black history in Malaysia where people from different ethnics were killing each other. This incident happened on May 13 of 1969, it was 39 years ago, where that was an open and bloody ethnic conflict ruined out in Kuala Lumpur, which is the capital of Malaysia. Ethnic violence also occurred in a few other locations around Malaysia. Malaysia was a plural society at that time which created by British colonial economic policies, with a population of 56 percent Malay Muslims, 35 percent Chinese Malaysians, 8 percent Indian Malaysians and one percent others. The ethnic diversity is significantly complicated by other form of diversities, namely, cultural, religious, regional, political orientation and economic activity. Although the conflict was localized and successfully contained, the aftershock was felt throughout the country. It was the simplest test of ethnic relations in post-Independence Malaysia. It became a crisis event in the political and sociological of Malaysian society as well as in the awareness of individual Malaysians, because it was so traumatic. It makes people think deeply and most importantly, it redefined the views of our ethnic relations in our country and changed their dynamics or way of thinking. Commonly, Malaysians were curiously awakened to the fact that the ethnic harmony that they had enjoyed since Merdeka (Independence) could not be taken for granted anymore. The government was swift to assemble all its assets or resources to find speedy or short-term remedies and long-term solutions in economic and political. The government finally declared a National Emergency, on the night of 16th May 1969 and democracy was delayed. A National Consultative Council was established to pursue solutions to all the ethnic groups, especially the Malays as well as the establishment of Rukun Negara. This is to gain more understanding

amongst the nation itself. Later, the New Economic Policy (NEP) was launched to eliminate the monopoly of one race in the economic resources while lessening poverty.
Generally, all people notice that Malaysia is the multiracial or multicultural country which are consist of various different ethnics such as Malay, Chinese, Indian and others. This is important for the government as well as society to cooperate each other in maintaining good relationship with all of the ethnics to achieve the Vision 2020 which is a Malaysian supreme ideal introduced by the former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad during the formation of the Sixth Malaysia Plan in 1991. The vision requests for the people to achieve a self-reliant developed nation by the year 2020, includes all aspects of life, from economic view, social well-being, enhance educational performance, political constancy, as well as psychological stability. In order to achieve the Vision 2020, the most extremely issues is the good relationship between ethnicity and why this is very important for Malaysia.
The ethnic relations are important and focusing on three elements which are economic, culture and security. Based on the economic view, the unity amongst the different ethnics or races in Malaysia is one of the extremely matters where it can help every ethnic to get involved in any economic fields without any barriers and all the ethnics are able to do any activities related with economics as long as they are Malaysian citizens. In addition, the stable economics also can be achieve if all the ethnics are united and have a pleasant relationship, hence the elimination one race overpower one economic are able to improve the good relations between ethnics because every races are deserve to work and being success in their achievement. Besides,

the elimination of one race conquer one economic is to avoid from the economics segregated between Malays, Chinese and Indians which occurs during the British colonization before Malaysia Independence. Therefore, the government has taken the action where all of the ethnics are able to involve in Malaysian economic system. This shows that the better ethnic relations, the better unity amongst all of the races can be achieve, hence this benefit the country in enhancing stabilizations of economic and increases the investment from local citizens as well as the foreign investment.
The culture elements also play an important role because the culture aspects shows the uniqueness of Malaysian people or ethnics whereby it must be preserve in order to have a respectable relationship between the ethnics as well as live in a harmony country. Commonly, all over the world are alert that Malaysia is consist of multiracial citizens which hold and bring different cultures, customs and religions. Through maintaining ethnics relations by respecting each other cultures, customs and religious, it helps to get all of the ethnics become more closer whereby we as Malaysian believe that the great unity amongst all ethnics can lessen or narrowing the gap between races as well as avoiding from the ethnics crisis. Moreover, ethnics relations are very important in Malaysia is to ensure that there would not be any ethnics selfishness which can lead to racist or prejudice as well as intolerant. This is due to we are living in a country which have different races and it is not relevant with the common scenario because we already achieve the independence as well as now is the modernizations era where every individual are able to think broadly and deserve to live in well manner. Consequently, by

respecting other ethnics culture, customs and religions are very important to gain a good ethnics relations besides all of us are able to understand others customs and their taboos.
The ethnic relations are also important in Malaysia in order to sustain the current safety of our country as well as the safety of the nation itself in the future. This is important to avoid from the previous incidents occurs which is the Ethnics Violence in 13th May 1969 where it gave a huge impact and trauma to some people who their family members has been murdered and the big numbers of Malaysian were killed in the Black Blood History. Basically, maintaining the ethnic relations are important to avoid from all those issues occurs and take all those incident as the lessons for every Malaysian citizens. Besides, that will encourage the all the ethnics to have a feeling of Love their Mother Land and feel free to sacrifice to save the country. As we are aware that the unity and good ethnic relations lead to the harmony and safety living in Malaysia and at the same time reinforce and strengthen the safety of Malaysia from threatening by insiders and outsiders. In addition, the unity amongst the ethnics would be able to defend Malaysia sovereignty from any obstacles and disasters in order to make sure that Malaysia will be develop and success to achieve the Vision 2020 and remain the ethnic relations in well-manner.
As the lessons taken from the World War II which had given a very huge impact in the sovereignty and culture of Malaysia where the horrors of this war when innocent people were killed showed the clear view that peace cannot be limited to situations of absence of war. However, the peace can be defined in various ways such as political, economic, cultural and

understanding amongst the ethnics. In order to ensure that Malaysian living in peace, our government has become as one of the country who collaborate with the United Nations (UN) in The Security Council and responsible in maintaining the international peace and security. As to ensure that, Malaysia become as one of the representatives in United Nation for peace keeping, the government must guarantee that Malaysia citizens also living in peaceful manner, hence we are aware that the Culture of Peace is curiously important since we are living in a multiracial country. Malaysias government will be headed by the King or Sultan whose positions rotates among the Sultans for every five years. As the action taken by the government to sustain the culture of peace as well as giving equal priorities to all of the ethnics, Malaysia is using the democracy parliamentary system and gives the rights for the people to choose their political party through the elections which will be held every five years. At the same time, all of the ethnics are given the place in Malaysia parliamentary system in order to ensure that there would not be the term bias will be arisen in any context.
The culture of peace also is important in term of giving right of education to all the ethnics where the government has established schools in three medium which is Malay-medium, Tamil-medium and Chinese-medium. The establishment of these schools is to satisfy every ethnic need and preserve their language as well as learning our mother-tongue language which is Bahasa Malaysia in all of the schools. The most important thing is measuring the progress of the students by examination equally which helps to evaluate and compute the level of knowledge and offer the scholarships for those who success in studies in schools as well as in tertiary education. The offer will be given similarly to every ethnic who perform well. This shows that

Malaysia is very well organize in handling all the matters related to the ethnics in order to maintain the peaceful life.
Further reasons on culture of peace is important in Malaysia arise when every race or ethnic has different religious and beliefs. As the concern of these matters, the government has decided that Islam as the official religion since the majority of the population is Muslims because 60% are Malays. However, Malaysia never force any of the ethnic to be as Muslim and all of the races are free to practice their own religions and beliefs such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and others as long as it is not harmful and lead to any religions or ethnics crisis. The presence of such diversity of religion and beliefs calls everyone to respect each other and live in harmony neighborhood, environment and society. In enhancing the culture of peace, Malaysian citizens is very aware in celebrating the religious important days and mostly every of the religious has their official holidays. Through the holidays given, we are able to celebrate with open houses such as for Eid-ul Fitr, Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Christmas Eve and others whereby this will help in further the knowledge as well as the valuable interreligious experiences of the population. This will encourage all of the ethnics to gain more understanding and unity which boost peaceful living amongst the different cultures. In addition, none of the religion asks its followers to do criminal. Indeed, all religions command their followers to do good deeds and ask to know and understand each other, and to live in peace with one another.

Another reason on the culture of peace is important in Malaysia is the acceptance of the term moderation that contributed in making Malaysia as everybody well known. This is one of the moderate actions taken by our forefathers. The moderation works as a very significant approach to connect the differences, ease the communication, resolve disagreements and maintain the stability and development. At the same time it creates harmonious relations as it calls for mutual respects, understanding, tolerance, communicate, cooperation and justice. The concept of moderation has in-built in every citizens of Malaysia to not relate any of our ethnic, religious or cultural background as the crisis as everybody concern and take the lesson during huge problems of the World War II and the Ethnic Violence (13th May 1969). This relatively contributed in peace and harmony Malaysia to this current day. As shown in the matrix below is the concept and characteristics of Culture of Peace where it should be practice in Malaysia or other country as well. This matrix was retrieved from David Adams, 2002, the Director of UNESCOs Unit for the International Year for the Culture of Peace. understanding, tolerance and solidarity democratic participation free flow of information and knowledge respect for all human rights equality between women and men education for a culture of peace sustainable economic and social development disarmament, general and complete
Culture of Peace

As concern of our present Prime Minister, Dato Seri Mohd Najib bin Tun Hj. Abd Razak, he has establish and create the concept of 1 Malaysia where this concept is the idea to create a unity or good relations between the different races or ethnics based on the important values which should be practice by Malaysian. In other view, 1 Malaysia concept is one of the approaches to achieve the Malaysia aspiration which is Vision 2020. The concept of 1 Malaysia is to ensure that Malaysia will be one of the developed and advance countries, meanwhile at the same time focusing on the acceptance methods amongst the multiracial ethnics where everybody is free to accept the uniqueness of each other and live in a culture of respect as one nation. Besides, the concept of 1 Malaysia is also focusing on the principal of justice and equality for all of the ethnics or races which means that all of the ethnics will get the help from government without being bias or ignored. In addition, this concept also concern on the agendas of continuing the development of a country, where in achieving towards a developed country, all of the citizens must be change and progress first. This is the reason of establishment of 1 Malaysia concept where all the ethnics need to have the attitude of acceptance whereby it brings to strengthening the unity and finally the development of country will take place and people are able to live harmony and peacefully as a nation.

To recapitulate, the ethnics relations is core subject in Malaysia where the ability of the different ethnics to respect each other rights based on the economic perspective, culture and safety elements which can enhance a great relationship and well-manner of all the citizens. The adorably manner by the citizens are really helpful in keeping the culture of peace in all the full respects based on the principles of independence, human rights, sustain and improving the development, free to give opinion and information, freedom, justice, tolerance, democracy, cooperation, cultural diversity, ease the communication and understanding at entire level of society and among the nations. In other words, the important of Ethnic relations and Culture of Peace in Malaysia is a matter of Think globally and Act locally.
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References: 1. www.1malaysia.com.my
2. www.slideshare.net/Fakrul141291/kepentingan-hubungan-etnik-dan-usaha-yangdijalankan-untuk-memelihara-perpaduan
3. http://mymalaysia.wordpress.com/2006/11/12/race-ethnicity-and-ethnic-relations-amalaysian-case-study/
4. http://www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/Malaysia
5. Shamsul A.B. and Anis Y. Yusoff (2011 May, 18). Managing peace in malaysia Retrieved 2013 July 15. 6. Werdmlder H. and Vriens L. (2007) Peace Matters, Reflections on the Culture of Peace Retrieved 2013 July 15. From: http://www.uu.nl/faculty/leg/NL /simspecials/29/Documents/simspecial29.pdf
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MALAYSIAN STUDIES - Ethnic Relations and the Culture of Peace

Why these are important for Malaysia?

Prepared by: Syakirah Anati binti Abd Razak Email: kyrasyakiera@gmail.com