“The seed of national unity must be sown
among the young. They, above all
others, must be taught and convinced of the benefits of peaceful co-existence,”
said Dato’ Seri Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi, Prime Minister of Malaysia, at the
2004 Asia Media Summit with the theme “The Challenges of Multireligious,
Multiethnic and Multicultural Societies”.
Diversity in race, religion and culture is certainly in abundance in
Malaysia, a country that has fought hard for its independence and right to
govern itself.
Malaysia will be
celebrating its 48th independence this year, almost half a century
of nurturing a growing diverse population and building a strong economy. Diversity is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, there is the wonder of a
colourful kaleidoscope of human diversity, but on the other hand, the
differences in human diversity could create tension and disharmony. A peek into the history books would reveal stories
of how societies and government seek to address and manage this profound
diversity.
“Malaysia is
truly a melting pot,” expressed Dato’ Seri Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi. There are about 60 ethnic groups, large and
small, in Malaysia. The Malays consist
of 54% of the population, while the Chinese 25%, the Indians 8% and other
indigenous groups 12%. Major religions
comprise of Islam, Buddhism, Christianity and Hinduism, with a potpourri and
confluence of major Asian cultures, namely, Malay, Chinese and Indian, weaving
through the heart of the country. It is
doubly important to build racial harmony in diversity for without harmony, the
nation would be at risk of economic depletion, poor standard of living and erosion
of health of the people.
“Each nation must choose the path that suits
it best,” advised the Prime Minister.
For Malaysia, national unity plays a significant role in the country’s
development plan. One of the core
measures taken by the government to create a cohesive and flourishing multicultural
society is education. Several
fundamental goals have been identified in the education process, such as:
Fostering a
common national consciousness as Malaysians that transcends ethnic, religious
and parochial identities without in any way undermining them.
Inculcating
values, attitudes and behaviors that support a healthy multicultural society,
which include mutual understanding, mutual respect, regard for the fundamental
rights of all, moderation, and peaceful and democratic approaches towards resolving
differences.
Promoting
interethnic and inter-religious harmony through socialization.
The restrained
and responsible use of security measures to ensure healthy relations among the
various communities.
Considering the
importance of education as a mechanism for national development and national
unity in view of the country’s diverse and plural societies, communities are
encouraged to form or join neighborhood committees, while schools and
universities are urged to set up unity clubs.
These neighborhood committees and unity clubs are known as Rukun
Tetangga and Rukun Negara clubs. Both
are under the purview of the Department of National Unity and Integration of
the Prime Minister’s Department.
Rukun Tetangga
A major arm of
the Department of National Unity and Integration, Rukun Tetangga was formed on
the basis of the Essential Regulations Rukun Tetangga 1975. It is charged with two purposes:
As an instrument
and grassroots organization to organize activities and formulate programmes to
unify people through interactions or through activities that promote
interaction, and thus build tolerance, common understanding and unity.
As a security
measure to assist the government in ensuring peace and harmony at the
grassroots level is maintained. Under
the Essential Regulations, Rukun Tetangga is bestowed with police power when it
does patrolling.
There are four
major arms under Rukun Tetangga catering for different age and gender groups –
Tunas Jiran for those 15 years and below, Jiran Muda for the youths and young
teenagers, Jiran Wanita for women, and Usia Mas for the senior citizens. The focus of the department has grown and
evolved over the years. In the 1980s,
it was more concerned about neighborliness, but since the 1990’s the focus has
shifted to national unity and social interaction. National unity and integration remains a critical element today
but the activities of the department have now expanded to include aspects of
community empowerment and instilling patriotism.
Community
empowerment and patriotism are achieved through various channels – providing
access to computer and internet facilities for the young, opportunities for
economic activities through sale of handicrafts for the women, a place to
socialize for the seniors, and field trips for students or non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) between Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. At present there are more than 60 Rukun
Tetangga in Sarawak.
Rukun Negara
The Rukun Negara
is Malaysia’s national ideals. Made up
of 5 timeless principles, it was introduced after the communal clashes and
racial conflict of 13 May 1969 as an attempt to base national unity on certain
universal concepts that are acceptable to all citizens of the country despite
their ethnicities and religions.
The declaration
of the 5 principles of Rukun Negara is as follows… Our nation Malaysia is
dedicated to:
- Achieving a
greater unity for all her people - Maintaining a
democratic way of life - Creating a just
society in which the wealth of the nation shall be equitably distributed - Ensuring a
liberal approach to her rich and diverse cultural traditions - Building a
progressive society, orientated towards modern science and technology
In return, the
people of Malaysia pledge their united efforts to attain the above ends by
following these principles:
- Belief in God
- Loyalty to King
and Country - Supremacy of the
Constitution - The Rule of Law
- Mutual respect
and good social behavior
As could be seen,
it takes the combined effort of both government and people to achieve political
stability, harmony and economic success of a nation. The Department of National Unity and Integration is in the midst
of formulating the structure to raise awareness of the values of Rukun Negara
among the young. This structure will be
implemented through the establishment of Rukun Negara clubs in schools and
educational institutions with the support of the Minister of Education.
“These Rukun Negara clubs will be different
from other clubs because the committee members will be the Chairman and
Secretary of other clubs in the schools,” stated Datuk Dr. Maximus Ongkili,
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department – National Unity and
Integration. The Rukun Negara clubs
will help students to internalize the Rukun Negara values through related
activities, debates, series of lectures, field trips and so forth. Some of the clubs could also be adopted by
Rukun Tetangga and be involved in their functions.
As of 2002, there
are 474,734 students in Sarawak of which 284,502 are in primary schools, 185,
294 in secondary schools and 4,938 in vocational schools. Those numbers are a good start towards
inculcating national unity and integration in the younger generation for the
state.
