TOPIC

Malaysia is often described as a plural nation-state that have many diversities in terms of people, culture and religion. Discuss. Are these diversities Malaysia’s weakness or its strengths?

INTRODUCTION

What is a plural society?

A plural society is a condition involving a multiplicity of population with diverse identities or cultural backgrounds. However, not all nations making up diverse identities are plural societies (Broom, L. (1960), Urbanization and the plural society, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 15 Dec,2006).

Possible causes for plurality

The plurality of Malaysia is as a result of colonial rule. The British colonialism expansion and the waves of migration that followed. Immigrants from china and India could be found in Malaysia.

Trading network that existed in southeast asia before the colonial era also put Malaysia as a plural society. In pre-colonial era, maritime, maritime centres of Malaysia link Malaysia to other parts of asia. This provided an interactive multicultural base (Globalization and national identity: managing ethnicity and cultural pluralism in Malaysia Zawai Ibrahim)

Malaysia a unique plural nation.

There could be found the Malays who make up the majority of the population, the Chinese, Indians and others.

Unlike some plural society where descendants of immigrants try to conform into the mainstream of the majority ethnic, Malaysia is a plural society where the identities, cultures, religion of the diverse people are preserved and maintained. The Chinese, Indians and Malays can be identified by their dressing with no ethnic being pressured into the other ways of dressing.

Plural society- Malaysia’s Strength

The multiculturalism witnessed in Malaysia has served to put the country’s leaders in check. According to the New Straits Times, of December 28, 2011, the political powers (governance) of a plural society should take into consideration the plurality (diverse identities) of the nation it governs.

Malaysia is a cosmopolitan plural nation. The Malays, Chinese, India, Iban, Kadazan, Orang Asli and others. It is not a singular homogenous nation with only one face, one voice, one colour and one creed.

True to the slogan, Malaysia is Truly Asia.

Each ethnic therefore should recognize and respect the others’ culture. The principle of respecting and recognizing multicultural differences is to approach multiculturalism with a worth that we approach our own identities and with equal value, this does not in any way suggest that others identities are indistinguishable from our own identities (Canadian Philosopher Charles Taylor, 1994)

Of course there could be differences in identities, Taylor advises that differences in identities be made not in the spirit of promoting one culture as superior over another. But cultures that could have overall good effect on the morale of the nation should be noted and the rights of people who feel differently or are indifferent about the noted culture be protected.

I am of the opinion that the diversities in Malaysia being a plural nation-state are her strength and not her weakness.

Cognizance must be given to the fact that it’s a thin line that holds this strength of malaysia’s pluralism from being its weakness. Talks of “they” members of one creed “who are out to get us” members of another creed or false claims of conspiracies between one creed against another is capable of truncating the nations peace.

REFERENCES

(Broom, L. (1960), Urbanization and the plural society, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 15 Dec,2006).

(Globalization and national identity: managing ethnicity and cultural pluralism in Malaysia Zawai Ibrahim)

New Straits Times, of December 28, 2011, plural politics and minding the nation.

(Canadian Philosopher Charles Taylor, 1994)