Abstract
This paper aims to make a comparative analysis of Malaysia’s nation-building process and critically look at these programs; namely the Rukun Negara, Bangsa Malaysia and 1Malaysia by looking at three main angles; ideology, race and ethnicity as the nation-building components. Initial survey has found out that tolerant government compromise to integrate the multiracial Malaysian has contributed to the problems. Even though the recent trends show there is a tendency of Malaysian to be ‘colour blind’ due to some kind of democratization and freedom of information access, still however, it did not show any sign that racial politics will disappear for good. Its unique compositions that based on multiracial, multi-religious, multicultural and multilingual as well as geographically divided has been identified by many scholars as an obstacle to the construction of Bangsa Malaysia. Several efforts from Rukun Negara (national ideology), Bangsa Malaysia and the latest, 1Malaysia have been and are being made by the government in realizing the prospect but no avail. The question now, how the Malaysian-style of racial accommodation will survive, is the nation-building program have been sufficient enough to dispose racial sentiments among the multiracial Malaysian, and if it is not, what should be happening.
Highlights
Since its year of independence, Malaysia has come to many glorious achievements and accomplishments
This paper aims to make a comparative analysis of Malaysia’s nation-building process and critically look at these programs; namely the Rukun Negara, Bangsa Malaysia and 1Malaysia by looking at three main angles; ideology, race and ethnicity as the nation-building components
Even though the recent trends show there is a tendency of Malaysian to be ‘colour blind’ due to some kind of democratization and freedom of information access, still it did not show any sign that racial politics will disappear for good
Summary
Since its year of independence, Malaysia has come to many glorious achievements and accomplishments. While in the international arena, the “mutual benefits and peaceful co-existence” of foreign policy adoption has continued to create a positive impact for Malaysia (Hilley, 2011) It is not surprising when Malaysia is often recognized as an example of a multi-racial developing country and often has been referred to by other developing countries. A strong stream of anger, frustration, discontentment and hatred between ethnic flows hardly and possibly creating a racial dichotomy that persisted nearly every aspects of life This dichotomy is always painted with suspicion, mistrust and hatred over ethnocentric feeling that eventually sharpen the feeling of primordial. How far a loose racial accommodation which is underlying the relationship of its people will continue to survive and are the unity concepts have enough impacts in building a targeted Malaysian nation-state
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
