Abstract
Ethnic diversity, a crucial factor in promoting close-knit ethnic relations among the people in Malaysia, should be managed with precision. This will determine the future climate of ethnic relations by viewing the question of society’s actual understanding of the values of interaction so that all manner of society’s issues can be resolved. Aspects that are often confusing to the minds of some Muslim community is their understanding on the values of interaction that is encouraged and what can be shared with people of other ethnic, religion and culture. The Muslim community’s lack of understanding of the actual values of interaction especially in the Islamic context, causes them to distance themselves from communities of other ethnicities, religions and cultures. Some, unaware of the existence of tolerance and alleviation in certain cases, behave in an extreme manner and resort to a complicated method in understanding the values of interaction. This study is conducted utilising online questionnaires among 554 respondents who were exposed to the actual values of interaction. Data from the questionnaires answered by the students were collected, analysed and coded quantitatively utilising SPSS. This enabled the researcher to conduct an in-depth analysis of the issues studied. The study identified a majority of the society understood the actual values of interaction that is based on Islam, thus it does negatively affect the society. Thus, to understand the actual values of interaction, it must be understood from the precise source that is based on a concrete understanding and not just mere assumption.
Highlights
Issues that frequently emerge in ethnic relations in Malaysia revolve around ethnic biases that include discrimination, stereotyping prejudice and ethnocentrism
Results of the Study From the study, the researcher identified that a majority of the students, almost all of them, revealed they were capable of forming a harmonious social network in Malaysia
This study has succeeded in proving how far society is able to instill values of interaction in a diverse ethnicities, religions and cultures society. This is because this study has utilised instruments that were designed to identify knowledge and understanding of respondents on the understanding of interaction values in creating a harmonious multicultural society in Malaysia
Summary
Issues that frequently emerge in ethnic relations in Malaysia revolve around ethnic biases that include discrimination, stereotyping prejudice and ethnocentrism. According to Shamsul (2012), from 1946 until the present, it can be seen that ethnic relations in Malaysia reveal a fluctuating pattern. Untoward incidents and would occur creating conflict among different ethnic and religious groups which could lead to a rift in Malaysia’s diverse society. A few in the Muslim community would distance themselves from communities of other ethnicities and religions on minor trivialities in the name of preserving the sanctity of their religion, such as not wanting to share cups used by people of different ethnicity and religion. A few, take the initiative such as providing laundry services for Muslims only as a step towards preserving the sanctity of the religion
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