The Question of Ethnic Security in Malaysia

Abstract

Apart from military threats, the non-military threat is worth noting. First of all, one of the elements in Malaysian political security is related to ethnicity. The importance of ethnicity is a central factor when discussing almost any issue in Malaysia. The influence of this approach is strong because Malaysia is a multi-ethnic country and most of the political parties were established based on ethnic lines. It is not only questions of leadership, election and voting behaviour that are based on ethnicity, but the policy of the ruling party is also thus affected. It is important to note that as Malaysia experienced a few period of crises, the state security was largely based on the principle of political stability, which not only entailed the creation of Malaysia as a means to secure the state against any threat but also as a conflict management measures to deal with ethnic insecurities. As political development in Malaysia was an extension of ethnic relations, the various manifestations of ethnic problems were related to struggle of political power between ethnic groups.