MALAYSIAN STUDIES EXAM TIPSTRIMESTER I 2010/2011

PART 11) In 1919 the British administratively combined

Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Perlis and Johor as the Non-Federated Malay States.

2) In 1949, the British Government set up an Inter-Ethnic Relations Committee for the purpose of open discussions of racial problems. Inter-Ethnic Relations Committee put forward various suggestions like providing facilities to the Malays to involve themselves in business and industry, and political rights to the non-Malays.

3) Malaysia was declared a new nation on 16th September , 1963.

4) Factors encouraged Brunei, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore to unite with Malaya to form Malaysia :

a) independence through unification b) understanding for development c) ethnic balance and unity. d) collective fight against communism e) economic cooperation f) united in international relations

5) The Malays opposed the Malayan Union for a number of reasons:

a) the granting of citizenship to the non-Malays.

b) erosion of Malay rulers’ power and sovereignty

c) MacMichael’s threats in getting the rulers to sign the agreement

6) Factors that brought about Malayan Union’s dissolution:

a) Strong opposition from the MalaysThe suggestion to set up MU stirred up a strong sense of nationalism among the Malays.

b) No strong support from the non-MalaysThe non-Malays were not interested in the MU because it excluded Singapore.

c) Wrong timingCommunal feelings and hostility still existed between Malays and the Chinese as a result of the Japanese Occupation. The conditions in Malaya then were still not really peaceful. Social and economic problems were obvious. MU was accused of putting Malays at a disadvantage and favouring the non-Malays. Malay loyalty to their ruler and state was still strong.

d) Wrong introductionMU was drawn up in London without taking into account the situation and wishes of the people in Malaya. There was also strong objection to the use of political blackmail to get the agreement signed.

e) Opposition from former British administrators in MalayaThey urged British to protect the interest and special rights of the Malays.

7) As soon as the British returned to Malaya, they set up the administration called British Military Administration

PART 21) Yang di Pertuan Agong is the supreme head

of Malaysia

2) Main function of the legislative body is to draw up, amend and pass laws.

3) Functions of the Conference of Rulers:a) Deliberating on questions of national policies.b) Appointing the members of the Special Court.c) Granting pardons, suspending or commuting sentences.

NOT passing laws which will directly affect the privileges and the positions of the Rulers.

4) A person can vote for the House of Representatives or State Legislative Council election when:a) Has registered a voter. b) Reached the age of 21 on the qualifying date.c) Resides in an election division on the qualifying date or if not residing is considered as absentee voter.

NOT IF on the qualifying date a person is found guilty and is imposed the death sentence or jail exceeding 12 months in any Commonwealth country.

5) The Courts are empowered to declare a written Federal or State law invalid if a) the State law contradicts the Federal law, Article 75b) the law clashes with Article 74, [1] of the Constitutionc) the law is outside the jurisdiction of Parliament or outside the jurisdiction of the State Legislature, Article 74 [1] and [2]

NOT IF the public rejects the law

6) Legislative Body: Assemblies at federal level (Parliament) are

House of Representatives and House of Senate.

Assembly at state level is State Legislative Assembly.

7) Three levels of judicial system in Malaysia:Federal Court • Consists of the Chief Justice of the Federal Court, the Chief

Justice of the High Courts, four judges and a number of additional judges.

• Decides on the validity of laws made in Parliament or the State Legislature

• Decides on disputes between the Federal and State governments.

• Decides on disputes between two states.• Deliberates on appeals of civil and criminal cases from the

High Court.• Advises the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the Constitution.

High Court• Headed by the Chief Judge of the High Court.• Generally, the High Court has the jurisdiction to

hear cases which carry the death penalty.• The High Court has the jurisdiction to hear civil

cases such as matrimonial cases, bankruptcy and company cases, guardianship of disabled persons.

Lower CourtSessions Court• Headed by a sessions court judge• The highest of the lower courts• Hears all criminal offences other than except

those punishable with death • Can impose jail sentences, fine and whipping

befitting the offence committed, as permitted by the law.

• Hears civil cases where the amount disputed does not exceed RM 250,000

• Hears civil cases on landlord and tenant

Magistrate Court • Headed by a magistrate• Hears light criminal and civil cases where the

maximum imprisonment does not exceed 10 years or are punishable by fine only

• Hears claims for repayment of debts in the monetary form

• Can impose caning for criminal cases.

“Penghulu” Court (Sub-District Level) • Headed by the Penghulu or Head of the Mukim

in the Penghulu hall (found in Peninsular Malaysia)

• Examines light criminal cases where the fine does not exceed RM25/=

• Examines civil cases where the fine does not exceed RM50/=

• Appeals against the court’s decisions on criminal and civil cases can be made in the First Class Magistrate Court.

District Court• Headed by the District Officer• This court exists in Sabah and Sarawak• Has the authority to decide a re-trial

PART III1) Religion is provided for in Part I, Chapter 3 of the

Malaysian Constitution and clarifies that -in states that have a ruler or sultan as head of state, the

sultan or ruler is the head of Islam in the state concerned

-Islam is the official religion of the Federation; but other religion are allowed to be practiced in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation.

-for states without a sultan or ruler (Sabah, Sarawak, Malacca and Penang Island) and the Federal Territories (Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya) the head of Islam is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

NOT that the 1971 Education Act underlines that Islamic Studies to be learned by all races.

2) A person can obtain citizenship status in Malaysia, based on:– jus soli– marriage– jus sanguinis– naturalisation

3) The Malaysian Constitution has a special provision under Article 153 that protects the special rights of the Malays and the Bumiputras of Sabah and Sarawak

4) The Malaysian Constitution made provisions for the fundamental liberties of the citizens in three forms of freedom: personal freedom, freedom of worship and economic freedom. The statements true about personal freedom

• A person who is arrested must be told of the reasons for his arrest.

• A person cannot have his life taken away or his freedom destroyed except as required by the law.

• A person is allowed to speak and voice his opinion or to gather peacefully and to form associations.

A person can NOT be tortured and exiled from the Federation.

5) The important measures taken and efforts made to develop and improve the National Language since Independence:– The 1971 Education Act underlined that the

National Language be used for all official purposes. – “Corpus planning”, that is the preparation

and fixing of spellings, terminology, dictionary making and grammar.

–Constitutional Act (Amendment) (No.2), 1971 underlined that the status of the Malay Language as the national and official language and the status of other languages cannot be questioned anymore.– In 1974, the special Cabinet committees,

after assessing the implementation of the language policy, issued the Cabinet Report in 1980 with a re-emphasis on the use of the Malay Language as the means to unify and integrate the multi-racial Malaysian society.

6) The concept of jus sanguinis refers to the laws according to blood descent

7) Ways of acquiring citizenship in Malaysia:• Jus Soli - Law of birthplace -Regardless the status of the mother or father,

citizenship is automatic for people born in Malaysia between Independence Day, (31st August 1957) and October 1962. -Those born after 1962 can become citizen if they fulfill one of the conditions below:– the mother of father is a citizen at the time of his

birth– at the time of his birth, the mother or the father has

been residing in the country– at the time of his birth he was not a citizen of any

country

• Jus Sanguinis - Law of blood descent-Lies solely on the citizenship status of the father, regardless he is born outside Malaysia. -With the following conditions: -– His own father was born in Malaysia or– His father holds a post in the Public Service at the

Federal or State level or– His birth was registered at the office of a Malaysian

Consulate or with the Malaysian government within one year after his birth

• Marriage or Registration Through marriage, the conditions: -– If the husband is a citizen in October 1962 or prior to that,

and the marriage is still binding, or– The foreign woman has lived in the Federation for two

years before the application is made, has the intention to continue living in the Federation and is of good conduct

OR

Through registration, the conditions:- – Citizenship of the parents.– The place of residence.– Knowledge of the Malay language, – Interested to stay permanently.– Takes an oath of allegiance to Malaysia.

Naturalization• Requirement -– Aged 21 and above, and– Have lived in the Federation for at least 10 out of 12

years from and up to the date of application, and– Have the intention to live permanently in the

country, and– Of good conduct and– Have sufficient knowledge of the Malay language

PART IV1) Factors that encouraged the migration of

Indonesians to Malaya:• Malaya’s economy was growing during the 20th

century• political instability in Indonesia because of the

Dutch colonization• the increasing population caused a rise in the

rate of poverty besides the variety of tax charges imposed upon them by the Dutch colonialists

NOT the migration of the Indians and Chinese to Malaya

2) Amalgamation is a process that happens when culture or races mix to form types of new culture and race.

3) The factors that affect national integration negatively:• prejudice• communalism• ethnocentrism

NOT miscommunication

4) Rukun Negara was designed to:• maintain a democratic way of life• achieve a greater unity among the people• create a just society in which the nation’s

wealth can be enjoyed together in a fair and equitable manner

NOT to force a person to take part in a religious ceremony other than his own

5) Rukun Negara (National Ideology):• Belief in God• Loyalty to King and Country• Upholding the Consitution.• Rule of Law• Decorum and Morality

6) Stage of co-existence - At this stage the race of different background have contact, even though the people concerned live in the same area they rarely communicate. Contact between them is limited to matters of necessity only, especially in matters of economic signifignance. This can be illustrated with reference to the life of a multi-ethnic and multi-racial society in the era of the British colonialists.

7) Five processes of integration:• 1. Segregation• This is the relation that has the characteristics of a

spilt among the ethnic groups in a country.• The spilt occurs in various situations, such as the

area of residence, the school system, transportation and public facilities.

• Segregation occurs whether consciously by law (de jure) or not based on law (de facto).

• An example of segregation de jure is the apartheid policy that was practiced before in South Africa.

2. Accommodation• This is a process where the ethnic groups are aware of

each other’s norms and values but they continue to safeguard their own living culture.

• However, they live in harmony and respect one and another.

• At the level of the central government each ethnic group sends a representative who represents his own group.

• But in certain institution like economy and education they are mutually dependent on one another.

• Switzerland is an example of a country that has ethnic relations of the accommodation kind, with ethnic groups consisting of Germans, French and Italians who accommodate one another and live in peaceful co-existence.

3. Acculturation• This is the process that is sometimes known as cultural

assimilation.• It happens when people from a minority group accept

the norms, values and patterns of behaviour (culture) of the majority group.

• This process is a process of borrowing or accepting the cultural elements of the majority group, without changing the original cultural elements

• 4. Assimilation• This is a process that is sometimes given the name

of structural assimilation to differentiate it from acculturation or cultural assimilation.

• The concept of assimilation is about the entry into a dominant society through friendship and close connection.

• The degree of assimilation of the minority groups varies, that is, based on physical differences (like the colour of the skin and the degree to which the cultural features differ from that of the dominant group.

5. Amalgamation• This is a process that happens when culture or

race mixes to form types of new culture and race.

• The most important way of making sure the process of amalgamation takes place is through inter-marriage between ethnic groups or races.

PART V1) The strategies under the New Economic

Policy (NEP) to restructure the society:–Build a business society among the

bumiputeras.–Raise the people’s ownership in the private

sector.– Enhance education opportunities within

and outside the country.–Develop areas that have remained

backwards but are high in potential.

2) Statements referring to the National Privatisation Policy:– The National Privatisation Policy indicates that the Government

was ready to reduce and give up a number of government activities in the country to the private sector for implementation so as to raise productivity quality and administrative efficiency.

– In 1993, the Government made known the National Privatisation Policy, a policy that supports the Malaysian Incorporation Policy and transfers government sector functions and activities to the private sector.

NOT – That the National Privatisation Policy was introduced to

achieve biological diversity in Malaysia.– That the implementation of the National Privatisation

Policy was necessary to bring about effective social management as Malaysia has various ethnic groups.

3) Malaysia can be prepared to experience the materialization of Vision 2020 by becoming a:

• society with a competitive economy• developing society advanced in science and

technology• society in which there is a fair and equitable

distribution of wealthNOT a society which enjoys absolute freedom

4) The main policies in Malaysia?• The objective of Vision 2020 is to achieve a

developed nation status by the year 2020.• The National Industrialization Policy is to

intensify the industrial growth through manufacturing.

• The Incorporation Policy was introduced to reduce financial and administrative burden of the government.

• The concept of Privatization Policy is defined as a company that is a joint venture between the private and public sector.

5) Organizations that has Malaysia as its member:

• Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). • Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC).• Association of Southast Asian Nations

(ASEAN).• United Nations Educational, Scientific and

Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

6) Nations which grew out of the British Empire and which recognized the British sovereign as the head of the organization explains the membership of the Commonwealth