Common identity and Common identity and Culture for MalaysiaCulture for Malaysia

Malaysia is indeed a nation of Malaysia is indeed a nation of diversity in unity where various diversity in unity where various ethnic groups live together to ethnic groups live together to strive for peace, success and strive for peace, success and harmony. harmony.

Common identity and Common identity and Culture for MalaysiaCulture for Malaysia These ethnic groups are strikingly These ethnic groups are strikingly

different in aspects like religion, different in aspects like religion, culture and lifestyle.culture and lifestyle.

For example, most Malays are For example, most Malays are Muslims, most Chinese are Muslims, most Chinese are Buddhists, and most Indians are Buddhists, and most Indians are Hindus.Hindus.

Common identity and Common identity and Culture for MalaysiaCulture for Malaysia They also differ in their cultural They also differ in their cultural

practices and taboos. practices and taboos. The majority of Malays, for The majority of Malays, for

instance, still hold tightly to instance, still hold tightly to Islamic teachings and traditional Islamic teachings and traditional ways of life especially in ways of life especially in celebrating newborns, weddings, celebrating newborns, weddings, and death rituals. and death rituals.

Common identity and Common identity and Culture for MalaysiaCulture for Malaysia As for the Chinese, it is important As for the Chinese, it is important

that the whole family meet during that the whole family meet during New Year's Eve. New Year's Eve.

Chinese Lantern Festival Hungry Ghost Festival

Common identity and Common identity and Culture for MalaysiaCulture for Malaysia Indians in Malaysia show their Indians in Malaysia show their

piety and faith in their religion piety and faith in their religion through the ceremonial practices through the ceremonial practices of of thaipusamthaipusam. .

This is the time when Indians This is the time when Indians carry carry 'kavadi''kavadi' (a kind of ritual (a kind of ritual piercing) to repent their sins.piercing) to repent their sins.

Common identity and Common identity and Culture for MalaysiaCulture for Malaysia In relation to this scenario, events In relation to this scenario, events

organised throughout the year in organised throughout the year in Malaysia are aimed to foster unity Malaysia are aimed to foster unity and multicultural understanding and multicultural understanding among the people. among the people.

Common identity and Common identity and Culture for MalaysiaCulture for Malaysia Other than events; festivals, Other than events; festivals,

language and culture also reflect language and culture also reflect the unity among Malaysians. the unity among Malaysians.

Common identity and Common identity and Culture for MalaysiaCulture for Malaysia This effort towards multicultural This effort towards multicultural

awareness is not only become the awareness is not only become the responsibility of the government, responsibility of the government, but also business corporations but also business corporations and universities. and universities.

Common identity and Common identity and Culture for MalaysiaCulture for Malaysia At universities, for instance, At universities, for instance,

efforts are made to ensure that efforts are made to ensure that students are constantly exposed students are constantly exposed and infiltrated with ideas about and infiltrated with ideas about multicultural understanding and multicultural understanding and diversity awareness through diversity awareness through courses, student community courses, student community projects and classroom activities. projects and classroom activities.

Common identity and Common identity and Culture for MalaysiaCulture for Malaysia In real life, multiethnic work In real life, multiethnic work

environments usually promote co-environments usually promote co-operation and teamwork during operation and teamwork during daily interactions. daily interactions.

Quote Quote

““True Malaysians not born, True Malaysians not born, but made”but made”

Importance of Importance of preserving our culture preserving our culture and heritage and heritage In the Ninth Plan, the In the Ninth Plan, the

development of culture, arts and development of culture, arts and heritage will be given greater heritage will be given greater emphasis.emphasis.

Importance of Importance of preserving our culture preserving our culture and heritageand heritage This is in line with the National This is in line with the National

Mission of developing human Mission of developing human capital who are not only capital who are not only knowledge-driven and knowledge-driven and economically competitive, but economically competitive, but also imbued with a progressive also imbued with a progressive outlook and good values, outlook and good values, including positive cultural values.including positive cultural values.

Importance of Importance of preserving our culture preserving our culture and heritageand heritage The appreciation of culture, arts The appreciation of culture, arts

and heritage will be enhanced as and heritage will be enhanced as part of a larger nation-building part of a larger nation-building agenda, in helping to build agenda, in helping to build awareness of a common history awareness of a common history and heritage, as well as of a and heritage, as well as of a shared future and destiny for all shared future and destiny for all Malaysians.Malaysians.

Importance of Importance of preserving our culture preserving our culture and heritageand heritageNational UnityNational Unity Recognizing that an appreciation of Recognizing that an appreciation of

and respect for the culture of the and respect for the culture of the various ethnic groups in Malaysia is an various ethnic groups in Malaysia is an important part of forging a unique important part of forging a unique Malaysian identity, the cultural and Malaysian identity, the cultural and religious festivals of the major ethnic religious festivals of the major ethnic groups in Malaysia continued to be groups in Malaysia continued to be celebrated at the national level.celebrated at the national level.

Importance of Importance of preserving our culture preserving our culture and heritageand heritage In this regard, the Government In this regard, the Government

organized Malaysian Open Houses to organized Malaysian Open Houses to celebrate festivals such as celebrate festivals such as Hari Raya Hari Raya Aidilfitri Aidilfitri ,the Chinese New Year, ,the Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Christmas, Deepavali, Christmas, Gawai Gawai andandTadau Tadau Kaamatan Kaamatan ..

These celebrations reflected the spirit These celebrations reflected the spirit of national unity and harmony in multi-of national unity and harmony in multi-cultural Malaysia.cultural Malaysia.

The forging of national The forging of national identityidentity A clear national identity which is A clear national identity which is

embraced by all communities in embraced by all communities in the country is the prerequisite for the country is the prerequisite for national unity to become a national unity to become a reality. reality.

The forging of national The forging of national identityidentity Forging a national identity within Forging a national identity within

the context of a multicultural the context of a multicultural society is not an enviable task. society is not an enviable task.

It takes a careful balancing act of It takes a careful balancing act of integrating unique sub-national integrating unique sub-national cultures with a set of shared cultures with a set of shared national culture. national culture.

The forging of national The forging of national identityidentity The process of nation building The process of nation building

and the effort to build a and the effort to build a consensus on national unity consensus on national unity cannot be decreed or regulated cannot be decreed or regulated through policy intervention alone.through policy intervention alone.

The forging of national The forging of national identityidentity It must be carefully nurtured and It must be carefully nurtured and

the condition of equal political, the condition of equal political, economic and social rights must economic and social rights must exist to ensure that national unity exist to ensure that national unity is founded on a broad acceptance is founded on a broad acceptance of a national identity and sense of of a national identity and sense of belonging. belonging.

Socio-economicSocio-economic

On the socio-economic On the socio-economic environment, the government can environment, the government can adopt less divisive policies by adopt less divisive policies by focusing on class differences focusing on class differences instead of clear ethnic divisions. instead of clear ethnic divisions.

Socio-economicSocio-economic

Hence, it is timely that the Hence, it is timely that the government recognizes that the government recognizes that the identification of an ethnic group identification of an ethnic group to an economic activity is no to an economic activity is no longer visible.longer visible.

Socio-economicSocio-economic

Efforts to eradicate poverty, Efforts to eradicate poverty, empower the poor, redistribute empower the poor, redistribute wealth et cetera should focus wealth et cetera should focus instead on class differences, instead on class differences, between the haves and have-nots between the haves and have-nots and not between the bumiputeras and not between the bumiputeras and non-bumiputeras dichotomy and non-bumiputeras dichotomy alone.alone.

Education SystemEducation System

We need to reassess our education We need to reassess our education system to find out if it is playing a system to find out if it is playing a positive role in our nation building positive role in our nation building process. process.

The education system should not The education system should not breed divisions or create breed divisions or create dichotomies either ethnicity, gender, dichotomies either ethnicity, gender, religion or any other discriminatory religion or any other discriminatory aspects. aspects.

Education SystemEducation System

Instead, it should teach students Instead, it should teach students about the richness of our diversity about the richness of our diversity and the benefits of living and and the benefits of living and cooperating as one community cooperating as one community

QuestionsQuestions

List the good and the bad List the good and the bad Malaysian habitsMalaysian habits