1st International Conference on Government and Politics

March 20, 2015, Rangsit University, Thailand

A Pilot Study of the Acceptance of 1 Malaysia Concept

from the Malaysians in Kuala Perlis, Perlis State
Thuanthong Krutchon*

Abstract
The purposes of this study are to discover the acceptance of 1 Malaysia concept from Malaysians
and to compare mean the difference between the information access and demographics of Malaysian and the
acceptance of 1 Malaysia concept. The participant of this research composes of 50 persons who are living in
Kuala Perlis, Perlis state of Malaysia. Questionnaire is a measuring instrument in collecting data. Frequency,
percent, mean, standard deviation, independent-samples t-test, one-way ANOVA are statistical means
employed. The level of statistical significance is set at 0.05. The result of this study finds out that the
acceptance of 1 Malaysia concept from Malaysians in Kuala Perlis, Perlis state is level of agree. Hypothesis
testing results show information access has significant role in the acceptance of 1 Malaysia concept.
However, demographic backgrounds have no significant role in the acceptance.
Keyword: Acceptance, 1 Malaysia

Introduction
Public policy is established by government which as the countries roadmap to specify the both
direction of administration and management as Dye (1995) defined that the public policy is whatever
governments choose do or not to do. In same way, Levin (1977) explained that the various persons could
use policy is the various means. Particularly, the inside and outside governmental groups are different indicate
such as inside groups who are the politicians and government officials always initiate and ought to implement
the policy, while the outside groups such as scholars are unnecessary conducting. Therefore each country
should designs the public policy in different way, which depend on the role of citizens, phenomena, and
environment as Denhardt (2008) indicated that those in government must be willing to listen and to put the
needs and values of citizens first in our decisions and our action; they must reach out in new and innovation
way to understand what citizens are concerned about, and they must respond to citizen needs and interests.
Additionally, Marilyn Loden and Judy Rosener mentioned, like tree in a vast forest, humans come in
a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors. These words to describe human diversity or what the women call
otherness or those human qualities that are different from our own and outside the groups to which we
*

Lecturer, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Thaksin University; Email: krutchon@gmail.com

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belong (Leon-Guerrero, 2005). In the other word, in the social is consisted of variety of ethnicity and race,
which they are vital component to identify different of people and then leading to social problem.
Consequently, most countries that compound with diversity ethnics or races attempt to solve social inequality
problem like in Malaysia.
Malaysia located in Southeast Asia, which is combined of West and East Malaysia; West Malaysia
established in Malay Peninsular that has borders with Thailand to north, and Singapore to south, and also
East Malaysia located in the Borneo Island. Malaysia is composed of 13 states and 2 federal territories. In
the other side, it is intensively multicultural, instituted on a various assembling group such as Malay, Chinese,
Indians, and other native cultures and customs. Malaysia has a number of populations consisting of Malay,
Chinese, Indians, and other minority ethnicity (Universiti Utara Malaysia, 2011). In addition, Malaysia is a
one strength country in ASEAN because of powerful law as Internal Security Act (ISA), which is important for
Malaysia government to maintain the security in Malaysia (Kanchanadit, 2013) and also attractive public
policy as 1 Malaysia concept. Presently, the philosophy of Malaysian government is 1 Malaysia concept that is
an advancing public policy designed by the sixth Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. 1 Malaysia
emphasises into protecting the rights of all set of ethnicity and driving Malaysia forward to be national unity
(Abdullah, Moner & Tahir, 2010). Furthermore, the significant values of 1 Malaysia which Malaysia Prime
Minister endurance develop gradually around the culture of excellence, perseverance, humility, acceptance,
loyalty, meritocracy, education and integrity (Abdullah, Moner & Tahir, 2010 & 1 Malaysia, 2015).
As mentioned above, 1 Malaysia is more crucial concept whereas it is able to strengthen country by
multiracial society and it also could advances successfully because of the spiritual acceptance and estimation
in regard to each other (Husin, 2011). Additionally, the government needs the Malaysian citizens to embrace
the attitude of acceptance on 1 Malaysia among multiracial groups because an acceptance referred to all
Malaysians accepted and believed the variation of Malaysian multiracial groups that was an excellent
beginning of power (Abdullah, Moner & Tahir, 2010). Thus, an investigator is interested to explore and
compare the acceptance of 1 Malaysia concept for reflecting its result to government, business as well as
citizen sector and publishing as academic resources.

Objectives
The main purposes of this study are to discover the acceptance of 1 Malaysia concept from
Malaysians and to compare mean the difference between the information access and demographics of
Malaysian and the acceptance of 1 Malaysia concept.

Literature review
1 Malaysia concept
1 Malaysia concept is a vision of People First, Performance Now. It is a current public policy as
progressing which introduced officially on September 16, 2010 by the sixth Malaysian Prime Minister, Dato
Sri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Hj Abd Razak, which force a cabinet, public organisation, and government official to

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strengthen in concord ethnicity, national unity, and productivity government (Abdullah, Moner & Tahir, 2010 &
1 Malaysia, 2015).
1 Malaysia is a concept that epitomizes extremely idea, which underlines the crucial of unity
regardless of race, background or religion belief for better tomorrow (1 Malaysia, 2015).
The philosophy of 1 Malaysia accentuates into national unity and ethnicity. The important values of 1
Malaysia which Malaysia prime minister attempt to participate as a cultural of excellence, perseverance,
humility, acceptance, loyalty, meritocracy, education, and integrity. Also the principle in 1 Malaysia concept
and its philosophy like citizens come first and immediately operation. Familarisation with the 1 Malaysia
products will in turn be useful to all Malaysian (Abdullah, Moner & Tahir, 2010; Wikipedia, 2011 & 1
Malaysia, 2015).
1 Malaysia concept was pressured by a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) that could measure
and improve the efficiency and quality of government services. The purposes of 1 Malaysia are covered by
governmental authority such as public health, which Malaysian could treat and medicate in the hospital by fee
only RM1 while non-Malaysians is RM15. In addition to social and economy side, Malaysian government
pointed to youth which founded the 1 Malaysia youth fund to subsidise promoting the nature national unity
idea. The Malaysia government expected 1 Malaysia concept could encourage motional citizen to achieve
social development and public administration and also would liberalise government policies and create a more
open policy towards all races in Malaysia. Besides that 1 Malaysia concept could implement to deve lop
Malaysians quality of life (Wikipedia, 2011).
The bases of inequality: social class, ethnicity, and race
Marilyn Loden and Judy Rosener designed the model to explain the human attribute that called the
Diversity Wheel consisting of permanence and temporary attribute.
The firstly, the human permanence attributes are focused on the center of the wheel. These elements
come from their background such as age, ethnicity, gender, physical abilities, race, and sexual orientation.
The secondly, the human temporary attributes are flexibility and easy adjustment which depend on
environment, such as educational attainment, geographic location, income, marital status, military
experience, parental status, religious beliefs, and work experience.
Therefore the human attributes are important factor that could separate and arrange group of people
in the social. The people who have the same attribute might be taking their activity together; on the one hand,
the different attribute might not (Leon-Guerrero, 2005).
The basic needs theory
Abraham H. Maslow has written a book named Motivation Personality which has been interested in
human motivation. He said that the human needs are ongoing and no final. When one needs to get a
response then it will reduce the thrust into the behavior. And other human needs will be a new one. And
arranged in a hierarchy from low to high (Tonson, 2001) like the pyramid or stage of the needs. Maslow
concluded the human basic needs, which sequence steps. The following seven steps (Wongsurawat, 2005);
the physiological needs;
the safety needs;

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the belongingness and love needs;
the esteem needs;
the needs for self-actualization;
the desire to know and to understand; and
the aesthetic needs.
A pilot study design
In order to determine cause and affect differences, this study would be do the causal study and
operate one or more independent variables. Furthermore investigator would do a pilot study by quantitative
research method, which Isaac and Michael (1995) and Hill (1998) suggested 10 30 participants for pilot
in survey research, thus an investigator designed to request Malaysians around 50 participants to fill out
survey questionnaires by accidental sampling (Yang & Miller, 2008) at Kuala Perlis, Perlis state. The study
objective required that determine the acceptance of 1 Malaysia concept, therefore an investigator would define
an experiment as operating several independent variables, for example information access, gender, age,
career, and educational level, to see how they affect a dependent variable, acceptance of 1 Malaysia concept.
The descriptive and analysis statistics were employed consisting of frequency, percent, mean, standard
deviation, independent-samples t-test, and one-way ANOVA. The level of statistical significance is set at
0.05.

Result and analysis

Informational description
Descriptive statistics generated from analyze the questionnaire indicated that for 3 variables. There
are 2 independent variables for this study, which are information access and demographic characteristics.
Also, the dependent variable is the acceptance of 1 Malaysia concept.
Firstly, as the result shows an overview of testing group that has been regarded the acceptance of 1
Malaysia concept (M = 3.80, S = 0.62) at agree. In other point, regarding of each issue is that acceptance
of 1 Malaysia concept concerns Malaysians to satisfy when the treatment and medication fee is only RM1
for Malaysian while RM15 for non-Malaysians, which is the most important (M = 4.22, S = 0.95). Next,
acceptance concerns Malaysians to interested in the 1 Malaysia youth fund which subsidise to promote the
nature national unity idea (M = 4.02, S = 0.94) and believe 1 Malaysia concept would liberalise
government policies and create a more open policy towards all races in Malaysia (M = 3.86, S = 0.97)
respectively. On the other side, acceptance weakness concerns Malaysians as believe a set of Key
Performance Indicators (KPIs) could measure and improve the efficiency and quality of government services
(M = 3.52, S = 0.86).
Secondly, perceiving news or information of 1 Malaysia concept from medias show television (M =
4.62, S = 0.60), newspaper (M = 3.80, S = 1.06), radio (M = 3.78, S = 1.20), internet (M = 3.66, S =
1.19), and personal as family members, cousins, and friends (M = 2.58, S = 1.14) respectively.
Finally, the result shows demographic characteristics. There are gender, age, career, and educational
level of sample that would explain as following:
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Genders of participants are compounded with male 56.0% and female 44.0%.
Age ranges of participants are shown 2 groups; there are less than 24 years old 72.0% and 24
years old and over 28.0%, in addition to the maximum age is 47 years old and the minimum is 18 years old.
Careers of participants are combined into 4 groups; there are students 66.0%, public sector
employees 18.0%, private sector employees 12.0%, and their own business 4.0%.
Educational levels of participants are shown 3 groups; there are bachelor degree 52.0%, high school
24.0%, and diploma 24.0%.
Informational Analysis
Using the hypotheses testing by independent-samples t-test and one-way ANOVA analysis.
The hypothesis testing shows the difference of two independent variables and acceptance of 1
Malaysia concept, the dependent variable. Hypotheses of this study have been set according to H1: there
would be significant difference between different information access and the acceptance of 1 Malaysia
concept and H2: there would be significant difference between different demographics variables and the
acceptance of 1 Malaysia concept.
Firstly, the result shown to test hypothesis testing:- H1 there would be significant difference between
different information access and the acceptance of 1 Malaysia concept., independent-samples t-test is
generated between the independent variable and the dependent variable. Hypothesis testing results show that
there would be significant level (sig. < 0.05) of information access and the significant value is 0.001.
Secondly, the investigator is using independent-samples t-test and one-way ANOVA to test of
independent is generated between the difference demographic characteristics and acceptance of 1 Malaysia
concept:- H2 there would be significant difference between different demographics variable and the
acceptance of 1 Malaysia concept. Independent-samples t-test was functioned for the gender and age
variable and one-way ANOVA was used for the career and educational level. Hypothesis testing results show
there would be no significant value of gender, age, career, and educational level are 0.996, 0.819, 0.482
and 0.919 respectively, which mean none significant level (sig. > 0.05).

Conclusion and Discussion

The major objectives of this study are to discover the acceptance of 1 Malaysia concept from
Malaysians and to compare mean the difference between the information access and demographics of
Malaysian and the acceptance of 1 Malaysia concept. The participant composes of 50 persons who are living
in Kuala Perlis, Perlis state. A survey questionnaire is a measuring instrument to collect primary data. The
descriptive and analysis statistics are employed consisting of frequency, percent, mean, standard deviation,
independent-samples t-test, and one-way ANOVA. The level of statistical significance is set at 0.05.
The result of this study finds out that the acceptance of 1 Malaysia concept from Malaysians in
Kuala Perlis, Perlis is level of agree. Also, the most agreement in this concept is the treatment and
medication fee is only RM1 for Malaysians while RM15 for non-Malaysians (M = 4.22, S = 0.95). In the
one hand, the issue considered by the least is a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) could measure
and improve the efficiency and quality of government services (M = 3.52, S = 0.86).

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The hypothesis testing results show information access has significant role in the acceptance of 1
Malaysia concept. However, demographic backgrounds have no significant role in the acceptance.
Accordingly, the study result points out that Malaysians agree to accept 1 Malaysia concept, which is
a great ideology to improve both subjective and objective factors such as the idea of national unity, efficiency
and effectiveness government, public services, and infrastructure toward the developed country. As similarly
Ismail and Ahmad (2014) proposed that from the empirical research done, the most important of participant
stipulated positive acceptance on the 1 Malaysia campaign promotion and expectation it will go on.
Furthermore, Malaysia is able to be successful the developed country status by the year 2020 whereas all
Malaysian should accept this concept. While, Abdullah, Moner and Tahir (2010) mentioned that the 1
Malaysia concept will not be success without the assistance of Allah and all Malaysians who must be an
acceptance and good behavior person and this is the major characteristic of the gratification of the spiritual 1
Malaysia.
Firstly, the most agreement is focused on public services, especially, public health issue, this is
regarding to issue about, the treatment and medication fee is only RM1 for Malaysian while RM15 for nonMalaysians because this issue is directly affect to everyday use of the citizens. As well as the body and
health are the physiological needs the first needs of citizens as Maslow defined that the basic needs
consist of 7 stages like pyramid (Wongsurawat, 2005). Therefore the public health is truly significant to
Malaysian both of urban and rural community (Chang, Kassim & Peng, 1992). As similarly studied on the
topic of Primary Health Care Reform in 1CARE for 1 Malaysia by Nor (2011), which pointed out 1Care is a
chance for leading capability to provide a sustainable and leading high operational health care system that
subsequently will have a capability to influence on the Malaysians health.
Secondly, the acceptance is pointed to Malaysians are interested in the 1 Malaysia youth fund
which subsidise to promote the nature national unity idea because the building of nation state should
implant to younger as possible and Malaysians hope to be homogeneity with nature national unity more young
generations concept than governments concept only such as the headline of the Star Newspaper on 1
Malaysia (2015) website wrote that you can take the Malaysian out of Malaysia but you cant take the
Malaysia out of the Malaysian. In addition, Dahalan, Ahmad, Hassan, Muda, Othman and Abdullah (2011)
found that the youth of Malaysia accept and adopt 1 Malaysia as national unity idea and the succession of 1
Malaysia is also primarily ground on unitys operation at a diversity cultural group particularly in the
generational youth.
Finally, the attitude is concerned with Malaysians believe 1 Malaysia concept would liberalise
government policies and create a more open policy towards all races in Malaysia because the progressing of
this concept could appear in an achievement way of policy analysis, these is three components consisting of
clearness, measurability and reality. For example, the healthy policy for Malaysian is cleared by medication
and treatment fee, measured by amount of money, and served by public health organisation for all Malaysia
citizens. As Abdullah, Moner and Tahir (2010) stipulated that the 1 Malaysia concept aims to defend the
right of the Malaysians citizen across all levels of society and ethnic groups. It is in line with the aspirations
of all Malaysian citizens and also on a right track in uniting the multiracial society and resolving any conflict.
However, the issue considered by the least is a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) could
measure and improve the efficiency and quality of government services because KPIs topic is specific to

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issue some social group, so its very hard understanding for several citizens, on the other hand, its too easy
understanding for ministers, politicians, and public servants as Ismail & Ahmad (2014) explained that Key
Performance Indicator (KPI) system need all premier ministers to achieve confident goal in operating their
perform.
Additionally, the result present information access has significant role in the acceptance of 1
Malaysia concept. It means Malaysians will make different decision to accept 1 Malaysia concept depends
on frequency of news and information be presented in mass medias by government that could attack to civil
interest. In the fact, the citizens highly perceive information could accept that policy more than the groups
lowly access. As Ismail & Ahmad (2014) stated the Information Department is a core function for promoting
the concept of 1 Malaysia. Since that department must transfers information and all governmental policy,
especially, 1 Malaysia concept through the citizens of Malaysia.
In sum up, this study has several benefits for contribution the public policy strategy by identified
significant issue of 1 Malaysia concept. The firstly benefit of this study is that presenting factor to extremely
accept concept which usefulness for cabinet, government, and citizens. For example, the government will
design a new public policy based on acceptances citizens. The secondly benefit is that approach to
educational side, investigator could understand the phenomena of 1 Malaysia concept as public policy and will
attempt more study or research on particular issue that is weakness. Lastly, Malaysian government is able to
stress news or information about 1 Malaysia concept through efficiency and effectiveness media
television into the Malaysians.

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