Unity and national

Integration
Concept of Plural Society
According to Furnival, a plural
society is characterised by
ethnic groups

 Who live under one political unit (a

country) but not integrated. Every group
has its own language, culture, religion,
values, thinking and way of life
They have contact with one another but
the basis of their contact is economic (for
the purpose of buying and selling)
The society reveals no common will where
the ethnic groups have no normative ties
as a

result of differences in culture, religion,

thinking and way of life
There exists separation, foreign elements
live in the city, local people live in the
rural areas, trade and industry are in the
hands of foreigners while the majority of
the local people are involved in
agriculture, foreign investors employ local
labour or workers imported from abroad

Ethnic Relations in Malaysia

1. Segregation : the characteristic of
a split among the ethnic groups in a
country such as residence, the
school system, transportation, and
public facilities. Segregation occurs
whether consciously by law (de jure)
or not based on law (de facto) e.g.
apartheid policy in South Africa

2. Accommodation : where the

ethnic groups are aware of each
others norms and values but they
continue to safeguard their own
living culture but live in harmony and
respect one and another
e.g.Switzerland which consists of
Germans, French and Italian who
accommodate one another and live
in peaceful co-existence

3. Acculturation : known as cultural

assimilation when a minority group
accept the norms, values and
patterns of behaviour (culture) of the
majority group borrowing or
accepting the cultural elements
without changing the original cultural
elements

4. Assimilation : given the name of

structural assimilation to differentiate
it from acculturation of cultural
assimilation entry into a dorminant
society through friendship and close
connection the degree of
assimilation varies based on physical
differences

5. Amalgamation : happens when culture or

race mixes to form types of new culture and
race inter-marriage between ethnic groups
All the five processes above portray how
minority groups become part of the main
stream of a society
It also depicts the stages of unity and
integration in a society based on the form of
relationship between the groups concerned

History of Ethnic Relations

The five stages of change in integration
1. Stage of co-existence : the races of
different backgrounds have contact but
limited to matters of necessity only like
economic (era of the British colonialist)
2. Stage of frequent external contact :
gradually frequent contact among the
communities occurred; but contact arose out
of inter-dependence in the interest to survive
as when economic specialisation crept in
(era of British rule till independence)

3. Stage of compromise : after

became conscious of their common
interest, they felt the need to
compromise for the sake of looking
after their common interest in
political and economic area still
undergoing the process of
accommodation (the early
independence era)

4. Stage of unity : if the communities

compromise and cooperate as much as
possible, there is a tendency for them to
live united in many ways (social,
economic, cultural and political) but the
cooperation is still external
5. Stage of integration : cooperation can
gradually create a sense of belonging and
strong ties based on sense of
responsibility and share same values

Obstacles to national
integration
In general 3 important factors
affect national integration
negatively :

1. Prejudice : attitude towards other

groups based on common
generalisations (stereotype), on
evidences that are not concrete or
pre-judgment action bad
expectations of other races
although new positive information
comes up concerning the other
groups the existing prejudice
persists

2. Communalism : attitude of
favouring ones own ethnic
community this phenomenon is
quite obvious in the economic,
political, social and cultural spheres
whereby an ethnic group shows
favouritism towards those from
within the group such communal
behaviour can easily lead to tension
in relationship and social gaps

3. Ethnocentrism : the belief that ones

own culture is superior to that of others
any cultural element or manifestation of
another culture that is different is
considered wrong, bad or even dangerous
The three factors above can give rise to
actions of partiality or injustice towards
other groups discrimination may be a
reality or misconception/misinterpretation
(perceived discrimination)

Causes and Reinforcing Obstacles to

Integration
1. Ignorance of other ethnic
groups
limited or lack of understanding of the
way of life , living conditions , and
problems of other races
lack of appreciation and respect of other
races to know is to love
due to physical separation
less exposed to the cultures

2. Process of socialization limited

to within ethnic groups
socialization not conducive to wide
exposure to other cultural elements
different ways of bringing up
children
common school values not nurtured
at home where ethnic values are
usually given more emphasis

3. Communal politics
racial politic remains an important
feature of politics in the country
parties continue to voice loud and
clear the feelings and demands of
only a certain community
this reinforces racial feelings

4. Socio-economic differences
differences linked to the history of
colonialism structural factors which caused
dissatisfaction among some of the people
feeling of deprivation of the chance to share
in enjoying the nations wealth
programmes to reduce the socio-economic
gap failed to make certain groups happy
they become jealous, suspicious, frightened
and feel neglected

5. Cultural differences
easily spark off feelings of prejudice, racism,
and ethnocentrism which poses a threat to
national integration
different style, pattern of life and problems
giving rise to conflict
differences frequently revealed in all kinds
of social and cultural activities
existence of extremist who deliberately
show off symbols of their own culture

6. Segregation of physical
separation
gives rise to difficulty in physical
contact especially one that lives in
different areas
the tribal communities in Sabah and
Sarawak have limited interaction with
people who live in Peninsular Malaysia

 we cannot know what we dont

know
out of sight, out of mind
makes it easier for prejudice, selfinterest and ethnocentricity to thrive

Strategies to create unity

and national intergration

Self Development Strategies

1. Socialisation and resocialisation
Exposure to the way of life and the
problems in the lives of other races
Through social institution/curriculum
and co-curriculum of
schools/institution of higher
learning/Rukun Negara

2. Reducing group identification

More open towards other groups and
cultures
Through organisations/sport activities
3. Reducing group demands
Sacrifice for the sake of nurturing
tolerance and friendly ties among
groups

 Through sharing of political power

among different ethnic groups like
the Barisan Nasional government
4. Creating cohesive relations
To ensure every group gets to
understand other groups better
Through housing/business/cooperation

Physical and Social Development

Strategies
1. Updating and increasing socioeconomic strategies
Improving social-economic
programmes
Through NEP/Vision 2020/Malaysian
Plans (5 years plans)/equitable
economic distribution

2. Changing concepts of a divisive

nature
To facilitate the business of national
administration
Through concepts like Peninsular Malaysia,
Sabah and Sarawak/1Malaysia
3. Inter-regional transfer of officers
To distribute administrative expertise fairly

 Reduce parochialism and enhance

understanding
Exposure to the other communities
4. To create and enhance physical
proximity among the people
To see the real situation of the other
groups
Role of the media

5. Enhancing the role of social

institutions
To bring the members together
physically and psychologically
Family institutions and local social
organizations activities gotong
royong/Rukun Tetangga/ sports /
games/family day

Method to achieve National

Integration
Methods for Socio-psychological
development
1. Formal Education : in the socialisation
process at the school and tertiary level,
the curriculum is complete that furnish indepth knowledge of the ethnic groups in
the country to inculcate the spirit of unity
2. Co-curriculum activities : that involve
all students and benefit all ethnic groups
are encourage

3. Continuous education : these efforts

are emphasised - elements on human
relations, inter-cultural relations,
leadership and conflict resolution have
been and are given importance
4. Social group : social, cultural, economic
and political organisations wherever
appropriate involve all ethnic groups
dissemination so that can benefit a wider
public

5. Social activities : that cover activities with

economic, cultural and political orientations,
involving all ethnic groups and territories are
also used as a means of national integration
such as games and sports, art, business
activities as well as social welfare work
6. Tourism within the country : is
encouraged to increase the exposure of one
community to other communities, especially
in other areas

7. Mass media : as a means for

bringing different ethnic groups and
territories in the country, physically
and spiritually into closer contact
with one another newspaper do
coverage wherever appropriate, with
no racial or territorial priority

Methods for Socio-economic

Development
1. Improving educational infrastructure :
many schools in the rural areas are given
special attention bigger allocation to
overcome various shortages , qualified and
dedicated teachers
2. Create bumiputra entrepreneurs and
professionals : training, guidance and
support are provided to develop skilful
and professional manpower numbers &
quality

3. Development in the small

enterprise sector : the bumiputra
community has been encouraged to
involve itself in small and mediumsized industries as well as in other
industries the use of modern and
productive techniques and intensified
the rural industrialisation through
local insentives to create small and
medium-sized industries in the

4. Development of rural infrastructure :

services and facilities like those in urban
areas to make the rural areas
productive, attractive and respectable
5. Development of the rural folks :
education should rightly be given to
women including rural housewives
especially that which is related to their
efforts in agriculture children and poor
families are given help whether

financially, in the form of facilities or

food so that they can fully enjoy the
basic educational opportunities