NATION BUILDING IN MULTINATIONAL STATES : THE MALAYSIAN EXPERIENCE

Abstract

Twenty-one years after gaining independence, the Federation of Malaysia still encounters many problems in translating into reality the ideals of Malaysian nationhood. The May 13th tragedy which projected clearly the superficiality of Malaysian integration was a most severe test of its viability as a nation. Because of the presence of many ethnic and linguistic groups in the state, the major task in nation building in Malaysia is that of national integration and the investing in its multinational population a distinctive Malaysian identity. It has been a difficult task for several reasons, chief among which is the nature of the Malaysian population itself. For apart from the centrifugal factor of ethnic diversity which differentiates the population into Malays, Chinese, Indians and Others, there is the factor of language differences which coincides with and reinforces the ethnic differences. These centrifugal tendencies inherent in Malaysia's multinational population are exacerbated by underlying socio-economic disparities which generally reflect the backward position of the Malay majority as a whole. This uneven distribution of resources along ethnic cleavages has given rise to inter-ethnic resentment and animosity and contributed to instability in the state. Being newly independent, Malaysia lacks political and national maturity. Apart from the centrifugal factors of ethnic and linguistic diversity which threathen to undermine the stability of the state, Malaysia lacks a raison d'etre that is widely subscribed to by the majority of the population. The problem is compounded by the fact that, like other Southeast Asian states, it has yet to define its state-idea: defining the purpose for which it exists and distinguishing it from other states. Because it lacks a raison d'etre widely accepted by the population and because there are many ethnic and linguistic groups in the state, it is in effect, not a nation-state but a multinational state with its attendant state - minority relationship problems. Malaysia's problem in national cohesion is further exacerbated by the fact that it is a fragmented state. It is not surprising therefore that national integration and the attainment of an individual Malaysian identity should be so elusive.