Discovering social actors experiences to different schooling system in Malaysian multicultural society: national unity perspective

Siti Nor Amalina Ahmad Tajuddin

Abstract

This paper investigates the insights and experiences of multiple social actors towards different streaming school and to examine in what ways ‘national unity’ is affected by a different streaming school in Malaysia particularly within a multicultural society. Although the discussion in this paper is related to the Malaysian educational system, the social actors that contribute to this discussion are not the ones involved in policy making or policy executing. Data from the study came from twenty semi-structured and six focus group interviews with social actors of different ethnic groups (Malay, Chinese, and Indians). The use of thematic analysis in analyzing interview data for this study reveals the paradoxes in social actors’ perceptions and different experiences towards the schooling system. The findings show that there should be a dynamic and peaceful coexistence of diversity of culture so that none of the members of the society feel marginalized especially the minority and subcultures

References

1. Abd Muis, M., Mohamed, B. A., Abdul Rahman, A., Zakaria, Z., Noordin, N., Nordin, J., & Yaacob, M. A. (2012). Ethnic plurality and nation building process: A comparative analysis between Rukun Negara, Bangsa Malaysia and 1 Malaysia concepts as nation building programs in Malaysia. Asian Social Science, 8(13), 153–160. http://doi.org/10.5539/ass.v8n13p153 2. Amienyi, O. P. (2005). Communicating national integration: Empowering development in African countries. Hampshire: Ashgate Publishing Limited. Anghie, A. (2006). Nationalism , Development and the Postcolonial State: The Legacies of the League Of Nations. Texas International Law Journal, 41, 447–464. 3. Cheah, B. K. (2002). Malaysia: The making of a nation. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. Department of National Unity and Integration Malaysia. (n.d.). Centre for public policy studies (CPPS) Policy factsheet: National unity. Retrieved July 2, 2013, from http://www.cpps.org.my/downloads/factsheets/National unity factsheet.pdf Department of Prime Minister Malaysia. (2010). Government transformation programme: The roadmap. Putrajaya. 4. Embong, A. B. (2014). Knowledge construction, the rakyat paradigm and Malaysia’s social cohesion. In S. Y. Tham, A. R. Embong, & A. C. Milner (Eds.), Transforming Malaysia:Dominant and competing paradigms (pp. 59–81). Bangi, Malaysia: Institut Kajian Malaysia dan Antarabangsa. 5. Feinberg, W. (1998). Common schools/uncommon identities: National unity and cultural difference. United States: Yale University Press. 6. Grapragasem, S., Krishnan, A., & Mansor, A. N. (2014). Current Trends in Malaysian Higher Education and the Effect on Education Policy and Practice: An Overview. International Journal of Higher Education, 3(1), p85. http://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v3n1p85 7. Hashim, R., & Tan, C. (2009). A hyphenated identity : Fostering national unity through education in Malaysia and Singapore. Citizenship Teaching and Learning, 5(1), 46–59. 8. Jamil, H., & Raman, S. R. (2012). Malaysian educational policy for national integration : Contested terrain of multiple aspirations in a multicultural nation. Journal of Language and Culture, 3(1), 20–31. http://doi.org/10.5897/JLC11.025 9. Joseph, C. (2008). Ethnicities and Education in Malaysia: Difference, Inclusions and Exclusions. In G. Wan (Ed.), The Education of Diverse Student Populations (pp. 183–208). Ohio: Springer. http://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8204-7 10. Ministry of Education, M. (1956). Report of the education committee 1956. Kuala Lumpur: Government Press. 11. Najafpour, S., & Harsij, H. (2013). The Impact of Rawls and MacIntyre Theory of Justice on National Cohesion in Multicultural Societies. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 3(7), 202–211. http://doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v3-i7/26 12. Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice: The definitive text of qualitative inquiry frameworks and options. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc. 13. Phan, L. H., Kho, J., & Ching, B. (2013). Nation Building, English as an International Language, Medium fo Instruction and Language Debate:Malayisa and Possible Ways Forward. Journal of International and Comparative Education, 2(2), 58–71. 14. Quek, A. (2008). Social education in Malaysian secondary schools: A perspective on environmentally sustainable development and related critical issues. In D. L. Grossman & J.T. Lo (Eds.), Social education in Asia: Critical issues and multiple perspectives. United States of America: Information Age Publishing, Inc. 15. Sterzuk, A. (2011). The struggle for legitimacy: Indigenized Englishes in settler schools. Ontario, Canada: Multilingual Matters. 16. Wan Husin, W. N. (2011). Nation-Building and 1Malaysia concept : Ethnic relations challenges in the educational field. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 1(9), 228–237. Wan Teh, W. H. (2011). Hubungan etnik di Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur: Institut Terjemahan Negara Malaysia Berhad. 17. Wang, Y., & Phillion, J. (2009). Minority language policy and practice in china: The need for multicultural education. International Journal of Multicultural Education, 11(1), 1–14. http://doi.org/10.18251/ ijme.v11i1.138