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Enhancing national unity and harmony

through intercultural dialogue founded

on the 1Malaysia concept

Kapli Bin Emek, Deputy Director General (National Harmony) and Zulkifli Bin Hashim, Director (Unity

Management), Department of National Unity and Integration, Prime Minister’s Department, Malaysia

eadlines about national unity among races in

Malaysia often appear in local newspapers and

magazines nowadays. Malaysia has a diverse

community consisting of three major ethnic groups

– Malay, Chinese and Indian – plus several other indig-

enous tribes. These ethnic and cultural diversities result

in a wide variety of languages spoken and religions prac-

ticed in Malaysia.

In 1992, the National Unity Advisory Panel agreed that

national unity could be fundamentally conceptualized as “a

state in which all citizens from various groups (ethnic, reli-

gion, regions) live in peace as one united nation, giving full

commitment to national identity based upon the Federal

Constitution and the National Ideology (Rukun Negara).”

Calls for national unity have been manifested in many

slogans and campaigns such as national integration, interra-

cial harmony and the spirit of unity, all of which stem from

the same objective of uniting the three major races to embrace

the spirit of oneness; the Malaysian spirit.

Malaysia is a nation that is indeed unique and blessed. The

uniqueness of this beautiful nation, among others, lies not

just in its multiracial and multi-ethnic make-up, but also in

its religious diversity. As for Malaysians, their religion does

not just shape who they are spiritually, but also acts as a major

influence on their culture and social identities.

Creating oneness or unity within a multireligious and

multicultural nation is challenging. Some countries with

plural societies have adopted the concept of full assimilation

to forge or even force a single national identity. Malaysia, on

the other hand, has chosen a different route – that of unity

in diversity and inclusiveness, while ensuring fairness to all.

Anchored in our constitution, this concept means that we

embrace a diversity of ethnicity, religions and beliefs and, by

being inclusive, build mutual respect and acceptance into a

solid foundation of trust and cohesiveness.

In order to nurture and strengthen national unity and

bring societal harmony to a greater height, the current Prime

Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak, has

introduced the concept of 1Malaysia. It is an idea that aspires

to promote the integration of the multi-ethnic society as one

functioning nation, without assimilating or eliminating their

background of diverse cultures and traditions.

Malaysia’s mission of unity is not merely for the sake of

harmony and good relations, but is critical to building a

productive and competitive Malaysia. The path to a united

Malaysian nation may be difficult, but the benefits will be

greater given the richer resultant cultural diversity and the

competitive advantage this approach engenders.

In his Government Transformation Program Roadmap,

the Prime Minister, said: “It is important that we first

acknowledge the tremendous progress that we, as a

nation, have made in creating a more united and inclu-

sive Malaysia. Nevertheless more needs to be done, and

it is my belief that Malaysians have reached the level of

maturity necessary to discuss some of the tougher issues

we face. These issues often do not have a solution and

represent polarities that require compromises to be made

by all parties. All Malaysians have an opinion on what is

needed to build 1Malaysia. Often these opinions differ.

However, they are based on a common underlying objec-

tive of making Malaysia a greater and more resilient nation.

The Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak:

“We are committed to staying the course to strengthen 1Malaysia and

transform the nation”

Image: Dept of National Unity & National Integration, Malaysia

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