The Politics Of Bangsa Malaysia Nation Building In A Multiethnic Society Japanese Language Version Uum Press

The politics of nation-building has always been a central issue in Malaysia. Whilst the country has been able to sustain a relatively stable politics since the 1969 tragedy, and hence generate a rapid economic development (at least until the 1997 Asian economic crisis and later in the post 2008 General Election), the project of nation-building remains a basic national agenda yet to be fully resolved. The book explores the delicate process of nation-building in Malaysia in the post 1970s, especially in the context of the vision constructing the Bangsa Malaysia or ‘a united Malaysian nation’ enshrined in Mahathir’s Vision 2020 project which was introduced in 1991. It discusses the underlying socio-political parameters that shape and influence the politics of nation-building in the country and the construction of Bangsa Malaysia. As such, the book provides an alternative perspective in the analysis of ethnic relations and nation-building in Malaysia, thus broadens the understanding of Malaysian politics and society.

The politics of nation-building has always been a central issue in Malaysia. Whilst the country has been able to sustain a relatively stable politics since the 1969 tragedy, and hence generate a rapid economic development (at least until the 1997 Asian economic crisis and later in the post 2008 General Election), the project of nation-building remains a basic national agenda yet to be fully resolved. The book explores the delicate process of nation-building in Malaysia in the post 1970s, especially in the context of the vision constructing the Bangsa Malaysia or ‘a united Malaysian nation’ enshrined in Mahathir’s Vision 2020 project which was introduced in 1991. It discusses the underlying socio-political parameters that shape and influence the politics of nation-building in the country and the construction of Bangsa Malaysia. As such, the book provides an alternative perspective in the analysis of ethnic relations and nation-building in Malaysia, thus broadens the understanding of Malaysian politics and society.

Focuses on Malaysia's four Prime Ministers as nation-builders, observing that each one of them when he became Prime Minister was transformed from being the head of the Malay party, UMNO, to that of the leader of a multi-ethnic nation. Each began his political career as an exclusivist Malay nationalist but became an inclusivist.

In the wake of Malaysia's 13th General Election some commentators speak of a sharpening of ethnic politics - with Prime Minister Najib blaming a 'Chinese tsunami' for his government's polling setbacks; others are optimistic about the arrival of a new 'non-racialized form of politics' and the emergence of 'transethnic solidarity'. This book, which engages with both the race paradigm and its opponents, warns that change is likely to come slowly - but is not impossible. Malaysia's race paradigm is a man-made ideological construct - one that has been contested in the past, and could realistically be contested in the future. In confronting the continuing challenge of globalization, Malaysians should not neglect the history of ideas - and ideology - as they search for new options.

The essays in this book focus on the themes of ethnicity, national identity and nationalism. They reinforce analyses of earlier studies in the 1960s and 1970s that communalism is a dominant manifestation of Malaysias multi-ethnic society. Communalism was and is seen as a phenomenon of every ethnic group working for its self-interest. Communalism has determined the nature and form of Malaysias nationhood and despite its negative and deleterious effects, it is central to an understanding of the emergent nationalism, politics and multiculturalism of the new Malaysian society.

Few challenges to the modern dream of democratic citizenship appear greater than the presence of severe ethnic, religious, and linguistic divisions in society. With their diverse religions and ethnic communities, the Southeast Asian countries of Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia have grappled with this problem since achieving independence after World War II. Each country has on occasion been torn by violence over the proper terms for accommodating pluralism. Until the Asian economic crisis of 1997, however, these nations also enjoyed one of the most sustained economic expansions the non-Western world has ever seen.