NATION-BUILDING AND 1MALAYSIA CONCEPT: ETHNIC RELATIONS CHALLENGES IN THE EDUCATIONAL FIELD
Dr. Wan Norhasniah Wan Husin

ABSTRACT
The article aims to analyze the concept of 1Malaysia propagated by Malaysia’s sixth Prime Minister, in the process of nation-building. Both notions have close connections in terms of the expected end results that aspire to develop an integrated society that share an ideal feeling of unity and solidarity. The difficulty in realizing the goal is are quite tedious when cultural elements like language and education are taken into account. Hence, the objective of the article is to analyze whether the development of an integrated nation is difficult to achieve due to the three aspects identified: firstly, a deep-rooted racial sentiment; secondly, the bid to preserve one’s cultural elements; and thirdly, the elements employed to develop a national identity to unite the different ethnics under the 1Malaysia concept. To fulfil the study’s objectives, the method employed was library research with the emphasis on textual analysis. Based on the methods, research findings showed that the 1Malaysia concept could be reinforced if the traditional elements of each ethnic community are not threatened. However, the fundamental elements of the national identity must be distinctly ascertained to prevent any misunderstanding and conflict in ethnic relations, and this could be established by reflecting on the history of the country’s nation-building process.

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