‘Stem decline of patriotism in youths'
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia risks becoming a fragmented society if the national education system fails to urgently address the declining sense of patriotism and unity among its youth, warned Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) senior lecturer Dr Anuar Ahmad.
Reflecting on a recent online forum on patriotism hosted by UKM's Minda platform, Anuar said both panellists, former Mubarak president Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Rahman and historian Dr Sahul Hamid, agreed that patriotism in Malaysia today is worryingly low.
'If people have lost their pride in the country and no longer see the nation as a vital part of their lives, we risk weakening our nation-building process,' said Anuar.
He said when citizens no longer feel connected to the nation emotionally or ideologically, the foundations of the country become vulnerable to disruption, with apathy towards laws, the monarchy and national identity.
Citing figures from the Education Ministry's 2024 Education Development Plan, Anuar questioned the high equality index reported among students and teachers, with a score of 8.10 on average, deemed 'very satisfactory'.
'We are told that our education equality index is very high. But these numbers are difficult to interpret without knowing how the data was collected, the methodology used, or whether it was independently verified.
'A school with 99% Malay teachers will naturally report strong intra-community ties but that's not the same as national integration or equality across diverse groups.'
He pointed out that this disparity between official data and ground reality is part of a deeper problem, where education policy does not reflect the socio-political and cultural fragmentation that exists.
Anuar highlighted the increasing complexity of Malaysia's schooling landscape encompassing national, vernacular, international, religious and private schools, which has led to what he terms 'super diversity'.
'International schools in Malaysia now have more local students than foreign ones. This extreme diversity in our education system is a major challenge to building a common national identity.'
While acknowledging that vernacular schools are protected by law and institutions, Anuar argued that the challenge is not their existence but how the nation manages diversity to produce a generation that is patriotic.
'We must ask ourselves how we can ensure that our children feel love and loyalty for the country when they grow up so separated by language, curriculum and school culture.'
He criticised current educational priorities that focus primarily on exam results and individual success, sidelining national values like patriotism and unity.
'For years, our education discourse has revolved around academic achievement and teacher workloads, but rarely have we asked how education builds a strong, united nation.'
Calling for a bold reset in the next national education blueprint, he proposed that patriotism, unity and self-worth be embedded not just in the curriculum but also in co-curricular activities and policies.
'We are starting a new education development plan. This is our opportunity. If we fail to strengthen these values now, in 10 years we may find ourselves with a generation that is technically skilled but emotionally detached from the nation.
'Our children are growing up in silos – Chinese schools with one ethos, religious schools with another. If we don't build a shared patriotic foundation, we risk becoming strangers in our own country.'
Anuar urged educators and the government to treat patriotism and national unity as urgent priorities, not as an afterthought.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
42 minutes ago
- The Star
Umno to continue driving Malay and bumiputra agendas
Strategic planning: Mohamad (centre) posing for a photo with other delegates at the opening of the Cheras Umno division meeting in Cheras. — Bernama KUALA LUMPUR: Umno will remain in the federal government to continue championing the Malay and bumiputra agendas, says party deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan. He described the decision as a strategic move, warning that exiting the government would allow another party to take its place. 'If we leave, another party will fill the gap within two hours. We don't want to be spectators on the sidelines. It is better to be in government, where we can drive new agendas suited to today's realities,' said Mohamad, who is also Foreign Minister. Mohamad, who is MP for Rembau, said this when opening the Cheras Umno division delegates' meeting here yesterday, Bernama reported. He cited Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) as one of the party's key focus areas. Although the portfolio is traditionally under the Human Resources Ministry, Deputy Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had taken the lead in addressing gaps, particularly affecting Malay youths. 'Many are not dropping out because they failed exams but because they never sat for them. That's why we introduced the National TVET Policy, the National Tahfiz Policy and several other initiatives,' he said. Mohamad added that Umno was undertaking internal reforms to adapt to a shifting political landscape, following setbacks in the 15th General Election in 2022. 'The political reality now is that no party anywhere in the world can govern alone. That era has ended. 'We must be realistic. Although we have 192 divisions, our strategy should focus on constituencies we can win. Political idealism can be misleading and dangerous,' he said. He also expressed pride in Umno's internal unity, saying it was one of the few stable parties in the country. 'No one will support a party that's in disarray. We must maintain harmony and project ourselves as a moderate, peaceful force,' he added.
The Star
7 hours ago
- The Star
A necessary initiative for unity
ARCHITECTS of Diversity Malaysia (AOD) warmly welcomes and fully supports the launch of the National Community Public Complaints Network platform by the Unity Ministry on June 19. As an organisation committed to fostering social cohesion and addressing discrimination across racial and religious lines, AOD sees Rakan (from its Malay acronym, Rangkaian Aduan Komuniti Awam Nasional) as a timely and necessary initiative. It represents a strategic integration of technology, civic responsibility, and public policy to strengthen national harmony.
Focus Malaysia
a day ago
- Focus Malaysia
Ramasamy: Mandor system should not be blamed but those behind the system of subservience
THE Malaysian Indian People's Party (MIPP) deputy president S. Subramaniam has suggested that the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim heads the Indian Community Action Committee (ICAC) rather than appointing Indian mandor from PKR or the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led coalition. Editor's Note: On Monday (June 16), a source told Malaysiakini that Deputy Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan would be appointed chair of a newly formed committee to look into the interest of Malaysian Indians. The mandor system was used by British planters during the colonial period in which Indians mandor or supervisor were appointed to manage the labour affairs. The mandor might be a South Indian Tamil but he took instructions from the white managers in managing labour affairs in the plantations. Unlike the Chinese kepala who had the material interest of Chinese labour, the Indian mandor functioned on behalf of the plantation bosses. My book on plantation labour describes in detail that Chinese contract labourers earned higher wages than Indian labourers because the former who operated under the kepala system provided better material incentives than the mandor system. 'Blame non-Indians elites' The political relevance of the analogy of mandor system was first used by the HINDRAF (Hindu Rights Action Force) leaders to describe and belittle Indian leaders who functioned on behalf of the Chinese and Malay leaders in DAP and PKR. The use of the mandor analogy is to show that Indian leaders in the PH-led coalition have no real power but are subservient to the non-Indian leaders. Subramaniam might be making a valid point by saying that Indian leaders in the government have no real power as it is being wielded by the Chinese and Malay leaders. However, I differ from Subramaniam on the point of Anwar himself heading the ICAC to channel financial benefits to the Indian community. While Subramaniam blames the Indian mandor, he has discounted the notion that the mandor phenomenon in the government is the consequence of the government adhering to the racist majoritarian policies. In other words, the Indian mandor is not the real problem but those non-Indian elite who manipulate the subservience of these leaders for their particular interests. Even if Indian leaders or mandor are not appointed, the result will be no different. It must be remembered that the crux of the problem is not the mandor system but those non-Indian leaders in power who make use of Indian leaders to camouflage the majoritarian racial and religious system for political expediency. Political camouflage Indian leaders or mandor are used by the non-Indian elite to impress upon the community of the existence of Indian representation. However, such a projection is nothing but a political farce. Unfortunately, this Indian representation in the form of Indian leaders playing second fiddle to non-Indian leaders does not augur well for the economic and political well-being of the Indian community. The pliant Indian leaders in the ruling coalition are a disgrace and humiliation to the Indian community that has immensely contributed to the nation in blood, sweat and tears. This is the reason why the Malaysian Rights Party (Urimai) makes it a point to chart an independent political course for the Indian community without being entrapped by the vicious mandor system that prioritises the interest of the elite of the majoritarian community at the expense of ordinary Indians and others in the country. At the core of the political struggle of Urimai is that Indians should be led by Indian leaders who are in a position to articulate the broader concerns of the community. Urimai definitely does not want to exchange one form of domination to another form. Urimai is open to coalition building but such an effort will be predicated on independence, integrity and dignity. It is not enough to decipher the vicious nature of the political system that has parallels with how plantation labour was controlled and exploited under the mandor system. The present Indian mandor leaders are no different from their earlier counterparts but serve different masters under different political circumstances. – June 20, 2025 Former DAP stalwart and Penang chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council. The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
