BATI DIŞI ÇOK KÜLTÜRLÜLÜK MODELLERİ: MALEZYA’DA ETNİK ÇEŞİTLİLİK VE SOSYAL UYUMUN İNŞASI
NON-WESTERN MODELS OF MULTICULTURALISM: BUILDING ETHNIC DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL COHESION IN MALAYSIA

Summary/Abstract: This article, which analyzes Malaysia's multicultural structure from historical and political perspectives, focuses on how the country achieves unity and harmony despite its multi-ethnic composition. Malaysia, home to Malay, Chinese, and Indian communities coexisting since ancient times, inherited its present multicultural identity from the British colonial period. While ethnic diversity makes Malaysia unique in terms of cultural richness, the country has faced significant challenges regarding social and economic inequalities. To address these challenges, the government has developed policies that provide dedicated spaces for the cultures of ethnic communities in areas such as education, media, religion, economy, and law. These policies aim to foster social cohesion while encouraging ethnic communities to preserve their identities within this harmony. Historically, the most significant of these policies, introduced to enhance social cohesion following the events of 1969, is the National Cultural Policy. Later, the “1Malaysia Concept” was introduced. These policies have played a major role in promoting cultural diversity, supporting social cohesion through media as a tool, and ensuring that different ethnic groups receive education in their own languages while transmitting the national identity.

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