Monday, June 6, 2011

Social distance, the cause of misunderstanding.





The older group of Malaysians i'm sure feel much closer to other Malaysians in their age group than the younger ones. Why? Because when they grew up in the village and small towns, their relationship was closer and more intimate. The younger Malaysians are subject to more divisive forces than their elders

Have we ever considered what these forces are? We talk about 1 Malaysia and uniting the people into a more integrated and cohesive society. But we don't seem to study what keeps people apart seriously so that those barriers to unity and homogeneity can be removed or overcome. Perhaps we assume that we know . But can we also assume that we know how to overcome the problems. Can we just assume that the 1 Malaysia concept will provide a panacea for all the problems of disunity in the nation?

Rapid economic progress had made people drift apart according to their economic status. The luxury housing areas and homes become inaccesable to the less affluent. The rich will shop at luxurious, high-end complexes, the poor and average at jln Tuanku Abdul Rahman and other cheaper places. Even eating out takes the rich and higher middle class into a different direction than the lower middle and lower class- the former frequenting the classy restaurants and bistros, the latter filling in the ' taman seleras' and the 'mapleys'. The latter would not be able to visit even the Mc D and the KFC too often because of the continuously escalating prices. Yes, children go to the same school but not in the same way (by bus) and receive tuition from different sources which separate the well-to-do and the wannabes.

There might not be social classes anymore now, but there certainly exists a social distance between various groups of people in our modern society caused by a change in economic status. This distance is magnified by other differences such as in religious faith, vernacular language , culture, education level, professional interests etc. Can all these be overcome by just one concept - the 1 Maysia concept. I think the government has to do more to close the social distance, once it has been recognized. The bigger problem is we often fail to recognize the problem and dismiss complex issues as a simple
human problem. Worse, we often think that we have resolved the problem through a new policy or regulation, which actually can create more issues than it can solve.

6 comments:

Al-Manar said...

A few good deeds planned and exsecuted are lost behind the bulk of political talks and the clamour for bigger projects, biggeer leaks.

norzah said...

True. Pakcik Al-Manar, We now have mega projects with mega leaks. Hopefully the bottom will not fall off the Malaysian bucket. The way government is spending money now looks like many big guns are bailing out before the boat capsizes.

abdulhalimshah said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
abdulhalimshah said...

Akhi,
Our prayers are whatever that may befall our beloved Nation, let us ensure that justice be served,and whomever fail to fulfill their sworn duty and obligations, let there be light in their hearts so that Salvation shall be achieved come Doomsday.

norzah said...

You sound very optimistic that the light will enter their heart, Akhi. If it hasn't so far, i don't know when that wil
happen. We can of cuorse keep hoping, hehehe.

abdulhalimshah said...

Akhi,
Islam as The Deen tells us never yo give up hope, coz if you lose hope, you lose your Faith in Him. Time is relative, coz a thousand years here is just a day perhaps besides ALLAH Almighty,Wallahuwa'lam.Those whose hearts are blackened by Greed and their insatiable Nafs shall be further astray in their deeds and thoughts as the Devil takes them over the precipe of Hell. Woe betide them for unless they repent, Hellfire is waiting.We must not be their slaves just like they are being enslaved by their rapaciousness and Greed for this mundane world and they be led astray by their own folly.