Malaysian Political & Economic Development

Three elements . . . stand out in recent history and form a common set of threads in an otherwise highly heterogeneous picture of contemporary social changes: the rise of the modern state, the emergence of national communities and of nationalist ideologies and sentiments, and the formation of new strata, notably bureaucrats, bourgeoisies and intelligentsia. Together these common elements, though differing in their relative weight and significance, afford a basis for comparing societies and cultures with other wise quite distinctive patterns of thought and behaviour.

Smith (1983) went on to identify four components of contemporary social change as: (1) industrial technology; (2) economic growth; (3) mass production; and (4) the capitalist mode of production. He was careful to note, however, that these four factors "cannot easily be disentangled from their 'western' conceptual and historical format and connotations," bec

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itical organization. In contemporary Malaysia, however, remnants of a form of tribalism continue to thwart national development (Vreeland, 1987). "Virtually every aspect of Malaysian society . . . could be viewed in terms of great divisions between the country's three major groups . . . Malays, Chinese, and Indians. These three groups . . . almost all . . . born in Malaysia . . . 4spoke different languages, practiced different religions, and observed different customs" (Vreeland, 1987, 89). Further, these three ethnic groups, "in general . . . lived in different parts of the country, were employed in different sectors of the economy, and were represented by different political parties" (Vreeland, 1987, 89). Within the Malaysian population, 47 percent are Malay, 32 percent are Chinese, and eight percent are Indian (Paxton, 1989). The differences among these groups which have been most significant as barriers to national integration are cultural, as opposed to racial or ethnic. The country's constitution grants special privileges to the Malays, who are defined in cultural as opposed to racial or ethnic terms (Vreeland, 1987). In the constitution, a Malay is defined as a person who "professes the Muslim religion, habituall
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Some common words found in the essay are:
DEVELOPMENT Dictates, Anthony Smith, Latin America, SUMMARY CONCLUSION, Indian Paxton, Chinese Indians, Latin American, , Malays Chinese, Frenchmen Smith, economic development, political economic, political development, political economic development, vreeland 1987, latin america, regional loyalties, smith 1983, communal regional, communal regional loyalties, religious communal, religious communal regional, opposed racial ethnic, cultural opposed racial, malaysian experience,
Approximate Word count = 1720
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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