The Effects Of Malayan Education Policy Reform On Ethnic Chinese And Nationalidentity

Malaysia is a multi-ethnic country. The government takes the Malay nationalism as the core in politics after Malaysia's independence, and it has formed "Malay nationalism" as the central content in their education policy. The authority hopes that the integration of country's consciousness can be achieved through the localization education. However, this policy implementation actually causes Malayan Chinese society falling into the panic deeply about the Chinese culture eliminates. In order to maintain the development of Chinese education, Ethnic Chinese adopts a series of measures. As a result, both sides have a huge distrust. With the changes of Malaysia's domestic and international environment, education policy reforms gradually turn to diversified trend. But the political education still exists in Malay's government. Malaysian government and the ethnic Chinese have a cognitive bias on Chinese education. The government considers that the ethnic Chinese insist on the right of the mother-tongue education, it will impact on Malayan ethnic Chinese on the national identity if the ethnic Chinese insist on the right of the mother-tongue education, the ethnic Chinese thinks that their insistence of mother-tongue education just want to maintain continuity of native culture, and it does not affect their loyalty to the country of Malaysia. The author believes that language is just an educational tool, and the difference of education tool in Malaysia does not affect national identity. In contrast, the insistence of ethnic Chinese on Chinese education, but will increase its national identity to Malaysia, and will not affect their national identity in Malay nationalism. Therefore, Malaysian government taking a series of restrictions on Chinese education will just let ethnic Chinese emphasis on their Ethnic Chinese characteristics. Finally, the author believes that it will produce a harmonious political situation if the government adopts a relative tolerate education policies and respects the maintenance and inheritance of different culture in a multicultural country.