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DANCES OF MALAYSIA

The Malay art shows some North Indian influence.

Traditional dances include Joget Melayu; Zapin & Dikir Barat has grown in popularity, and isactively promoted by state governments as a cultural icon.

Jogat Melayu

Silat is another popular martial art and dance form and it is believed that it increase a person'sspiritual strength.

Javanese immigrants brought Kuda Kepang to Malaysia which is a form of dance where dancerssit on mock horses and tells the tales of Islamic wars.

Kuda Kepang

Chinese communities brought traditional lion and dragon dances, while Indians brought art

forms such as Bharat Natyam and Bhangra.

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There are a variety of traditional dances, having very strong spiritual significance. Different

tribes from west and east Malaysia have different dances.

A form of art which incorporates dance and drama is called Mak Yong have been declining due

to their Hindu-Buddhist origin.

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History

Evidence of modern human habitation in Malaysia dates back 40,000 years and the firstinhabitants are thought to be Negritos.

Traders and settlers from India and China arrived in 1st century AD, establishing trading portsand coastal towns. Their presence resulted in strong Indian and Chinese influence on the local

cultures, and the people started adopting the religions of Hinduism and Buddhism.

Between the 7th and 15th centuries, much of the southern Malay Peninsula was part of empires

like, Srivijaya and the Majapahit. In the early 15th century, Malacca Sultanate was foundedwhich was an important commercial centre, attracting trade from around the region.

Malacca was conquered by Portugal in 1511 and then by the Dutch in 1641.

In 1786 the British established their presence by renting Penang. In 1824 they took control of

Malacca and by 1826 the British directly controlled Penang, Malacca, Singapore, and the islandof Labuan.

In the Second World War the Japanese army invaded and occupied Malaysia for over threeyears. During this time, ethnic tensions were raised and nationalism grew.

Post-war British planed to unite Malaysia under a single colony but they met with strongopposition as the ethnic Chinese were to be granted citizenship. It established in 1946 and was

called Federation of Malaya.

During this time, Chinese rebels formed the Malayan Communist Party and launched guerrilla

operations to force the British out. From 1948 to 1960, Commonwealth Troops were involved ina long anti-insurgency campaign. Federation brought heightened tensions including a conflictwith Indonesia, Singapore's eventual exit in 1965, and racial strife.

After the riots, Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak, tried to increase the share of the economy held by the bumiputera by introducing New Economic Policy.

Under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad there was a period of rapid economic growth andurbanization in the 1980s. The economy shifted from being agriculturally based to one based on

manufacturing and industry. However, in the 1990s the Asian financial crisis almost caused the

collapse of the currency and the stock market.

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  Patience –  Be patient with your Malaysian counterparts during negotiations. The processis often lengthy and one should not hasten.

  Polite –  Be polite especially to the elderly Malaysian business people by treating with

them respect and acknowledge younger managers.  Productive Business Relationship –  Take time and establish business relationships with

Malay colleagues. Initially meetings are generally oriented towards developing suchrelationships and will be maintained throughout and before negotiations.

  Smile - Do smile when you greet people. This gesture means: “I greet you from myheart”.

  Dress - Dress neatly. Do pay careful attention to your attire if you’re female.

  Don’t assume that a signed agreement signifies a final agreement. Negotiations arecontinued even after the contract has been signed.

  Don’t get surprise if Malay asks you some personal questions as it is viewed as anacceptable approach to initial conversations.

  Don’t enter business meetings without a letter of introduction because Malays prefer to

conduct business with those they are familiar with.

  Don’t bring up the topic of ethnic relations in Malaysia or the political system as they are both sensitive subjects. It is best not to criticize the government or the Malay royal

families.

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Management Style

To ensure successful cross cultural management in Malaysia, one need be aware of the strict protocols

and rituals that exist.

  It takes time to understand the communication style because much is conveyed non-verbally.

  Observe people's facial expressions and body language.

  Rules of behavior are generally governing specific business situations. It is common for

employees to behave harmoniously and subjugate their personal desires to the needs of the

group.

The Role of a Manager

  In Malaysia, managers may take a somewhat paternalistic attitude to their employees.

  They may demonstrate a concern for employees that goes beyond the workplace.

  This may include involvement in their family, housing, health, and other practical life issues.

Approach to Change

  Malaysia’s intercultural adaptability and readiness for change is developing all the time.

  Malaysia is seen to have a medium tolerance for change and risk.

  Failure in Malaysia causes a long-term loss of confidence by the individual as well as by others.

  Thus, intercultural sensitivity is going to be required.

Approach to Time and Priorities

  Malaysia is very relationship-oriented. People in Malaysia will not want to upset others in order

to force adherence to a deadline.

  Working with people from Malaysia, it’s advisable to reinforce the importance of the agreed-

upon deadlines and how that may affect the rest of the organization.

  Global and intercultural expansion means that some managers may have a greater appreciation

of the need to enforce timescales and as such, agreed deadlines are more likely to be met.

Decision Making

  Although the most senior people have absolute decision-making authority, they generally

develop a consensus before making a final decision.

  Malaysian managers are treated with the same respect subordinates show their parents.

  Employees are never criticized publicly; they are counseled in private. Managers show a

paternalistic concern for their subordinates.

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  In turn, subordinates view looking good in the eyes of the manager as important since it

indicates a good relationship. Publicly criticizing the boss would cause both the boss and the

subordinate to lose face.

Boss or Team Player?

If you are working in Malaysia, it is important to remember that face and reputation play an important

role. The risk becomes amplified in a team or collaborative setting and if you would like to encourage

participation it is important first to clearly establish a non-threatening work environment and

communicate fully that their participation is desired.

Communication and Negotiation Styles

  Remain standing until told where to sit.

  Business discussions usually start after a fair amount of small talk and it takestime to develop a comfortable working relationship.

  One will need patience, perseverance and persistence.

  Decisions are reached by the person with the most authority

  If you lose your temper you lose face and prove you are unworthy of respect

and trust.

  Malaysians may pause up to 20 seconds before answering a question;therefore, do not immediately start to speak or take their silence as agreement.

  Summarize and clarify points frequently during negotiations.

   Negotiations may continue after a contract has been signed since contracts arenot viewed as cast in stone.

  Personal relationships are more important than written agreements.

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1.  The Ministry of Foreign Affairs or has the objective of protecting and

promoting the nation’s interest at the international level. 

2. Malaysia’s foreign policy is premised on establishing close and friendly relations

with countries in the community of nations by respecting the internal affairs of other

nations and advocating a policy of non-interference. 

3. The Ministry has established a total of 105 missions in 83 countries and

appointed 53 Honorary Consuls who provide support and assistance in promoting

Malaysia’s interest abroad. 

4. Since the independence of Malaya in 1957, the nation’s foreign policy has gone

through several phases of significant transition with different emphases under five

previous premierships.

5. Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia held a markedly anti-

Communist and pro-Western posture as the era saw the country threatened by the

Communist insurgency.

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6. Under Malaysia’s second premier Tun Abdul Razak, Malaysia’s foreign policy

began to shift towards non-alignment and internationalism with Malaysia joining the

Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) and Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).  

7. During the premiership of Tun Dr. Mahathir in 1981, Malaysia began opening its

doors to foster relations with more nations and became a symbol of a rising developing

country. Nation’s foreign policy began adopting a much greater economic orientation in

the country. This approach led to the advocacy of the South-South Cooperation, a

more proactive role in the G-77, the establishment of the G-15 and saw the‘

Look EastPolicy’  being instituted. Since 1960, Malaysia has committed troops to Republic of

Congo, Bosnia Herzegovina, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Namibia, Western Sahara, Iraq,

Timor Leste and Lebanon.

8. The fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi continued toensure that Malaysia was active in the international arena. During his tenure, Malaysia

played an instrumental role in the formulation and adoption of the ASEAN Charter which

has been ratified by all ASEAN member states and subsequently entered into force on

15th December 2008.

9. Under the leadership of Prime Minister YAB Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak, stressed

that Malaysia’s foreign policy under his administration would be shaped significantly by

the Malaysia: People First Performance Now concept.

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10. Among the key elements of the Malaysia concept is in realising the strength of

Malaysia lies in its diversity. This concept bodes well with the main vision of Malaysia’s

Foreign Policy that is to protect and promote interests abroad and at the same time

responsibly and effectively contribute towards the building of a fair and just world.

11. Synonymous with the Malaysia concept, Malaysia will continue to maintain close

relations with all countries in the world and will continue to work with like-minded nations

in pursuing national interest.

12. YAB PM also introduced the Government Transformation Programme (GTP)

that identified Key Results Area (KRAs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of the

Ministry. In line with this, the Ministry has identified 14 Key Performance Indicators to

measure the success of the Ministry. 

13. The KRAs of the Ministry are as follows: 

a.  Protection and promotion of Malaysia’s interests bilaterally, regionally

and internationally through proactive diplomacy; 

b.  Realisation of an ASEAN Community by 2015 via the ASEAN Political

Security Community Blueprint, ASEAN Economic Community Blueprintand ASEAN Social Cultural Blueprint; 

c.  Enhancing Malaysia’s standing in the international community

particularly in the framework of 1Malaysia in an ever changing geopolitical

scenario; and 

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d.  Provision of prompt and effective services locally and abroad.  

14. Malaysia’s foreign policy is structured upon a framework of bilateralism,

regionalism and multilateralism. Malaysia’s status as a developing nation makes it

imperative for the country to engage actively in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the

Commonwealth, Group of Seventy Seven (G77), Developing Eight (D8), Asia Middle

East Dialogue (AMED), Far East Asia Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC), Indian

Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC), Asia Europe Meeting

(ASEM) and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

15. Malaysia also advocates the “Prosper thy neighbour ” policy to enhance economic

relations and cooperation with its neighbouring countries through Brunei-Indonesia-

Malaysia-the Phillippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), Indonesia-Malaysia-

Thailand Growth Triangle (IMTGT) and other entities. 

16. Malaysia will continue to play a significant role in the various multilateral issues

that affect our interests. These issues include disarmament, counter terrorism,

trafficking in persons, climate change and environmental issues. As a member of the

UN, Malaysia is a firm believer of international peace and security and an upholder of

international law.

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17. In the decade leading up to 2020, Malaysia would have to deal with great

changes in the global environment whilst improving and upgrading the country’s

domestic conditions. In recognising this challenge, it is vital that Malaysia’s foreign

policy continues to focus on protecting national interests while responsibly and

effectively contributing towards the building of a fair and just world. 

18. The fundamental principles of sovereign equality, mutual respect for territorial

integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes as well as mutual benefit in relations are the

guiding principles that would continue to guide Malaysia’

s relations with other countries.

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Economic Policy was originally a socio-economic restructuring affirmative action program,

launched by former  Prime Minister  Tun Abdul Razak  in 1971: 

1.  to eradicate poverty, irrespective of race; and

2.  to restructure society, so as to eliminate the identification of race with economic functions.

1.  Achievements: Since independence, the Malaysian government had created numerous

instruments and institutions for the Malays, which were:

  Bank Bumiputra; 

  Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (FELCRA);

  Federal Land Development Authority (FELCRA);

  Jengka Regional Development Authority; 

  Lembaga Kemajuan Terengganu Tengah (KETENGAH);

  Lembaga Kemajuan Kelantan Selatan (KESEDAR);  Lembaga Tabung Haji; 

  Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA);

  Pahang Tenggara Development Authority (DARA);

  Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), which launched Skim Amanah Saham Nasional; 

  Pernas International Holdings Berhad (PERNAS);

  Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA); and

  Urban Development Authority (UDA).

The standard of living of Bumiputera have gone up. For example, the monthly averagehousehold income had gone up from RM172 in the 1970s to RM4,457 in 2012 or almost 2,500%

in 42 years, while poverty rate had gone down from 64.8% to 2.2% during the same period. 

The Bumiputera corporate company equity rate had also gone up from only 2.4% in the 1970s to

23.5% in 2011. And except for certain employment sectors, the number of employed in the

 professional category, especially those qualified as medical doctors, engineers, and lawyers, hadapproached the percentages of the racial composition.

This proved that the New Economic Policy had been successful in tackling the gap between the

communities in the effort to develop the socio-economy of the community.

The government was aware that there still exists the disparity in income between the ethnicgroups. In 2011, the average monthly income of the Chinese was higher than the bumiputeras by

a ratio of 1:1.43. As for corporate company equity ownership, however, bumiputera control of

corporate companies was only around 10%, while bumiputera involvement in entrepreneurshipactivities was still insignificant, with the majority at the small and micro levels.

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3.  Demographic changes in Malaysia:

In the last 10 years, since the enactment of the Economic Policy, the proportion ofChinese and Indian Malaysians of the total population had fallen dramatically.

The Chinese made up 35.6% of the population in 1970. They were down to 24.6% at thelast census in 2010. Over that same period, the Indian numbers fell from 10.8% to 7.3%."

4.  Misconceptions: 

Malaysian government has been allowing more and more foreign equity ownership. In

2011, bumiputeras owned 23.5%, and non-Bumiputra Malaysians owned 34.8%, with theremaining 41.7% owned by foreigners, making them the biggest group that own equity in

the corporate sector

The corporate equity ownership of Malaysians, as a whole, is now 58.3%. Bumiputera

share of equity ownership among Malaysians, and then it is 40.3%.

At the end of the day, the non-achievement of the bumiputera equity share is because of

the failings of the UMNO-led government in allowing foreigners to own so much of the

equity in Malaysia.[8]