Instilling the Understanding of Values of Interaction in Managing Extreme Attitudes towards Designing a Harmonious Ethnic Relations in Malaysia

Abstract

Ethnic diversity, a crucial factor in promoting close-knit ethnic relations among the people in Malaysia, should be managed with precision. This will determine the future climate of ethnic relations by viewing the question of society's actual understanding of the values of interaction so that all manner of society's issues can be resolved. Aspects that are often confusing to the minds of some Muslim community is their understanding on the values of interaction that is encouraged and what can be shared with people of other ethnic, religion and culture. The Muslim community's lack of understanding of the actual values of interaction especially in the Islamic context, causes them to distance themselves from communities of other ethnicities, religions and cultures. Some, unaware of the existence of tolerance and alleviation in certain cases, behave in an extreme manner and resort to a complicated method in understanding the values of interaction. This study is conducted utilising online questionnaires among 554 respondents who were exposed to the actual values of interaction. Data from the questionnaires answered by the students were collected, analysed and coded quantitatively utilising SPSS. This enabled the researcher to conduct an in-depth analysis of the issues studied. The study identified a majority of the society understood the actual values of interaction that is based on Islam, thus it does negatively affect the society. Thus, to understand the actual values of interaction, it must be understood from the precise source that is based on a concrete understanding and not just mere assumption.