Identity contestation in Malaysia: a comparative commentary on ‘Malayness’ and ‘Chineseness’.
Abstract
The discourse on ethnic identity is a modern phenomenon. It came along with colonialism, in particular the construction of ‘colonial knowledge’ necessary for purposes of colonial ru,e. The creation of a ‘plural society’ in British Malaya provided the ‘epistemological basis and space’ not only for discourse on ethnic identities but also the assification of ethnic categories into lived reality, be it in the ‘authority-defined’ context as well as the ‘everyday defined’ context. This essay traces the historical trajectory of the construction of Malaysia’s two major ethnic groups, namely, Malay and Chinese, as well as what constitutes “Malayness’ and ‘Chineseness’. It also offers a brief comparative commentary on the latter.
Key words: identity, colonial knowledge, Malay, Malayness, Chinese, Chineseness
ABSTRAK
Wacana mengenai identiti etnik ialah satu fenomena modern. Ianya muncul bersama kolonialisme, khususnya bersama 'ilmu kolonial', sesuatu yang diperlukan oleh pemerintah kolonial. Terbinanya 'masyarakat majmuk' pada zaman British Malaya telah membina asas serta membuka ruang epistemologi untuk identiti etnik dijadikan bahan wacana dan juga bagi pembekuannya sebagai kategori yang digunapakai secara rasmi oleh pemerintah dan dalam kehidupan sosial seharian oleh umum. Esei ini menyusurgalur pembinaan kategori 'Melayu' dan 'Cina' serta membandingkan pengisian konsep 'Kemelayuan' dan 'Kecinaan' seperti yang difahami kini.
Kata kunci: identiti, ilmu kolonial, Melayu, Kemelayuan, Cina, Kecinaan
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