Ekstremisme: Maksud dan Konteks Keganasan (Extremism: The Meaning and Context of Violence)

Abstract

The term and definition of extremism or extreme violence are debatable and unresolved. Operation wise, this term consists of ideology, action, decision, and activities from the oblivion mind to harmful physical effect as tangible exhibits. Categorization of extremism now includes the hatred statement made online through social media. This article discusses the meaning and contexts of extremism through the collection of violence events which result in various forms of violence. The local settings are essential in defining extremism. Extremism in Malaysia is peculiarly out of common radicalism, fundamentalism, terrorism, etc. The only violence event that occurred in our history was the ethnic riot in 1969 that forged the state to implement a top-down approach in ensuring such conflict will not recur. Thus, the state’s apparatus for governance and development is utilized to ensure social mobility achieved entirely. Japanese occupation in Malaya (1940-42) marked the first phase for Sino-Malay conflict over the years before the tragedy of 1969. Thus, ethnic conflict is the basis and precedence for interpreting extremism’s context and conflict in Malaysia. Mechanisms and strategies to prevent, control, and exterminate any form of extremism are needed based on historical fact and contemporary reality of society to counter extremism in our community. A process tracing technique is utilized to connect instances from history as a cause that produces extremism in various contexts. This qualitative method is advantageous to materialize the secondary data.