UKM's Dr. Anuar Ahmad warns of declining patriotism in youth
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia risks becoming a fragmented society if the national education system fails to urgently address the declining sense of patriotism and unity among its youth, warned Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) senior lecturer Dr Anuar Ahmad.
Reflecting on a recent online forum on patriotism hosted by UKM's Minda platform, Anuar said both panellists, former Mubarak president Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Rahman and historian Dr Sahul Hamid, agreed that patriotism in Malaysia today is worryingly low.
'If people have lost their pride in the country and no longer see the nation as a vital part of their lives, we risk weakening our nation-building process,' said Anuar.
He said when citizens no longer feel connected to the nation emotionally or ideologically, the foundations of the country become vulnerable to disruption, with apathy towards laws, the monarchy and national identity.
Citing figures from the Education Ministry's 2024 Education Development Plan, Anuar questioned the high equality index reported among students and teachers, with a score of 8.10 on average, deemed 'very satisfactory'.
'We are told that our education equality index is very high. But these numbers are difficult to interpret without knowing how the data was collected, the methodology used, or whether it was independently verified.
'A school with 99% Malay teachers will naturally report strong intra-community ties but that's not the same as national integration or equality across diverse groups.'
He pointed out that this disparity between official data and ground reality is part of a deeper problem, where education policy does not reflect the socio-political and cultural fragmentation that exists.
Anuar highlighted the increasing complexity of Malaysia's schooling landscape encompassing national, vernacular, international, religious and private schools, which has led to what he terms 'super diversity'.
'International schools in Malaysia now have more local students than foreign ones. This extreme diversity in our education system is a major challenge to building a common national identity.'
While acknowledging that vernacular schools are protected by law and institutions, Anuar argued that the challenge is not their existence but how the nation manages diversity to produce a generation that is patriotic.
'We must ask ourselves how we can ensure that our children feel love and loyalty for the country when they grow up so separated by language, curriculum and school culture.'
He criticised current educational priorities that focus primarily on exam results and individual success, sidelining national values like patriotism and unity.
'For years, our education discourse has revolved around academic achievement and teacher workloads, but rarely have we asked how education builds a strong, united nation.'
Calling for a bold reset in the next national education blueprint, he proposed that patriotism, unity and self-worth be embedded not just in the curriculum but also in co-curricular activities and policies.
'We are starting a new education development plan. This is our opportunity. If we fail to strengthen these values now, in 10 years we may find ourselves with a generation that is technically skilled but emotionally detached from the nation.
'Our children are growing up in silos – Chinese schools with one ethos, religious schools with another. If we don't build a shared patriotic foundation, we risk becoming strangers in our own country.'
Anuar urged educators and the government to treat patriotism and national unity as urgent priorities, not as an afterthought.
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