Kawasan Rukun Tetangga: Pemangkin perpaduan peringkat akar umbi masyarakat Malaysia (Kawasan Rukun Tetangga: Catalyst of unity at the grassroots of Malaysian society)

Sang How Beh, Giok Hun Pue

Abstract


Isu menguruskan perbedaan sosial mengikut garis etnik masih kekal menjadi satu isu yang sensitif dan kritikal dalam masyarakat multietnik di Malaysia hari ini walaupun setelah tercapainya kemerdekaan lebih daripada enam dekad yang lalu. Signifikasi faktor etnik dalam kehidupan seharian menyebabkan kerajaan giat melakukan usaha-usaha proaktif untuk memupuk perpaduan yang dikatakan masih belum tercapai. Melalui penubuhan dan pelaksanaan program Rukun Tetangga, para sarjana umumnya bersetuju bahawa program tersebut memberi kesan positif ke atas pemupukan perpaduan di peringkat akar-umbi masyarakat. Namun, adakah konsensus ini turut relevan di peringkat kebangsaan? Artikel ini bertujuan untuk mengupas pengukuran tahap kesepaduan sosial penduduk Kawasan Rukun Tetangga (KRT) dari setiap negeri dan Wilayah Persekutuan dengan menggunakan analisis deskriptif dan statistik inferensi ke atas data kuantitatif yang dikumpul menggunakan borang soal-selidik. Responden kajian adalah seramai 585 orang penduduk yang menetap di 60 buah KRT dari seluruh negara. Pendekatan purposive sampling digunakan untuk memastikan komposisi etnik responden kajian ini adalah selaras dengan komposisi etnik populasi Malaysia. Hasil dapatan kajian menunjukkan tahap kesepaduan sosial yang dicapai adalah tinggi di mana penduduk daripada pelbagai latar belakang etnik dan agama telahpun berkongsi nilai hidup dan pandangan hidup yang sama. Pengukuran kesepaduan sosial daripada enam dimensi iaitu kekitaan, keterangkuman, penyertaan, pengiktirafan, legitimasi dan kesamarataan mendapati walaupun mereka mempunyai bentuk perhubungan yang merentasi batas etnik, signifikasi faktor etnik belum terhapus sepenuhnya dalam masyarakat Malaysia. Oleh itu, walaupun kesepaduan sosial dalam masyarakat adalah kuat biarpun dalam keadaan politik dan sosioekonomi masa kini yang tidak stabil, usaha proaktif untuk memperkukuhkan perpaduan masih diperlukan.

Kata kunci: akar umbi masyarakat, hubungan antara etnik, kesepaduan sosial, Malaysia, perpaduan, Rukun Tetangga

The issue of organizing social differences according to ethnic lines remains as a sensitive and critical issue in Malaysia's multiethnic society today despite having achieved independence more than six decades ago. The significance of ethnicity in everyday life has led to the government actively taking proactive actions in nurturing unity that remains to be achieved. From the formation and implementation of Rukun Tetangga program, scholars generally agree that it has contributed positively towards nurturing unity in the society at the grassroots regionally. However, is this applicable for Malaysian society nationwide? This article seeks to measure the level of social cohesion among the residents in Rukun Tetangga areas from every state and Federal Territory in Malaysia via descriptive and statistical inference analyses on quantitative data collected in the form of questionnaires. The total number of respondents in this study was 585 respondents who reside in 60 Rukun Tetangga areas from all over the country. The selection was done via purposive sampling to ensure the ethnic composition of the respondents in this study matches the ethnic composition of Malaysian population. The study's findings showed that the level of social cohesion achieved is high whereby residents from all walks of life already share mutual life values and outlooks. The social cohesion measured from six dimensions namely esprit de corps, inclusion, participation, recognition, legitimation, and equality, shows that although Malaysians have forged interethnic relations that transcend ethnicity, the significance of ethnicity in the society is yet to be eradicated completely. So, despite the social cohesion in the society remains strong during the political and socioeconomic instability currently, proactive measures to strengthen the unity remains much needed.  

Keywords: grassroots of society, interethnic relation, social cohesion, Malaysia, unity, Rukun Tetangga


Keywords


Rukun Tetangga; Malaysia; kesepaduan nasional; hubungan antara etnik; perpaduan; akar umbi masyarakat

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References


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