By Asma Abdullah
We call ourselves a land of muhibah – love, goodwill and harmony.
But in a world where differences can divide, the real test is whether we can carry the spirit of muhibah beyond the open house into the everyday moments that shape our shared future.
Malaysia is home to over 34 million people from diverse ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds. Outsiders often marvel at this variety, calling us a salad bowl or a mosaic of cultures. A Canadian visitor once described Malaysia perfectly: “In Malaysia, you get Asia in one stop.”
Yet beyond the colourful tourism posters and festive advertisements lies a deeper question. Are we truly multicultural in how we live – or do we simply perform diversity on special occasions?
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Most of us who enjoy Malaysian cuisine are familiar with the two food metaphors used to describe Malaysia: rojak and yee sang. Both are mixtures bound by a distinctive sauce – peanut for rojak, plum for yee sang. The challenge today is to invent a new ‘sauce’ that binds us all together in a genuinely multicultural Malaysia.
This leads to four guiding questions:
- Are we a multicultural society in practice – or does one dominant group still define our national character?
- Is there a shared “Malaysian identity” that resonates across all communities?
- Do we understand what it means to coexist in diversity beyond slogans?
- Under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s “Madani” (civil and compassionate) vision, how can ordinary people help build a civilised, skilled and inclusive nation?
One way to understand Malaysia’s multicultural life is through the three levels of cultural engagement.
At the intracultural level, this means understanding one’s own cultural roots, values and traditions.
At the intercultural level, this involves engaging authentically with other Malaysian cultures.
At the cross-cultural level, this requires interacting effectively with people from other countries in a globalised world.
Many of us in urban Malaysia navigate these three levels of interface daily – ordering nasi lemak for breakfast, attending a Deepavali open house, and later collaborating with foreign colleagues online. However, the situation in non-urban areas may differ.
Still, the goal is to move towards unconscious competence in all three areas.
For multiculturalism to be meaningful, seven qualities are essential:
- Self-cultural awareness: Knowing your own values, symbols and rituals
- Multilingual skills: Communicating in more than one language
- Cultural literacy beyond books: Understanding lived experiences, not just textbook facts
- Historical and cultural knowledge: Appreciating the histories of all major communities
- Perspective-taking in conflict: Seeing disputes through multiple lenses
- Acknowledgement of contributions: Recognising all communities’ roles in nation-building
- Cross-cultural sensitivity: Respecting and integrating other values into our thinking
These qualities are not abstract ideals. People from different ethnic and other backgrounds can learn and practise these practical skills daily.
Since 1963, the word muhibah – derived from the Arabic habibba, meaning love and goodwill – has captured Malaysia’s aspiration for harmony. It means respecting different ways of life, sharing joys and sorrows and standing together in times of crisis and celebration.
We see muhibah in our shared festivities – Hari Raya, Lunar New Year, Deepavali, Gawai and Christmas.
But in the 21st Century, unity must go beyond festive gestures. It requires substantive practices that bring people together not just on public holidays, but every day.
Madani framework
One commendable effort is to build on Prime Minister Anwar’s Madani vision built on six values of:
- Sustainability: Preserving culture, ecology and our shared future
- Compassion: Practising empathy across communities
- Respect: Rejecting stereotypes and embracing equality
- Innovation: Welcoming diverse ideas and approaches
- Prosperity: Ensuring fairness and inclusion in economic growth
- Trust: Building honest, respectful relationships
Together, these values act as a moral compass for balancing tradition and progress, unity and diversity.
To help translate the spirit of muhibah and Madani in our daily lives, six strategies stand out:
- Inclusive mindsets: See diversity as a strength. Greet people in their mother tongues, listen without prejudice, and include minority voices in decisions.
- Respectful coexistence: Live side by side with understanding. Attend cultural events, respect sacred spaces and teach children about different customs and taboos.
- Shared prosperity: Ensure benefits reach all communities. Support diverse businesses, mentor across ethnic boundaries and create inclusive community projects.
- Sustainable interdependence: Recognise that our destinies are linked. Reduce waste at cultural events, advocate equitable access to resources, and build rural-urban as well as East–West Malaysia partnerships.
- Collective innovation: Use diversity to solve problems. Blend traditional wisdom with modern tools, encourage multicultural teamwork, and celebrate cultural fusions in arts, food and design.
- Deep-rooted trust: Build relationships that last. Keep promises, speak well of others, and create safe spaces for open dialogue.
In today’s borderless digital world, some of our children grow up watching Korean TikTok videos, attending international schools, and absorbing global values at every turn. While these influences broaden their horizons, they also risk diluting the roots that anchor their identity. Balancing global exposure with a strong local grounding is therefore essential.
By internalising the Madani values, they gain not only the moral compass to stay true to their heritage but also acquire the cultural fluency to thrive in a future where understanding people is as valuable as mastering technology.
From slogan to substance
Malaysia’s strength lies not in avoiding differences but in embracing them consciously and respectfully. We need to move from slogan to substance, from tolerance to inclusion, and from coexistence to collaboration.
This shift starts with each of us asking these questions: Am I building bridges, or staying in my silo? Do I truly understand what matters to others in Malaysia? What am I doing every day to strengthen multiculturalism?
If we want a new Malaysian identity, we must stop treating “Unity in diversity” as a tagline and start living it as a value.
Let us reclaim the spirit of muhibah, reinvent it through Madani, and transform difference into our greatest strength.
As actress Michelle Yeoh reminds us: “Diversity is strength.” Ramli Ibrahim, an ethnic Malay master of Indian classical dance, demonstrates that culture has no borders when the spirit is open.
In Malaysia, we each carry multiple cultures within us. The task is to develop the skills to connect with those who are different from us.
Multiculturalism is not a slogan. It is a skill – and like any skill, it grows when we practise it—every single day.
Asma Abdullah, PhD is an interculturalist based in Kuala Lumpur.
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