Malaysians gather each August 31 to celebrate Hari Merdeka, reflecting on independence from British rule. Tabika Perpaduan, founded in 1976 to promote harmony, uses Rukun Negara-based education to teach patriotism. Initiatives include patriotic activities, language programmes, and community events.
Building a unified Malaysia: Tabika Perpaduan’s commitment to national, cultural education
Malaysians from all walks of life gather annually on August 31 to commemorate Independence Day, fondly known as Hari Merdeka or Hari Kebangsaan Malaysia.
On this day in 1957, Malaysia became independent of British rule.
In our multicultural community, unity, diversity, and harmony are the threads that bind us together as Malaysians, regardless of our ethnicity or background.
For Malaysians, Hari Merdeka is a time to reflect and pay tribute to the sacrifices made by past leaders to achieve independence.
Since Merdeka holds a much deeper significance, it presents a good opportunity to teach our children about our journey and to remind them to love and respect each other.
In relation to this, Tabika Perpaduan was founded in 1976 by the National Unity Board, which was under the Prime Minister’s Department, with the aim of promoting racial harmony and goodwill across the nation.
Therefore, in conjunction with Hari Merdeka today, Sarawak Tribune spoke with Rose Jonathan Garau, the Kuching Division Unity Officer, to learn more about the initiatives taken by the National Unity and Integration Department to promote harmony among young children.
Q: Could you provide an explanation of the history of Tabika Perpaduan?
A: A committee known as the Welfare Committee of Tabika Perpaduan, or Jawatankuasa Kebajikan Tabika Perpaduan (JKTP), was established in the early stages of Tabika Perpaduan’s development to collaborate with teachers on community service projects outside the classroom.
However, in 1997, the Coordinating Committee of Tabika Perpaduan, or Jawatankuasa Penyelaras Tabika Perpaduan (JPTP), replaced the JKTP.
The founding of Tabika Perpaduan was expanded to meet current demands, and its goodwill concept (Konsep Muhibah) was revised to the community concept (Konsep Pemasyarakatan).
This idea has been further strengthened since the Ministry of National Unity was established on March 10, 2020, with a focus on the importance of Rukun Negara education and noble values to foster love and unity for the nation.
As of December 31, 2020, there are 1,781 Tabika Perpaduan centres across the nation, with the majority located in urban and suburban areas.
Could you please explain the educational module created by the Ministry of National Unity, based on Rukun Negara, specifically for Tabika Perpaduan, and how it aims to foster a sense of unity and patriotism among students?
We need to teach our young children about the country’s independence and the history of Malaysia’s founding so that they can understand and love their country. In line with this, we have carried out various initiatives, such as:
- Acting and musical activities where students perform short stories based on national history, folklore, and cultural diversity. In addition to highlighting students’ potential and capabilities and boosting their self-confidence, these activities aim to provide students with practical knowledge and understanding of the nation’s historical events.
- Playing video clips of patriotic songs such as “Saya Anak Malaysia”, “Jalur Gemilang”, “Keranamu Malaysia”, and “Tanggal 31” to expose students to patriotic music and develop a sense of love for their nation.
- In addition, we also colour and wave the Jalur Gemilang, hold a procession around each of our nurseries, and host traditional attire fashion shows.
- To foster a sense of patriotism in young children, we also offer a variety of engaging and interactive teaching tools, including charts, cards, and pictures. The five tenets of Rukun Negara, national landmarks, state and national flags, and notable Malaysian statesmen are among the topics highlighted.
What other events related to Rukun Negara is Tabika Perpaduan organising in connection with Independence Month, particularly in Sarawak?
Various competitions related to Independence and Malaysia have been organised, such as the Independence sculpture competition, the Independence poster competition, and the Rukun Negara corner competition, involving 43 classes of Tabika Perpaduan and one Taska Perpaduan from all over the state.
As a very experienced official, do you personally observe whether Tabika Perpaduan children exhibit greater nationalism and patriotism compared to other preschoolers?
Since our module was specifically created with Rukun Negara as its foundation, all the students at Tabika Perpaduan will gain knowledge and understanding of how the values and principles found in Rukun Negara can be applied to their everyday lives, in addition to celebrating the diversity of our racial backgrounds.
Furthermore, our children are also introduced to nationalism and noble values through the Rukun Negara education book.
Tabika Perpaduan uses communication as one of the primary learning foundations. A third language, in addition to Malay and English, has been adopted for fundamental communication, as mentioned in the Pelan Pendidikan Awal Kanak-kanak Tabika Perpaduan 2021-2030. Could you kindly clarify this?
Proficiency in the Malay language must be emphasised from the early stages of childhood education and continued through primary and secondary schools, and it should also be made a mandatory subject in institutions of higher learning.
Regular communication in a language that everyone can understand indicates that the community is open to fostering unity and love for the nation.
However, to promote inter-ethnic interaction and enhance integration among the many ethnic groups, efforts and encouragement to acquire various local vernacular languages must be emphasised.
Sarawak has implemented the Raikan Bahasa programme, which aims to teach Iban as a third language in Tabika Perpaduan, alongside Malay and English, starting in 2022. This initiative is part of the Pelan Pendidikan Awal Kanak-kanak Tabika Perpaduan 2021-2030.
The programme is a first step towards promoting unity and providing young children with early exposure to the languages of the major racial groups in our state. Thanks to this initiative, all of our kids, regardless of ethnicity, are now able to communicate in basic Iban.
Thus, Malaysians, let us take a moment to reflect, honour the sacrifices made by our forefathers to secure the independence we enjoy today, and continue to show one another unwavering love.
Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!
