One Malaysia Concept Among Malaysian Media Essay

Malaysia is a renown country that is located in the southern parts of Asia, Malaysia consists of thirteen states and three federal territories which in general forms up a total land mass of 329,847 square kilometers, the country also boost of a population of 28.25 million people this is according to the 2010 census. one unique thing about Malaysia is the separation of the country into two separate regions by the South China Sea but the same country with its capital city base situated at Kuala Lumpur and the base for the federal government situated at Putrajaya this indicating that both the different regions of the country are politically and economically represented to reduce the cases of one part wanting to break from the main country due to lack of political or economical misrepresentation, therefore the two separate regions are known as the Peninsular Malaysian and the Malaysian Borneo in other words they are respectively known as the West and East Malaysia.

The country is bordered by other Asian countries that are very influential in the world political and economic fields some of these countries include Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, Vietnam and Philippines (Kaufman, 2008). The country is currently going through a lot of challenges at the moment this challenges range from matters of governance and nationalism.

The divided ideas of the Malaysian nationals is threatening the peace of the country as the Malaysians are saying that there country is invaded with lots of foreigners who have taken the all the major administrative, economical and political roles of the country and are running the country thus leaving out the true Malaysian out of the normal running of there own country this has resulted to animosity of the country’s citizens, therefore the media has to perform its duty in order to create a clear relationship between the countries citizens and the foreigners living in the country (Toumi, 2010).

Malaysia has one of the most intriguing history as compared any other country in the world, that can be dated back to the to the 16th century when the country was ruled by a king who was in -charged of the entire Malay kingdom but in the 18th century the British conquered the country and they eventually became a British colony, the country later got its unification from the British in the year 1946 this was when the eastern and western regions and other countries like Sabah and Singapore were unified, it later became a federation in 1948 and archived its independence in 9 years later that is in the year 1957 (WTEC Hyper-Librarian, 1997).

Its union with Singapore wasn’t a long one this is because Singapore walked out of the union and later became an independent country this was some years after the country got its independent. The country also boasts of being a country that is full of tourist attraction sites, this is because it has traditional and natural resources, that attract tourists who visits the country annually just to se these spectacular natural features the country has, the country also is expanding its horizons by venturing in other productive matters such as commerce, science and medical inventions that provides the country with supplementary income to ensure that the country can easily sustain it population without asking for aids from donors (WTEC Hyper-Librarian, 1997).

Roles of the media in bringing an understanding of Malaysia amongst the Malaysians

Before undertaking the assignment of identifying the roles that the media plays and its contributions in improving the understanding of the Malaysians in Malaysia we have to first of all define and know what the media is and its roles/ importance amongst us (Kaufman, 2008).

In general according to a lay mans understanding the word media refers to various means of communication this implies that the media is a platform that provides different people and individuals with the opportunity to communicate and exchange ideas amongst themselves in efforts aimed at improving there current form of life to a more improved one (Daily Express, 2003). This communication is passed on through various channels that include the Television, Radio, and Newspaper, other forms of media include the internet, brochures, advertisements on billboards amongst other sources of information that tend to appeal or influence an individual to take in a given action into action (Nadchatram, 2007). Therefore media simply is the device that creates a smooth platform for the creation and consumption of messages from one person/ point to the other freely.

Roles of the media

The media just like any other organ in that has a public influence / contact has an important role in the society that it relates to and in this section I am going to take a look on the important roles that the media play in the society and they include the following.

The first role of the media is to educate its audience; this role is actually efficient because the people and the media are closely related to each other and interact frequently (Ahmad, 2005). The media interacts closely with the masses without any interference occurring between them therefore the media will use this time to educated the masses on the recommended issues thus ensuring the people a well informed when they about what is expected of them or how to handle themselves in a given situation (Center For Democracy And Governance, 1999). This interaction will ensure that the public are well trained and educated on the ways they are supposed to handle themselves in a given kind of situation.

The other role of the media is to inform its audiences, this is were the media informs its audience / readers and viewers what is going on in there surrounding, the media will use its influence to tell or show there respective audience what they are supposed to be aware of or what is going on in there surroundings, this is slightly different from the previous role of informing the audience as therefore in this case the media will be updating the people on what is going on while educating will be introducing them to new ideas aimed at improving there lives and improve there living conditions (TechTerms.com, 2006).

Surveillance is another role of the media; this is where the media monitors and provides its audiences, viewers and readers with information pertaining to development of pressing issues. This is exclusively seen when the media monitoring the behaviours activities and any other important information that is involving people involved indulging in inappropriate behaviors that may have negative impacts on the public (TechTerms.com, 2006). In surveillance role is where the media will investigate on allegations that are indicted on graft and other illegal cases people, non governmental / governmental organizations are the most monitored by the media thus providing the audience with the ways that the organizations and individuals are affecting the ways in which an individual operates, at the same time the media checks on the ways in which a decease or disaster is affecting individuals and at the same time updating them on the level and of containing the disease or disaster in a community (Toumi, 2010).

The other role of the media is correlation, this is where the media will relate what is going on ion one point of the world with what is happening in the other point of the world, this is when the media highlights some of the intriguing matters that are hitting the headlines internationally, this will be in the field of science invention politics, economics, social or abnormal situations (Ahmad, 2005). This will be made clear to the viewers as there will be in a position to know what the other parts are experiencing and implement some of these things in order to improve there living condition (Daily Express, 2003).

The media also plays the marketing role this is when the individual or a company will be in position of airing his product in order to sell the product, thus the individual will be in a position to use the media in order to alert and/ or inform the people that there is a new product in the market (Foulger, 2003). This will make the respective customers be in a position to know the products and purchase them a role that is being used by the media houses to sustain themselves as the products they are advertising raise some income for the media organizations.

Ways the media can improve relationship in Malaysia

In the previous section I have noted the roles of the media and there significance to the people who interact with the media, therefore in this section of paper I am going to see the role that the media plays for a better understanding of the Malaysian idea this is by evaluating on the ways the media can use its powers to ensure that the Malaysians live in togetherness without misunderstanding each other.

The media is supposed to provide the Malaysian citizens with the kind of information the will enable that each of the Malaysian individuals will practice the act of acceptance and respect amongst other factors that will ensure that the dermas and wishes of the prime minister Dato Najib Tun Razak are fulfilled this according to his speech that he delivered during the day that he was taking over the office of the leading the nation, he wanted the to see a1-Malaysia (Zainala, 2010). This is when he gave the media the opportunity to be the center stage of realizing that the dream of one Malaysia is experienced.

As I had mentioned earlier the media plays an important in any community this is because the communities are in close contact with the community and the majority of the Malaysian population (Nadchatram, 2007). The media can helping the healing process of the country this is because the country is highly affected with cases of ethnicity that are the key reasons that are destroying the close relationship that should be experienced amongst the Malaysian citizens (Ahmad, 2005). In this case the media is supposed to play a great role in uniting the country the is in the verge of disintegrating as a result of the ethnicity in our country Malaysia and I highly believe that the media can come up with a method that can with a peaceful Malaysian society as a result of constant information regarding the importance of a 1Malaysia.

I am a well trained journalist and the only tool that I will use to unite my country Malaysia from disintegration in the future and this is through the media, which according to me is the only way that I can save my country from the threat of disintegration as a result of political and ethical differences.

The media will have a positive impact if used properly in the Malaysia in order to quell the raising differences that are being experienced in the country, so in order for the media to realize positive impacts on the current existing differences that is currently being experienced in the country is when the media is used to Persuade the public (Zainala, 2010). When the media persuades the public this will ultimately contribute to an improved attitude of the Malaysian a citizens who will listen to the views that are being explained by the media and this will automatically ensure that the citizens of Malaysia change there reasoning and then unite to format country of national unity (Center For Democracy And Governance, 1999).

In persuading my audience I will send massages that will basically be preaching for peace and at the same time persuading the Malaysian citizens to top indulging in practices s that marginalizes other Malaysians thus classifying them in different classes yet they come from the same country, the media will manage in unifying them by telling them (Listeners/ audience ) that some practices such as intermarriage are the best for the country this is because the people from different places and cultures will be able to unite and form a family thus strengthening the people living in the country and in the end resulting to the unity of a one Malaysia (Center For Democracy And Governance, 1999).

I would use the media to see an ethnic free Malaysia this is when I would use it as an instruments that I have in to ensure that a 1 Malaysian nation is realized, this is when the media houses in the country put a lot of there concentration in highlighting the issues that are related to seeing a 1 Malaysia nations (Daily Express, 2003). This can only be achieved when the media concentrated on reporting on issues that discouraging the uses of some encroached Malaysian cultures that deprive the country the realization of a new nation, this will to some point transform the ideological thinking of the individuals as the media will ensure that it provides the viewers, readers, and listeners with documentaries that will aim at telling them the impotence of unity (Foulger, 2003).

This will to some extent reduce the cases of discrimination amongst the Malaysian citizens, in this case the ramparts information that swill be used by the media in discouraging ethnicity in Malaysia will definitely result to the unity of the Malaysia citizens this is because the media will have painted a clear picture to them thus ensuring that they will reform as the media has shown them the importance of the unity of 1 Malaysia thus the citizens will opt to be together and forget about there ethnic background thus ensuring that the country becomes one without any ethnic differences (Nadchatram, 2007).

The government should also use or work hand in hand with the media in order for the achievement of the 1 Malaysia, in this case the government should invite the media to provide a critism and monitoring of its daily activities this will especially help the citizens to become more enlightened on the plans and activities of the government, I highly believe that if this is implemented a new Malaysia will be realized (Ahmad, 2005). This is because the Malaysian people will be informed with the media on the daily activities the government and this will bring some trust into the citizens who will feel that the government works hand in hand with them and this will automatically result to one nation that has the same political views that will ensure that the individuals in the country feel connected to the government of the country.

The media should also show good images and news to the Malaysian citizens and the international countries, this will to some extent ensure that the people living in Malaysia to value piece in there country this is where the country citizens will see that they need to uphold peace in there country and them will have achieved in quelling there ethnic behaviours therefore making them to resort to be peaceful thus making them peaceful and more unethical (Zainala, 2010). This will be realized when the media indulges in public relations that will contribute to the government and the people that are living in Malaysia with this being implemented the Malaysians will feel more peaceful with each other and in the end they will be able to live freely in the regions without conflicts.