DANCES OF MALAYSIA

The Malay art shows some North Indian influence. Traditional dances include Joget Melayu; Zapin & Dikir Barat has grown in popularity, and is actively promoted by state governments as a cultural icon.

Jogat Melayu

Silat is another popular martial art and dance form and it is believed that it increase a person's spiritual strength. Javanese immigrants brought Kuda Kepang to Malaysia which is a form of dance where dancers sit on mock horses and tells the tales of Islamic wars.

Kuda Kepang

Chinese communities brought traditional lion and dragon dances, while Indians brought art forms such as Bharat Natyam and Bhangra.

There are a variety of traditional dances, having very strong spiritual significance. Different tribes from west and east Malaysia have different dances. A form of art which incorporates dance and drama is called Mak Yong have been declining due to their Hindu-Buddhist origin.

History Evidence of modern human habitation in Malaysia dates back 40,000 years and the first inhabitants are thought to be Negritos. Traders and settlers from India and China arrived in 1st century AD, establishing trading ports and coastal towns. Their presence resulted in strong Indian and Chinese influence on the local cultures, and the people started adopting the religions of Hinduism and Buddhism. Between the 7th and 15th centuries, much of the southern Malay Peninsula was part of empires like, Srivijaya and the Majapahit. In the early 15th century, Malacca Sultanate was founded which was an important commercial centre, attracting trade from around the region. Malacca was conquered by Portugal in 1511 and then by the Dutch in 1641. In 1786 the British established their presence by renting Penang. In 1824 they took control of Malacca and by 1826 the British directly controlled Penang, Malacca, Singapore, and the island of Labuan. In the Second World War the Japanese army invaded and occupied Malaysia for over three years. During this time, ethnic tensions were raised and nationalism grew. Post-war British planed to unite Malaysia under a single colony but they met with strong opposition as the ethnic Chinese were to be granted citizenship. It established in 1946 and was called Federation of Malaya. During this time, Chinese rebels formed the Malayan Communist Party and launched guerrilla operations to force the British out. From 1948 to 1960, Commonwealth Troops were involved in a long anti-insurgency campaign. Federation brought heightened tensions including a conflict with Indonesia, Singapore's eventual exit in 1965, and racial strife. After the riots, Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak, tried to increase the share of the economy held by the bumiputera by introducing New Economic Policy. Under Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad there was a period of rapid economic growth and urbanization in the 1980s. The economy shifted from being agriculturally based to one based on manufacturing and industry. However, in the 1990s the Asian financial crisis almost caused the collapse of the currency and the stock market.

Patience Be patient with your Malaysian counterparts during negotiations. The process is often lengthy and one should not hasten. Polite Be polite especially to the elderly Malaysian business people by treating with them respect and acknowledge younger managers. Productive Business Relationship Take time and establish business relationships with Malay colleagues. Initially meetings are generally oriented towards developing such relationships and will be maintained throughout and before negotiations. Smile - Do smile when you greet people. This gesture means: I greet you from my heart. Dress - Dress neatly. Do pay careful attention to your attire if youre female.

Dont assume that a signed agreement signifies a final agreement. Negotiations are continued even after the contract has been signed. Dont get surprise if Malay asks you some personal questions as it is viewed as an acceptable approach to initial conversations. Dont enter business meetings without a letter of introduction because Malays prefer to conduct business with those they are familiar with. Dont bring up the topic of ethnic relations in Malaysia or the political system as they are both sensitive subjects. It is best not to criticize the government or the Malay royal families.

Management Style
To ensure successful cross cultural management in Malaysia, one need be aware of the strict protocols and rituals that exist. It takes time to understand the communication style because much is conveyed non-verbally. Observe people's facial expressions and body language. Rules of behavior are generally governing specific business situations. It is common for employees to behave harmoniously and subjugate their personal desires to the needs of the group.

The Role of a Manager

In Malaysia, managers may take a somewhat paternalistic attitude to their employees. They may demonstrate a concern for employees that goes beyond the workplace. This may include involvement in their family, housing, health, and other practical life issues.

Approach to Change
Malaysias intercultural adaptability and readiness for change is developing all the time. Malaysia is seen to have a medium tolerance for change and risk. Failure in Malaysia causes a long-term loss of confidence by the individual as well as by others. Thus, intercultural sensitivity is going to be required.

Approach to Time and Priorities

Malaysia is very relationship-oriented. People in Malaysia will not want to upset others in order to force adherence to a deadline. Working with people from Malaysia, its advisable to reinforce the importance of the agreedupon deadlines and how that may affect the rest of the organization. Global and intercultural expansion means that some managers may have a greater appreciation of the need to enforce timescales and as such, agreed deadlines are more likely to be met.

Decision Making
Although the most senior people have absolute decision-making authority, they generally develop a consensus before making a final decision. Malaysian managers are treated with the same respect subordinates show their parents. Employees are never criticized publicly; they are counseled in private. Managers show a paternalistic concern for their subordinates.

In turn, subordinates view looking good in the eyes of the manager as important since it indicates a good relationship. Publicly criticizing the boss would cause both the boss and the subordinate to lose face.

Boss or Team Player?

If you are working in Malaysia, it is important to remember that face and reputation play an important role. The risk becomes amplified in a team or collaborative setting and if you would like to encourage participation it is important first to clearly establish a non-threatening work environment and communicate fully that their participation is desired.

Communication and Negotiation Styles

Remain standing until told where to sit. Business discussions usually start after a fair amount of small talk and it takes time to develop a comfortable working relationship. One will need patience, perseverance and persistence. Decisions are reached by the person with the most authority If you lose your temper you lose face and prove you are unworthy of respect and trust. Malaysians may pause up to 20 seconds before answering a question; therefore, do not immediately start to speak or take their silence as agreement. Summarize and clarify points frequently during negotiations. Negotiations may continue after a contract has been signed since contracts are not viewed as cast in stone. Personal relationships are more important than written agreements.

1.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs or has the objective of protecting and

promoting the nations interest at the international level.

2.

Malaysias foreign policy is premised on establishing close and friendly relations

with countries in the community of nations by respecting the internal affairs of other nations and advocating a policy of non-interference.

3.

The Ministry has established a total of 105 missions in 83 countries and

appointed 53 Honorary Consuls who provide support and assistance in promoting Malaysias interest abroad.

4.

Since the independence of Malaya in 1957, the nation s foreign policy has gone

through several phases of significant transition with different emphases under five previous premierships.

5.

Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia held a markedly anti-

Communist and pro-Western posture as the era saw the country threatened by the Communist insurgency.

6.

Under Malaysias second premier Tun Abdul Razak, Malaysias foreign policy

began to shift towards non-alignment and internationalism with Malaysia joining the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) and Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

7.

During the premiership of Tun Dr. Mahathir in 1981, Malaysia began opening its

doors to foster relations with more nations and became a symbol of a rising developing country. Nations foreign policy began adopting a much greater economic orientation in the country. This approach led to the advocacy of the South-South Cooperation, a more proactive role in the G-77, the establishment of the G-15 and saw the Look East Policy being instituted. Since 1960, Malaysia has committed troops to Republic of Congo, Bosnia Herzegovina, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Namibia, Western Sahara, Iraq, Timor Leste and Lebanon.

8.

The fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi continued to

ensure that Malaysia was active in the international arena. During his tenure, Malaysia played an instrumental role in the formulation and adoption of the ASEAN Charter which has been ratified by all ASEAN member states and subsequently entered into force on 15th December 2008.

9.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister YAB Dato Sri Najib Tun Razak, stressed

that Malaysias foreign policy under his administration would be shaped significantly by the Malaysia: People First, Performance Now concept.

10.

Among the key elements of the Malaysia concept is in realising the strength of

Malaysia lies in its diversity. This concept bodes well with the main vision of Malaysias Foreign Policy that is to protect and promote interests abroad and at the same time responsibly and effectively contribute towards the building of a fair and just world.

11.

Synonymous with the Malaysia concept, Malaysia will continue to maintain close

relations with all countries in the world and will continue to work with like-minded nations in pursuing national interest.

12.

YAB PM also introduced the Government Transformation Programme (GTP)

that identified Key Results Area (KRAs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of the Ministry. In line with this, the Ministry has identified 14 Key Performance Indicators to measure the success of the Ministry.

13.

The KRAs of the Ministry are as follows: a. Protection and promotion of Malaysias interests bilaterally, regionally and internationally through proactive diplomacy; b. Realisation of an ASEAN Community by 2015 via the ASEAN Political Security Community Blueprint, ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint and ASEAN Social Cultural Blueprint; c. Enhancing Malaysias standing in the international community particularly in the framework of 1Malaysia in an ever changing geopolitical scenario; and

d.

Provision of prompt and effective services locally and abroad.

14.

Malaysias foreign policy is structured upon a framework of bilateralism,

regionalism and multilateralism. Malaysias status as a developing nation makes it imperative for the country to engage actively in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), the Commonwealth, Group of Seventy Seven (G77), Developing Eight (D8), Asia Middle East Dialogue (AMED), Far East Asia Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC), Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC), Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

15.

Malaysia also advocates the Prosper thy neighbour policy to enhance economic

relations and cooperation with its neighbouring countries through Brunei-IndonesiaMalaysia-the Phillippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), Indonesia-MalaysiaThailand Growth Triangle (IMTGT) and other entities.

16.

Malaysia will continue to play a significant role in the various multilateral issues These issues include disarmament, counter terrorism,

that affect our interests.

trafficking in persons, climate change and environmental issues. As a member of the UN, Malaysia is a firm believer of international peace and security and an upholder of international law.

17.

In the decade leading up to 2020, Malaysia would have to deal with great

changes in the global environment whilst improving and upgrading the countrys domestic conditions. In recognising this challenge, it is vital that Malaysia s foreign policy continues to focus on protecting national interests while responsibly and effectively contributing towards the building of a fair and just world.

18.

The fundamental principles of sovereign equality, mutual respect for territorial

integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes as well as mutual benefit in relations are the guiding principles that would continue to guide Malaysia s relations with other countries.

Economic Policy was originally a socio-economic restructuring affirmative action program, launched by former Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak in 1971:
1. to eradicate poverty, irrespective of race; and 2. to restructure society, so as to eliminate the identification of race with economic functions.

1. Achievements: Since independence, the Malaysian government had created numerous

instruments and institutions for the Malays, which were:

Bank Bumiputra; Federal Land Consolidation and Rehabilitation Authority (FELCRA); Federal Land Development Authority (FELCRA); Jengka Regional Development Authority; Lembaga Kemajuan Terengganu Tengah (KETENGAH); Lembaga Kemajuan Kelantan Selatan (KESEDAR); Lembaga Tabung Haji; Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA); Pahang Tenggara Development Authority (DARA); Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), which launched Skim Amanah Saham Nasional; Pernas International Holdings Berhad (PERNAS); Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA); and Urban Development Authority (UDA).

The standard of living of Bumiputera have gone up. For example, the monthly average household income had gone up from RM172 in the 1970s to RM4,457 in 2012 or almost 2,500% in 42 years, while poverty rate had gone down from 64.8% to 2.2% during the same period. The Bumiputera corporate company equity rate had also gone up from only 2.4% in the 1970s to 23.5% in 2011. And except for certain employment sectors, the number of employed in the professional category, especially those qualified as medical doctors, engineers, and lawyers, had approached the percentages of the racial composition. This proved that the New Economic Policy had been successful in tackling the gap between the communities in the effort to develop the socio-economy of the community. The government was aware that there still exists the disparity in income between the ethnic groups. In 2011, the average monthly income of the Chinese was higher than the bumiputeras by a ratio of 1:1.43. As for corporate company equity ownership, however, bumiputera control of corporate companies was only around 10%, while bumiputera involvement in entrepreneurship activities was still insignificant, with the majority at the small and micro levels.

3. Demographic changes in Malaysia: In the last 10 years, since the enactment of the Economic Policy, the proportion of Chinese and Indian Malaysians of the total population had fallen dramatically. The Chinese made up 35.6% of the population in 1970. They were down to 24.6% at the last census in 2010. Over that same period, the Indian numbers fell from 10.8% to 7.3%."

4. Misconceptions: Malaysian government has been allowing more and more foreign equity ownership. In 2011, bumiputeras owned 23.5%, and non-Bumiputra Malaysians owned 34.8%, with the remaining 41.7% owned by foreigners, making them the biggest group that own equity in the corporate sector The corporate equity ownership of Malaysians, as a whole, is now 58.3%. Bumiputera share of equity ownership among Malaysians, and then it is 40.3%. At the end of the day, the non-achievement of the bumiputera equity share is because of the failings of the UMNO-led government in allowing foreigners to own so much of the equity in Malaysia.[8]