FOSTERING 1MALAYSIA CONCEPT IN MALAYSIAN PRESCHOOLS

Abstract

Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural country. A genuinely pluralist society cannot be achieved without the social integration of ethnic communities within a common whole. In order to inculcate the sense of belonging, the spirit and values of togetherness regardless of race and religion, the education system which begins from the pre-school education lays the foundations for social integration in Malaysian society. The Malaysian Prime Minister launched the 1Malaysia concept as a guiding principle to build a united and progressive nation in 2008. This paper looks into ways to foster the 1Malaysia concept amongst preschoolers. It presents the current scenario of preschool education, discusses the issues and challenges faced in achieving the 1Malaysia concept and set forth the researchers’ perceptions as teacher educators in fostering the 1Malaysia concept in Malaysian preschools.