Civil society and nation-building

Nation-building is the process of constructing or structuring a national identity to unify the people so that the country remains politically, economically and socially stable.

THE term civil society refers to the wide array of non-governmental and not-for-profit organisations that have a presence in public life. They express the interests and values of their members or others, based on ethical, cultural, political, scientific, religious or philanthropic considerations.

Civil society organisations are essentially the so-called "intermediary institutions" such as professional associations, religious groups, labour unions, citizen advocacy organisations where people associate to advance their common interests and enrich public participation in democracies.

In short, the realm of civil society is the bridge between the state and the people.

A healthy relationship between these organisations especially the NGOs and the Government is very much determined by shared common objectives.

The Government usually accommodates NGOs as partners in development because by and large, NGOs are the entities that can reach the general public effectively.

It is also important to note that each of these actors posses distinctive capabilities and powers that the other does not have or only partially enjoys.

Thus, each party has to acknowledge that there are necessary complementary efforts between them to solve issues and address the concerns of the masses.

When we talk about nation-building, an important idea that comes to our mind is usually the creation of national paraphernalia that can help to solidify and unite the people.

In addition, a nation is perceived to be doing well when it is able to defend itself against the internal and external threats that aim to weaken the foundations of society.

In relation to this, nation-building is actually the whole process of constructing or structuring a national identity using the power of the state.

This process aims at the unification of the people within the state so that it remains politically, economically and socially stable. In effect, this process will make the nation become strong and resistant in the long run.

In a multi-racial and multi-religious nation like Malaysia, nation-building is not a smooth sailing journey as it involves the continuous and collaborative efforts of various parties that are sincere in transforming the country to become more dynamic and successful.

The strength of the nation should not be perceived merely in numbers depicting its wealth and global economic rank.

The strength ultimately lies in the ability of the people to stay united and embrace the diversities that shape the very essence of its creation.

To realise this goal, the Govern-ment and civil society entities must be willing to take up a strategic alliance. Such an alliance is actually an evolving process where both actors gradually come to identify the points of consensus and priorities for common actions.

It can never be denied that clashes of ideas and expectations exist between the two entities. Sometimes these opposing viewpoints and approaches are seen as the reasons behind the perceived cold relationship.

However, to be fair, one must realise that any government of the day would take all necessary steps to ensure that the interests of the people as a whole are rightfully represented and the stability of the nation is protected.

Therefore, any form of regulatory framework that works around the relationship between state and these institutions needs to be objectively understood.

Interestingly, Muslim philosopher, Ibn Khaldun also stressed that the natural necessity of human social organisation requires a restraining influence in order to maintain the social unity among the members of the society and prevent aggressiveness and injustice between them.

Today, we see that political differences are besieging the efforts of nation-building.

Some NGOs and other forms of civil society organisations that take up this agenda are caught up in the political game that has truly undermined their neutrality.

In effect, this has also threatened their nature to necessarily remain non-partisan. The sincerity of these parties can be easily questioned when their struggle and work with the grassroots to provide better access for more citizen participation is influenced by partisan political schema.

It is true that civil society is also responsible for improving citizen's democratic participation, hence the need to make certain that the government of the day conforms to the democratic principles that it upholds.

Nevertheless, one must also preserve objectivity by analysing their initiatives from many different angles.

As a country which has gone through many episodes of challenge posed by the diversified nature of its social structure, Malaysia has managed to remain resilient in its struggle to achieve the true goals of nation building.

Nonetheless, we must realise that although the government chosen by the people is responsible to lead the task of political, economic and social development, it is also the general Malaysians that have contributed in making this nation successful.

A recognition of this understanding will make each and every one of us more appreciative of one another and encourage us to continuously contribute to the nation-building agenda and the success of the nation.

To share an analogy, a building needs years to be constructed, but it can be destroyed in just one day.

Likewise, for Malaysia, it took us years to be where we are today, but it can also take unscrupulous and irresponsible individuals a matter of days to destroy what has been built.

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