No surprise: Youth are proud of our cultural heritage such as food, alongside historical sites and cultural products, are among the reasons why youth appreciate the country, according to the study.
KUALA LUMPUR: Young Malaysians are proud of the nation’s cultural heritage, with a strong affinity for historical sites, cultural products and food, according to a study by a team of academics.
Their survey, which collected data from 391 respondents aged 18 to 30, found that the overall perception of what they described as “Malaysia’s aesthetic domain” scored the highest, reflecting the appreciation of Malaysia’s rich cultural heritage and diversity.
The study, titled Portrays of a Country’s Image: A Case Study of Malaysian Youth’s Perceptions Towards Malaysia, was led by Dr Tan Sing Pei, Dr Azhar Abdul Rahman, Assoc Prof Dr Chin Yee Mun, Dr Phua Yeong Nan and Lee Jenn Yuan.
It aimed to quantify the perception of the younger generation towards the country, examining domains such as functionality, aesthetics and normative values, with data collection carried out through the online survey platform of Tun Tan Cheng Lock Centre, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman and Academy of Contemporary Islamic Studies, Universiti Teknologi Mara Perlis.
The study, conducted from Aug 16-31 in conjunction with Malaysia Day, highlighted that youth view the country’s aesthetic aspects positively, with food and cuisine receiving the highest sub-domain score of 4.29.
“Young Malaysians are especially proud of our cultural heritage and this is reflected in the high appreciation of our historical sites, cultural goods and, of course, our food,” the study said, reported Bernama.
However, the study also revealed concerns regarding the political and economic aspects of the nation. The functional domain scored an overall 3.24, with respondents showing less favourable views of Malaysia’s political stability, which scored 2.8.
“This could be attributed to the political uncertainties Malaysia faced between 2020 and 2022 where we had three prime ministers in three years,” the study said.
The study noted despite the concerns, respondents still perceived Malaysia as a liveable country with good infrastructure, education and public safety.
The normative domain, which includes environmental protection, international social responsibility and civil rights, scored lower than the other domains, with a perception score of 3.18.
“While the results indicate a general comfort with Malaysia’s efforts in nurturing universal rights and fostering the common good, there is still room for improvement, especially in environmental protection and civil rights,” said the study.
The study underscores Malaysia’s strength in unity, as young Malaysians value the peaceful coexistence of different ethnic and religious communities.
Respondents from Sarawak, in particular, gave the highest scores in the aesthetic domain, appreciating the state’s cultural diversity and harmonious social fabric.
“The findings highlight the importance of promoting Malaysia as a harmonious multicultural society, where different ethnic and religious communities can live together peacefully,” said the study.
