PRESERVATION OF IDENTITY AMONG SIAMESE COMMUNITY AND ITS EFFECTS TOWARDS RACIAL INTEGRATION

Diverse society with regards to ethnic composition has made Malaysia a unique country with varied cultures inherited and practiced by different ethnics regardless of the majority and minority. Each ethnic respected one another and accepted their diverse cultures. Ethnic integration is well preserved though every ethnic posessess and practices their own unique cultures respectively as shown in a remote Malay village in Besut Terengganu occupied by a population of Siamese minority. In a study conducted in Kampung Keluang Besut Terengganu, researchers observed the preservation of identity among the Siamese ethnic minority in the village and its effects towards racial integration. The study applied two main methods namely joint observations and thematic interviews with a number of selected respondents among the residents and village committees. Findings showed that the Siamese in Kampung Keluang still maintains their cultural identity and racial integration between Siamese and the locals was not affected by their cultural practices. Researchers found that the key factors to the sustenance of racial integration are the acceptance of the Malays driven by the role of the older generation, the retention on the use of Siamese language, and traditional practices and customs held by the Siamese in Kampung Keluang. This study, therefore, serves as a documentation and an evidence that cultural differences and ethnic identities are not a barrier for plural societies to live together harmoniously. Indeed, racial integration in Malaysia preserved without cleansing the identity of any ethnics.