Social development
With the push of a button, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra launches Radio Television Malaysia, the national broadcasting agency, in December 1963.
An understanding of indigenous political control requires an examination not only of the travails of power, but also of its impact, and of how in turn social change affects political behaviour and national advancement.
Social development has been concomitant with political development over the course of the past four decades; and as the developing nation of the 1950s has changed into the middle income country of the 21st century, the nation has undergone a social transformation. Given the pervasive role of government, social change and development have been contrived as much as they have been generated by the people.
Education is a key element of modernization—as a tool of economic upliftment, as a means to undergird national competitiveness, as an incubator of positive values, and as a crucible of national unity in a multi-ethnic society. Unsurprisingly, education has been a key element of governance, with annual allocations of government spending averaging a quarter of the national budget. This section surveys the education sector at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels and records the achievements that have resulted from the changes effected in this critical sector (see ‘Primary and secondary education' and ‘Higher education').
As literacy and educational levels have advanced, there has been a corresponding increase in awareness among the public of their rights and responsibilities, as well as greater participation in civic and leisure activities. There has been a marked increase in the availability of information in the print and electronic media; in particular, advantage has been taken of improving information technology (see ‘Information and the news media'). As society has grown more complex, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have emerged, often with specialized interests, advocating social and political causes with ramifications for the body politic (see ‘Non-governmental organizations').
Government and quasi-government efforts have been made to educate and benefit the public in certain crucial areas, notably finance. Institutions such as the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), the Social Security Organization (SOCSO), Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Council of Trust for Indigenous People, MARA) and Lembaga Tabung Haji (Pilgrims Fund Board) have been at the forefront of these efforts. They provide services that include pension fund schemes, worker compensation schemes, pilgrimage programmes, educational funds and trust fund investment schemes. These undertakings have served as agents of social change, developing awareness and large-scale participation in activities that contribute to individual, group and public welfare. Not only are they vital contributors to changes in social values, but they also reinforce the social pillars of political development and civil society.