DARIPADA POLARISASI KEPADA KEBERSAMAAN: WACANA PERKAUMAN MEDIA SOSIAL DAN PEMBANGUNAN IDENTITI NASIONAL BELIA MALAYSIA
FROM POLARISATION TO BELONGING: RACE-RELATED SOCIAL MEDIA DISCOURSE AND MALAYSIAN YOUTH NATIONAL IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjssh.v7i5.1366Keywords:
wacana perkauman, media sosial, identiti nasional, belia Malaysia, teori identiti sosialAbstract
Peningkatan penggunaan media sosial telah memperluaskan ruang perbincangan awam berkaitan isu perkauman dalam kalangan masyarakat majmuk, khususnya golongan belia. Dalam konteks Malaysia, wacana perkauman di media sosial sering dikaitkan dengan polarisasi sosial, konflik antara kumpulan dan ancaman terhadap perpaduan nasional. Walau bagaimanapun, kajian empirikal yang meneliti sama ada pendedahan kepada wacana perkauman turut berpotensi menyumbang kepada pembangunan identiti nasional masih terhad. Oleh itu, kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengkaji pengaruh wacana perkauman dalam media sosial terhadap pembangunan identiti nasional dalam kalangan belia Malaysia. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif melalui reka bentuk tinjauan keratan rentas yang melibatkan 369 belia Malaysia di Klang Valley yang aktif menggunakan media sosial. Data dianalisis menggunakan Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) menerusi perisian SmartPLS 4. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa wacana perkauman dalam media sosial mempunyai pengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap pembangunan identiti nasional (β = 0.273, t = 3.180, p = 0.0016). Penemuan ini mencadangkan bahawa pendedahan kepada perbincangan berkaitan isu perkauman tidak semestinya menghasilkan perpecahan sosial. Sebaliknya, ia berpotensi menggalakkan refleksi kolektif terhadap kepelbagaian etnik, hubungan antara kumpulan dan asas pembentukan negara bangsa Malaysia, sekali gus memperkukuhkan rasa kekitaan dan identiti nasional. Kajian ini menyumbang kepada pengembangan Teori Identiti Sosial dengan menunjukkan bahawa wacana sensitif berkaitan identiti juga boleh berfungsi sebagai mekanisme yang mengukuhkan kebersamaan nasional dalam persekitaran digital masyarakat majmuk.
The growing use of social media has expanded public discussions surrounding race-related issues, particularly among young people in multicultural societies. In the Malaysian context, race-related discourse on social media is frequently associated with social polarisation, intergroup tensions, and challenges to national unity. However, empirical evidence examining whether exposure to race-related discourse may also contribute positively to national identity development remains limited. Therefore, this study aims to examine the influence of race-related social media discourse on national identity development among Malaysian youth. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was employed involving 369 Malaysian youth in the Klang Valley who actively use social media. Data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) through SmartPLS 4. The findings revealed that race-related social media discourse exerted a positive and statistically significant influence on national identity development (β = 0.273, t = 3.180, p = 0.0016). These findings suggest that exposure to discussions concerning race-related issues does not necessarily lead to social fragmentation. Instead, such discourse may encourage collective reflection on ethnic diversity, intergroup relations, and the foundations of Malaysian nation-building, thereby strengthening feelings of belonging and national identity. This study contributes to the advancement of Social Identity Theory by demonstrating that identity-sensitive discourse may also function as a mechanism that reinforces collective national belonging within multicultural digital environments.
References
[1] Abdul Hamid, A.F., Zawawi, N. (2023): The interplay of race, religion and royalty in contemporary Malaysian politics. – In: Rajandran, K., Lee, C. (eds.) Discursive Approaches to Politics in Malaysia, Springer, Singapore 16p.
[2] Abd Hamid, A.H., Kamri, K.A. (2025): Managing nation building: Malaysian scholars perspective. – International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science 9(11): 3708-3713.
[3] Acar, B., Bagci, S.C., Verkuyten, M. (2024): Toleration, discrimination, or acceptance? How majorities interpret and legitimize minority toleration depends on outgroup threat. – British Journal of Social Psychology 63(3): 1053-1072.
[4] Anderson, J., Rainie, L. (2024): The future of digital social interaction and identity formation. – Pew Research Center Report 10p.
[5] Asia Centre (2023): Internet freedoms in Malaysia: Regulating online discourse on race, religion, and royalty. – Asia Centre 44p.
[6] Attorney General’s Chambers of Malaysia (2023): Federal Constitution. – Attorney General’s Chambers of Malaysia, Malaysia 240p.
[7] Avci, H., Baams, L., Kretschmer, T. (2025): A systematic review of social media use and adolescent identity development. – Adolescent Research Review 10: 219-236.
[8] Cinelli, M., De Francisci Morales, G., Galeazzi, A., Quattrociocchi, W., Starnini, M. (2021): The echo chamber effect on social media. – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118(9): 8p.
[9] Department of Statistics Malaysia (2023): Current population estimates, Malaysia. – Department of Statistics Malaysia, Malaysia 80p.
[10] Gillespie, T. (2022): Do not recommend? Reduction as a form of content moderation. – Social Media + Society 8(3): 13p.
[11] Hair, J.F., Hult, G.T.M., Ringle, C.M., Sarstedt, M. (2022): A primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). – Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks 384p.
[12] Henseler, J., Ringle, C.M., Sarstedt, M. (2015): A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modelling. – Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 43(1): 115-135.
[13] Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (2025): Internet users survey 2024. – Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, Malaysia 100p.
[14] Marciano, L., Ostroumova, M., Schulz, P.J., Camerini, A.-L. (2022): Digital media use and adolescents’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis. – Frontiers in Public Health 9: 14p.
[15] Martinović, B., Verkuyten, M. (2024): Collective psychological ownership as a new angle for understanding group dynamics. – European Review of Social Psychology 35(1): 123-161.
[16] Matamoros-Fernández, A., Farkas, J. (2021): Racism, hate speech, and social media: A systematic review and critique. – Television & New Media 22(2): 205-224.
[17] Meerangani, K.A., Hamid, M.F.A., Wahab, N.A.A., Satar, A., Martin, D. (2024): The influence of 3R (Race, Religion, Royalty) on the harmony of society in the digital era. – International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science 8(5): 2076-2083.
[18] Mihelj, S., Jiménez-Martínez, C. (2021): Digital nationalism: Understanding the role of digital media in the rise of ‘new’ nationalism. – Nations and Nationalism 27(2): 331-346.
[19] Ministry of National Unity (2021): National Unity Policy. – Ministry of National Unity Malaysia, Putrajaya 52p.
[20] Ministry of Youth and Sports Malaysia (2021): Malaysian Youth Policy 2021-2030. – Ministry of Youth and Sports Malaysia, Putrajaya 100p.
[21] Mylonas, H., Tudor, M. (2023): Nationalism: What we know and what we still need to know. – Annual Review of Political Science 26: 109-132.
[22] Pérez-Torres, V. (2024): Social media: A digital social mirror for identity development during adolescence. – Current Psychology 43: 22170-22180.
[23] Pusat KOMAS (2026): Malaysia racial discrimination report. – Pusat KOMAS, Malaysia 50p.
[24] Rajandran, K., Lee, C. (eds.) (2023): Discursive approaches to politics in Malaysia. – Springer, Singapore 274p.
[25] Ramayah, T., Cheah, J., Chuah, F., Ting, H., Memon, M.A. (2018): Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS 3.0: An updated and practical guide to statistical analysis. – Pearson Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 72p.
[26] Rathje, S., Van Bavel, J.J., van der Linden, S. (2021): Out-group animosity drives engagement on social media. – Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118(26): 9p.
[27] Reuters (2025): Malaysia grants WeChat, TikTok licences to operate under new law. – Reuters 2p.
[28] Reuters (2024): Malaysia reports increase in requests to restrict social media content. – Reuters 2p.
[29] Sarstedt, M., Ringle, C.M., Hair, J.F. (2022): Partial least squares structural equation modeling. – In: Homburg, C., Klarmann, M., Vomberg, A. (eds.) Handbook of Market Research, Springer, Cham 46p.
[30] Tynes, B.M., Willis, H.A., Stewart, A.M., Hamilton, M.W. (2019): Race-related traumatic events online and mental health among adolescents of color. – Journal of Adolescent Health 65(3): 371-377.
[31] Valkenburg, P.M., Beyens, I., Pouwels, J.L., van Driel, I.I., Keijsers, L. (2022): Social media browsing and adolescent well-being: Challenging the passive social media use hypothesis. – Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 27(1): 19p.
[32] Van Dijck, J., de Winkel, T., Schäfer, M.T. (2023): Deplatformization and the governance of the platform ecosystem. – New Media & Society 25(12): 3438-3454.
[33] Verkuyten, M. (2021): Group identity and ingroup bias: The social identity approach. – Human Development 65(5-6): 311-324.
[34] Verkuyten, M., Gale, J., Adelman, L., Yogeeswaran, K. (2023): Maintaining a tolerant national identity: Divergent implications for the acceptance of minority groups. – Journal of Applied Social Psychology 53(10): 1027-1039.
[35] Wang, X., Cheng, Z. (2020): Cross-sectional studies: Strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations. – Chest 158(1S): S65-S71.
[36] We Are Social, Meltwater (2024): Digital 2024: Malaysia. – DataReportal 100p.
[37] Wiley, S., Fleischmann, F., Deaux, K., Verkuyten, M. (2019): Why immigrants’ multiple identities matter: Implications for research, policy, and practice. – Journal of Social Issues 75(2): 611-629.
[38] Williams, M.T. (2021): Microaggressions are a form of aggression. – Behavior Therapy 52(3): 709-719.
[39] Wood, B.E. (2022): Belonging to the nation: Negotiating narratives of national identity in Aotearoa New Zealand. – Political Geography 99: 12p.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 SUHAIMEE SAAHAR @ SAABAR, ZALIHA IDRIS
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
