Author: Usha Krishnan
Since the beginning of its history, Malaysia has been a meeting place for a diverse range of external cultures and religions. As a result of these external influences, a new unified but distinguished Malay culture has emerged. Contemporary Malaysia represents a unique fusion of Malay, Chinese, and Indian traditions, creating a pluralistic and multicultural nation that has its character strongly rooted in social harmony, religion and pride in its ancestral background. With such a rich cultural heritage, acquiring the relevant skills and cultural knowledge in order to conduct business in Malaysia is crucial to your success.
Following years of confrontation in search of
independence, Malaysia was established in September 1963 through the union of
the Independent Federation of Malay, the former British colonies of Singapore
and the East Malaysian States of Sabah and Sarawak. Over the last few decades
the country has evolved from a successful producer of raw materials to a
multi-sector economy. Today, Malaysia offers a unique blend of old traditional
culture and new technological innovations. As the Malaysian market continues to
develop and prosper, it is becoming increasingly valuable for those entering
into business in Malaysia to be aware of the cultural dimensions that shape the
fabric of this country.
Malaysian
culture – Key concepts and values
Face
A vital element of Malaysian culture, as with most Asian cultures, is the concept of face. In Malaysian society to “lose face”, that is to lose control of one’s emotions or to show embarrassment in public, is perceived as a negative display of behaviour. Malaysians will use a number of methods in order to “save face”. Laughter, for instance, is often used to mask one’s true feelings and can reveal numerous emotions including nervousness, shyness or disapproval. Saving face is particularly crucial in business contexts as causing your Malaysian counterpart to lose face may influence the outcome of your future business dealings.
High context culture
In high context cultures such as Malaysia meaning is often more explicit and less direct than in many Western cultures. This means that words are less important and greater attention must be given to additional forms of communication such as voice tone, body language, eye-contact and facial expressions. In Malaysia, because business is personal and based on trust, developing relationships rather than exchanging facts and information is the main objective of communication. This also relates to the Malay cultural values of courtesy, tolerance, harmony and face. Direct answers, particularly negative ones, are avoided in order to prevent disagreement and preserve harmony; two very important aspects of Malaysian culture.
Fatalism
Malaysian culture is centred on the diverse religious values of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam and as such relies heavily on the concept of fatalism. Fatalism is the belief that success, failures, opportunities and misfortunes result from fate or the will of God. In a business context, when formulating ideas and making decisions Malays, who are predominantly Muslim, will tend not to rely on empirical evidence or hard facts, but prefer to be guided by subjective feelings combined with the Islamic faith. Your Chinese and Indian colleagues will also take a similar approach since feelings and emotions play a significant part in their business culture. Consequently, negotiations may take longer than expected and your Malaysian counterparts will view decision making in a more personal light.
