Aplikasi ‘Asabiyyah Ibn Khaldun dan Mekanisme Pengukuhan Semangat Kekitaan dalam Mendidik Generasi Muda Multi Etnik Malaysia [An Application of Ibn Khaldun’s ‘Asabiyyah and The Mechanism to Strengthen Esprit de Corps in Educating The Younger Generation of Multi-Ethnic Malaysia]

Abstract

Ibn Khaldun dalam karangan terkemuka beliau, Muqaddimah menekankan asas penting kekuatan ‘asabiyyah sebagai penentu kepada jatuh bangun sesebuah tamadun. Karakteristik ‘asabiyyah ini berkonotasi positif dan tidak terhad sifatnya kepada semangat seketurunan sebaliknya dapat diadaptasi dalam senario masyarakat multi etnik. ‘Asabiyyah Ibn Khaldun jauh berbeza dengan definisi cauvinisme yang sering disetarakan dengan maksud ‘asabiyyah oleh pandangan umum. Makalah ini membincangkan mekanisme adaptasi ‘asabiyyah Ibn Khaldun dan beberapa mekanisme lain bagi mendidik kekuatan semangat kekitaan dalam kalangan generasi muda multi etnik di Malaysia. Perbincangan ini adalah bersandarkan kepada kajian kepustakaan yang telah dilakukan ke atas bahan-bahan ilmiah yang berkaitan. Hasil penelitian mendapati bahawa wujud isu etnisiti yang menyebabkan kepincangan kekuatan semangat kekitaan dalam kalangan generasi muda. Terdapat mekanisme untuk memperkukuh semangat kekitaan antaranya peranan para penggubal dasar, peranan institusi pengajian tinggi, keprihatinan media massa, peranan institusi kekeluargaan dan peranan generasi muda itu sendiri. Pengadaptasian ‘asabiyyah Ibn Khaldun dilihat penting dalam mendidik generasi muda pelbagai etnik memperkukuhkan semangat kekitaan melalui satu identiti sepunya yang dipegang bersama. Implikasinya, penglibatan semua pihak amat diperlukan bagi menggembleng mekanisme peneguhan semangat kekitaan bagi menangani isu kepincangan antara etnik agar kelangsungan tamadun Malaysia lebih terjamin dengan kepimpinan generasi muda.

Ibn Khaldun, in his magnum opus the Muqaddimah, emphasises the importance of ‘asabiyyah as a foundation determining the rise and fall of a civilisation. ‘Asabiyyah’s characteristic here has positive connotations, not limited to a shared ancestry, and could in fact be applied to a multi-ethnic society as well. Ibn Khaldun’s ‘Asabiyyah is more than just the commonly-held attempt to equate it to the concept of chauvinism. This article discusses the mechanism to adapt Ibn Khaldun’s ‘asabiyyah and other mechanisms to educate the younger, multi-ethnic generation of Malaysia on the strength of an esprit de corps among them. This discussion relies on library research on relevant academic materials. The findings show that the ethnicity issue is a stumbling block to form a spirit of solidarity among the younger generation. There are mechanisms in place to strengthen the esprit de corps among them, including efforts by policy makers, the institutions of higher learning, the role of the mass media, the family institution, and initiatives among the youths as well. The adaptation of Ibn Khaldun’s ‘Asabiyyah is important to educate this multi-ethnic younger generation to strengthen their spirit of solidarity through a shared identity. By implication, therefore, all parties must contribute to consolidate the mechanism to strengthen this esprit de corps to overcome the ethnic issue, thus ensuring the continuation of a more secure Malaysian civilisation, under the leadership of the younger generation.