Assist. Prof. Dr Nurul Miza

Assist. Prof. Dr Nurul Miza Mohd Rashid

International Islamic Univerisity Malaysia (IIUM)

How psychological theories and research can explain the cause and solutions to the rise of intergroup hate in Malaysia?

Speaker Profile

Dr Nurul Miza Binti Mohd Rashid is an assistant professor at the Department of Psychology at the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM). Her area of expertise is the psychology of the radicalisation process within the Malaysian context. She has been involved in several public talks and seminars educating on the factors contributing to the involvement in violent extremism in Malaysia. Her audiences include members of academia, civil servants, security practitioners and psychologists practising in prison and national security departments. Her current research focuses on the radicalisation process and intergroup relations in Malaysia. She currently teaches Social Psychology and Media Psychology to undergraduate psychology students at the university she serves.

Abstract

Psychology to undergraduate psychology students at the university she serves.

Malaysia has been proclaimed a pioneer in ensuring harmony despite its multi-ethnic and multicultural makeup. However, it still faces a risk of intergroup tension and conflict which could precipitate due to ethnic differences, class differences, and religious differences. There are selected incidents that resulted from interethnic and interreligious-based clashes. In 1969, Malaysia witnessed a gory intergroup conflict between Malay and Chinese communities in Kuala Lumpur. Decades later, during the 2022 general election, TikTok became a breeding ground for disinformation and misinformation related to the May 13 incident inciting anti-China sentiment, causing tensions and misunderstandings among different groups in Malaysia. In 2010, ten churches and mosques were attacked and vandalized due to disgruntlement in the use of the word Allah. Aside from interethnic and interreligious based incidents, Malaysia has also witnessed intergroup tension between the locals and immigrants. During the pandemic, multiple hateful remarks were made against the Rohingya refugees flooding Facebook and Twitter. There were also reports of discriminatory actions against foreigners including preventing non-Malaysians from entering local mosques. These incidents indicate that Malaysia is not free from the threats of intergroup conflict and tensions. Some psychological theories could provide a deeper dive into how these tensions are built on top of the country's known historical foundation of intergroup relations. The theories that will be presented include intergroup threat, scapegoating, relative deprivation, and social identity theories. These theories will provide a comprehensive image of how the human mind works when it comes to the construction of reality and interacting with the subjects of their reality. Additionally, selected psychological concepts, including strong in-group identification, collective narcissism, and paranoia, will be explored to illustrate how individual differences could impose additional risks of intergroup tension and conflict. Research on the theories from both local and global contexts will be highlighted to provide a systematic and scientific explanation of the phenomenon. To conclude the session, selected suggestions on how to foster harmony within the community will be deliberated to prevent exacerbation of the tension.

Keywords: intergroup tension, intergroup threat, scapegoating, relative deprivation, social identity