KONSENSUS MELALUI PERANAN KETUA KAUM DALAM JAWATANKUASA PERHUBUNGAN KAUM (JPK) 1948. (Consensus through Ethnic Leader in Communities Liaison Committees (CLC)1948)

Abstract

Konsensus antara kaum atau komuniti merupakan satu cabaran yang besar terhadap pihak British dalam membentuk sesebuah perpaduan. Ini kerana setiap kaum mengimpikan negara idaman masing-masing dan sifat prasangka yang semakin menebal melalui pengalaman hidup bersama namun berlainan budaya dan fahaman. Usaha konsensus ini dilihat semakin sukar apabila melalui tempoh darurat yang berpanjangan akibat ancaman komunis. Oleh itu, objektif kajian adalah menganalisis peranan ketua kaum antara komuniti dan pihak British bagi memahami konsensus yang dibina melalui elemen-elemen rundingan (negotiation), tawar-menawar (bargaining) dan perantara (mediation). Jawatankuasa Perhubungan Kaum atau lebih dikenali sebagai Communities Liaison Committees (CLC) dijadikan fokus kajian ini, kerana penubuhan awalnya pada tahun 1948 untuk membentuk kerjasama kaum sebelum kemerdekaan Malaya pada tahun 1957. Kajian arkib dijalankan untuk analisis minit mesyuarat CLC, surat rasmi dan laporan dari tahun 1948 hingga 1952 dengan kaedah analisis makna. Dapatan kajian mendapati wujud tolak-ansur atau konsensus antara ketua kaum dan pihak British bagi mempersiapkan negara ke arah kemerdekaan. Sekali gus membuktikan bahawa CLC merupakan instrumen Consociationalism yang membentuk perkongsian kuasa melalui tolak-ansur dan mengaplikasikan proses rundingan dan tawar-menawar bagi isu-isu ekonomi, politik, kewarganegaraan dan pendidikan.

Kata Kunci: Konsensus; Ketua Kaum; Consociationalism; Akomodasi.

(Consensus through Ethnic Leader in Communities Liaison Committees (CLC)1948)

Community consensus is a big challenge for the British in forming a unity. This is because each nation dreams of their own country of origin and the prevalence of prejudice which is increasingly thickened through a shared life experience but of different cultures and beliefs. This consensus effort is seen to be increasingly difficult during emergency periods of communist threats. Therefore, the objective of the study is to analyze the role of the ethnic leaders between the community and the British in order to understand the consensus created through the elements of negotiation, bargaining and mediation. The Communities Liaison Committees (CLC) has been the focus of this study, since its initial establishment in 1948 to form a community cooperation before Malaya's independence in 1957. This qualitative study has employed the content analysis approach using an archival data such as CLCs’ minutes, official letters and reports from the year 1948 to 1952. The findings suggest that there is a tolerance or consensus between the rulers and the British to prepare the nation towards independence. Thus proving that the CLC is Consociationalism instruments that form of power sharing through compromise and apply the process of negotiations and bargaining on issues of economic, political, citizenship and education.

Keywords: Consensus, ethnic leaders,consociationalism, accomodation