‘Malay’ Malaysia-Indonesia in The Nation-State Landscape

Abstract

This Article (paper) will be to explain the relationship of Malaysia and Indonesia in the landscape of the nation-state as the two brother-sister nicknamed as the cognate countries.. Based on such background, this article aims to, (i) Explain briefly the process of nation-state formation in Malaysia and Indonesia? (ii) Explain the meaning of the cognate between Malaysia and Indonesia. (iii) Explain the concept of the existence of the Malay nation-state in Malaysia and Indonesia. The review of this article shows that, (i) Background different history in the formation of nation-states have different conceptions lead to Malays in Malaysia and Indonesia. (ii) Definition of cognate between Malaysia and Indonesia over the conception of culture through language represents the tendency of political-ethnic (identity) in Malaysia, and the Political-nationalism in Indonesia. (iii). This difference led to the use of the term 'Malay' (Riau) in Indonesia, became the language of 'Indonesia'. While in Malaysia, remains the Malay language, and not Malaysia language.