World Applied Sciences Journal 18 (9): 1232-1242, 2012 ISSN 1818-4952 © IDOSI Publications, 2012 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.wasj.2012.18.09.1471 Corresponding Author: Nazri Muslim, Centre for General Studies, National University of Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia. Tel: +03-89216914. 1232 The Relationship Between Demography and the Students’ Level of Knowledge, Understanding, Acceptance and Perception on Islam and Malay Provisions in the Constitution from the Perspective of Ethnic Relations in Malaysia Nazri Muslim, Wan Zulkifli Wan Hassan, Aminudin Basir, Jamsari Alias and Azizi Umar Centre for General Studies, National University of Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia Abstract: This study aims to identify whether or not there exists a significant relationship between ethnicity, religion, primary school and secondary school’s stream of education and the current residential area towards the level of knowledge, understanding, acceptance and perception of the students on Islam and Malay provisions in the Federal Constitution. This study sees the involvement of 800 respondents selected from four IPTAs (Public Higher Learning Institutions). The study data is obtained through a questionnaire analysed using the SPSS programme. The descriptive statistics like the frequency, percentage, mean, cross-tabulation statistics and correlation coefficient employed to explain the respondents’ backgrounds. The chi-square test is also used to identify if there exists a significant relationship or otherwise between ethnicity, religion, primary school and secondary school’s stream of education and the current residential area towards the level of knowledge, understanding, acceptance and perception of the students on Islam and Malay in the Federal Constitution. The findings have been able to show that there is a significant relationship between the level of knowledge and understanding of the students, with the level of acceptance of the students towards the provision of Islam and the Malays in higher-order constitution, also there is a higher level of acceptance towards the provision Islam and the Malays in the constitution. Based on the research findings, a few suggestions have been made to address issues related to the Malays. Next, this study also contributes to the field of knowledge due to the fact that its methodology is in the form of quantitative data, being somewhat different from many other previous works that have been done qualitatively, which also produces the questionnaire instrument for future studies. Key words: Malay provision Islam provision Ethnic Federal Constitution Malaysia INTRODUCTION divided into three large ethnic groups which are the Malaysians, form by various ethnic groups, have the from Sabah and Sarawak, Chinese, Indians and also determination to strengthen the spirit of unity and people of other races. integration between ethnic groups and territories [1]. The presence of diverse ethnicities contribute to the Unity and integration are important to ensure that prolong debates on ethnic relations in Malaysia. Malaysia thrives as country with multifarious ethnicities According to Ratnam [2], issues of language, religion, and territories. Malaysians are also territorially separated special positions of the Malays and the status of Malay depending on which states they live in. Table 1 clearly Kings will determine the environment of the ethnic illustrated that there are three main ethnic groups in relations in the future and this depends on how arising Malaysia, namely the Bumiputera (Malay and Bumiputera questions on special positions of the Malays, religion and of Sabah dan Sarawak), Chinese and Indians respectively language are addressed. representing 65.9%, 25.3% and 7.5% from the total number Issues in the ethnic relations in Malaysia have of Malaysian citizens in 2005. This statistics is the undergone a lot of changes for the past five years Ethnic evidence for the Malaysian community’s multi-ethnicity relations in Malaysia can be divided into several phases, Bumiputera who consists of the Malays ethnic and those