The Neoliberal Agenda of the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025: A Framework for the Development of Cosmopolitan Nationalism

Ian Tay

University of Bath, United Kingdom

Abstract: The socio-economic structure of Malaysia today derives from a blend of neoliberalism and unique domestic circumstances. Therefore, any attempts at reforms to escape the middle-income trap and become a developed nation must take into consideration the socio-cultural needs of various ethno-religious groups to ensure that the other goal of national unity is also achieved. This study employs a critical text-oriented discourse analysis, integrating Critical Discourse Analysis and Critical Policy Studies, to examine the 2013- 2025 Malaysian Education Blueprint's (MEB) language and rhetoric, revealing how neoliberal values interact with Malaysia's diverse educational and socio-cultural context. This paper argues that the MEB, while embracing neoliberal values, whether deliberately or inadvertently, is developing the unique concept of "cosmopolitan nationalism". This is shown through the types of skills emphasized throughout the blueprint, the adaptations of the national curriculum to international standards, the introduction of an international curriculum in national schools, and also the expansion of privately-funded international schools in Malaysia, which all points towards the fact that the government has given in to neo-liberal pursuit of achieving international competitiveness while trying to preserve its unique national multicultural identity. This paper, therefore, highlights the potential for Malaysia to leverage neoliberal ideas to further develop economically by transcending primal ethnic divisions.

Keywords: neoliberalism, cosmopolitan nationalism, multiculturalism, Malaysia, Malaysian Education Blueprint I. INT