gotong royong definition
gotong royong which loosely translated means voluntary mutual assistance. Thompson (2004) observed that in rural Malay communities, gotong royong is common during festivities such as weddings where family and neighbours contribute effort, food, decorative items as well as money. Gotong royong is also evident during religious festivals, especially Eid ul Adha. The construction of public infrastructure and religious amenities, such as small bridges and mosques, are also sometimes undertaken through gotong royong (Thompson 2004; Hatta and Saad 2014). This is seen as a manifestation of the spirit of ‘ummah’ (unity) amongst the rural Malays (Denker 2007). While gotong royong may be an informal activity it serves as the catalyst for more structured and formal organisations aimed at mutual help. Malay associations only grew post 1910 when more rural Malays became urbanised and educated (Weiss 2005). These early Malay membership- based recreation, sports and studies clubs were mainly run along economic and educational lines. These societies, initially focussed on social, cultural and economic activities, became more political in 1930s as the efforts towards independence and self-government began to intensify. This was also a period when newspapers started to play a major role, becoming catalysts of the Malay civil society movement (Weiss 2003; Hassan 2003). From the 1950s onwards, Malay associations were either led by bureaucrats and aristocrats, or teachers and journalists; the former tend to be political while the latter are mostly cultural and literary oriented (Weiss 2005). These organisations focus mainly on nationalistic, cultural and ethnic specific welfare issues.