A good society: indigenous voices

Abstract

The responsibility for a good modern society rests not only with the government but also with individual citizens and organised groups within that society, including private sector and social institutions. But this paper will only focus on the role of government and civil society. It is often accrued that a 'good society' has a strong civil society and a strong government where all its citizens are protected and can be actively engaged to ensure democratic governance and enjoy the country's progress. This paper draws findings from a research on citizens and governance in Malaysia. It examines views of indigenous people from Sarawak on what is a good modern society and to what extent that good society exists in Malaysia. The respective roles of government and citizens are explored, including a discussion on how to move closer to a good modern Malaysian society.