Cross religious and social interaction: A case study of Muslims and buddhists in kampung tendong, Pasir Mas, Kelantan

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to explore the quality of interaction between Muslims and Buddhists in Kampung Tendong. The researcher prepared one relevant indicator to measure quality interaction, that is religious understandings. Using a convenience sampling technique, a total of one hundred and forty (140) respondents were drawn from Muslims and Buddhists of Kampong Tendong, Pasir Mas, Kelantan. The sample size together with the above-mentioned indicators showed that the quality of interaction based on frequency is above average (i.e., 67.83%). Precisely, for "religious understandings" which were divided into two parts 'intra-religious understandings' was 82.95% and 'inter-religious understandings' was 34.34% with the average percentage of 42.59. The results show universal values of the two religions, namely Islam and Buddhism that bind people together. On the other hand, the discouraging factor of interaction among the residents of Kampung Tendong was that trivial issues of religious differences. Therefore, the significance of the study lies mainly in showing the level of interaction between Muslims and Buddhists in Kampung Tendong. This result is essential to the policy-makers to develop a better pattern of inter-racial interaction in a remote area of Peninsular Malaysia. The study finally discusses the need for broader and more comprehensive research in this area.