Geography as synthesis: Re-analysing geography’s role

At the end of 2012 the Malaysian Ministry of Education announced steps towards transformingthe national education at the school level, beginning from 2012 until 2025 with the objectiveof empowering national education to develop human resource that is able to fulfill the needs of a high income developed nation of 2020 and beyond. This initiative is expected to bringabout major changes to all aspects of education including learning infrastructure, teachersand curriculum. At this juncture the study of geography need to be repositioned to be in linewith the transformation and showcasing its relevance. The process of re-emphasizing theimportance of geography as a discipline requires a reevaluation of the fundamentals and howthese fundamentals, together with geography’s synthesizing capabilities contribute towards thedevelopment of local and global societies. Every discipline evolves, yet there are constants inthat evolution. Space has its societal context and while the context might change, the conceptof space still permeates the discipline. For the proponents of the discipline geography plays animportant role in synthesizing the understand on the physical and human realms within a place,area, state, nation, continent and even the world. The synthesis is crucial in understanding therelationship between environment and society today. This article is a reflection on the changesin the discipline of geography in Malaysia within the contexts of local and global needs. Theprimary question remains what are the elements that must be strengthened to ensure thatgeography remains relevant in society’s education, articulated within the scope of mankind’sattempt in turning the world into a domicile.