Start them early: Racial and interfaith dialogues in schools as well as media and digital literacy programmes can help foster better interracial understanding and harmony, says human rights NGO Komas. — Agencies
DECADES after independence and the formation of Malaysia, some segments of society in the country continue to be haunted by spectres of racial discord.
Discussions of sensitive racial and religious issues frequently arise, particularly online, prompting authorities to step in to defuse tensions more often than not.
Such incidents underscore the need for a more nuanced approach to handling sensitive matters, as highlighted in the 2024 Malaysia Racism Report by local human rights NGO Pusat Komas.
To foster better understanding and mitigate racial tensions, one recommendation from Komas is mandatory racial and interfaith dialogues in schools, workplaces, and local communities.
Stable national unity
National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang, speaking at the report’s launch in conjunction with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21, stresses that while challenges remain, our national unity is stable.
“We cannot deny that racial discrimination, in any form, can damage the bonds we have long built. It is our shared responsibility to uphold the principles of national integration – understanding, respect, and acceptance – in all aspects of life.”
Aaron: Our national unity is stable. But we cannot deny that racial discrimination, in any form, can damage the bonds we have long built. — AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star
He acknowledges that in general, national unity remains intact based on the National Unity Index (IPNas) study in 2022 which recorded a value of 0.629, indicating that national unity is at a moderate and stable level.
He points out that in Malaysia, the social deficits that require attention stem from 10 aspects of ethnicity, religion, social class, education, language, generational gaps, gender, federalism politics, media, and the urban-rural divide.
Komas notes that in Malaysia, racial discrimination remains a deeply rooted issue, affecting policies, institutions, and daily interactions. From rhetoric in politics to the lack of comprehensive policies addressing discrimination and hate speech, racism can undermine social cohesion, it states.
In its special 10-year retrospective review accompanying the report, Komas documents 517 incidences of racism between 2015 and 2024, spanning politics, education, employment, housing, Parliament, and public services.
Over the past decade, the most prevalent category of racial incidents (223 cases) involved racial and religious politics.
“This highlights the state of political maturity in Malaysia and how racial and religious issues are exploited for political gain.
“Additionally, the influence of political narratives on society is significant, with racist slurs and hate speech on social media reaching alarming levels.”
The report identifies 2022, which coincided with the 15th General Election, as the year with the highest number of racial incidents (82). This was followed by 2024, with 73 cases, including 28 incidents in parliamentary debates. The lowest number of cases was recorded in 2020 (21), during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The report also points to social media as a breeding ground for racist narratives, hate speech, and misinformation, which largely continues to go unchecked. Social media provocation is the second most prevalent category of racial incidents in the last decade, with 111 cases reported.
At the same time, workplace discrimination persists, with job advertisements specifying racial preferences, says the report.
Meanwhile, xenophobia surged during the pandemic, particularly targeting Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi migrant workers.
The way forward
Other than introducing comprehensive policies and legal mechanisms such as an anti-discrimination law, Komas is advocating several check boxes to be ticked, including establi-shing an independent National Harmony Commission to monitor and regulate racial and religious tensions in Malaysia.
Komas also proposes for beginning media and digital literacy as well as critical thinking programmes in schools to combat misinformation and harmful rhetoric early on.
An interesting recommendation is introducing mandatory racial and interfaith dialogue in schools, workplaces, and local communities.
Komas director Jerald Joseph suggests that in schools, such programmes need not be part of the formal curriculum but should be integrated into classroom timetables.
“It can be a module or a supplementary programme to foster understanding of racial and religious matters. However, it should be institutionalised rather than optional.
“Interactive learning methods can be employed, though untrained teachers may find this challenging. This is where the Education Ministry and NGOs can assist.”
Joseph points to the Philippines as an example, where human rights education begins in primary school.
“Malaysia needs something similar, not just as a solution to an existing problem but as a preventive measure to foster long-term harmony and understanding.”
The same approach, he says, should extend to workplaces and local communities.
“For instance, the village safety and development committees have the networks necessary to facilitate community engagement on these issues.”
Simultaneously, racial sensitivity training should be instituted at workplaces, including in the government sector.
However, Aziff Azuddin, an analyst with think tank Iman Research, cautions against making such programmes mandatory, as some sectors may resist interfaith engagement.
“If anything, this should be driven by grassroots communities and civil society organisations. The government can provide funding, but it should not lead or implement these initiatives.”
“A bottom-up approach is more effective because it ensures sensitivity to community-specific contexts.”
Mediation as a solution
For lawyer Andrew Khoo, the keyword is “mediation”; he says employing a conciliatory approach when addressing sensitive issues can de-escalate matters and stop them from being blown out of proportion.
For starters, some enforcement jurisdiction should be given to the National Unity Ministry which can implement them through conciliatory means, says Khoo.
“So that they have the authority to exact certain things. By doing that, they can contribute in de-escalating [issues].
Current laws are very tough, he says – “very strict and severe” – but handing over some of the enforcement powers to the National Unity Ministry can result in a softer, more conciliatory approach.
“And maybe that is what we need to de-escalate the tension, is to have a more conciliatory approach.”
Khoo says Aaron has mentioned the success of his ministry’s mediators before, and their deployment as part of enforcement measures can result in a more positive outcome.
“Rather than make a police report, carrying out an investigation and later, maybe, prosecuting ... we do not want to go that way. We want to solve and resolve the issues before they get to that level.”
In this context, harsher or more rigid enforcement and punishment can make things worse, says Khoo.
“Because when you start talking about punishment, you’ll start talking about rights and all, it can be politicised.”
He points out that the country may need new laws about racial mediation in reference to a proposal on the setting up of a “harmony commission”.
“When they talked about the harmony commission, one of its suggested responsibilities is to do community mediation.
“Even in the courts too, before they proceed with the case, sometimes the court will ask, can the parties mediate? It’s called court ordered mediation.
“If you can sort it out, so much the better, right?”
