PUTRAJAYA: All ministries play an important role in addressing issues involving race, religion and royalty (3R) to ensure national harmony and unity are preserved, says Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang (pic).
The National Unity Minister said the approach is implemented comprehensively, involving several ministries and enforcement agencies, including the Home Ministry, Communications Ministry, National Unity Ministry and Housing and Local Government Ministry.
“Each ministry plays a role through a reformative approach such as intervention, mediation and awareness initiatives to address sensitive issues related to religion, race and hate speech,” he said in a Facebook post.
Aaron said in terms of enforcement, the police under the Home Ministry can take action under several provisions of the Penal Code, including Sections 295, 296, 298 and 298A involving offences such as insulting religion, disrupting religious ceremonies and statements that could incite hostility.
Action can also be taken under Sections 504, 505 and 506 of the Penal Code involving intentional insult provoking breaches of peace, statements causing public mischief and criminal intimidation.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission under the Communications Ministry has the authority to investigate under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 if there is dissemination of false, threatening or extremely offensive content that may cause distress or annoyance to others.
Aaron said the ministry has also established a Fake News and 3R Task Force to monitor and address the spread of false information, including content touching on sensitivities related to race, religion and royalty.
He said the National Unity Ministry monitors hate speech through the eSepakat System and the National Public Community Complaints Network System, and has established the Unity Issues Management Committee, comprising 12 ministries and agencies, to coordinate action on issues that could affect national unity.
The ministry has also developed the Unity Analytics Dashboard to identify locations at high risk of racial or religious tension and provides mediation services through community mediators to help resolve conflicts at the grassroots level.
“For matters involving non-Muslim houses of worship, the Housing Ministry ensures that construction complies with the law, including the Local Government Act 1976, the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 and the Town and Country Planning Act 1976,” he said, Bernama reported.
Aaron said the integrated approach is important to ensure issues related to 3R are addressed prudently without affecting harmony in the country’s multiracial society.
