MELAKA: Sustaining social peace requires the collective commitment of every segment of society, says Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang.
The National Unity Minister said that families, educators, community leaders and civil society all play a decisive role in nurturing respect, empathy and the ability to engage constructively with differences from an early age.
"Perhaps what is most lacking today is not information, but wisdom; not connectivity, but understanding; and the capacity to engage diversity with maturity and restraint.
"Ultimately, our task is to strengthen the moral and social infrastructure of peace so that differences do not become divisions, and diversity continues to serve as a foundation for unity rather than conflict," he said when opening the Second International Interfaith Peace and Harmony Forum 2026 at the Malaysian Han Studies (MAHANS) in Ayer Keroh on Saturday (June 27).
The forum, hosted by MAHANS, was co-organised by the Pure Land Amitabha Group Malaysia and the Buddhist Missionary Society Malaysia in collaboration with the National Unity Ministry.
The forum was also supported by international partners, including the World Fellowship of Buddhists, The Temple of Ultimate Bliss, Taiwan, and IMC Organisation Limited for Pure Land Practice, Singapore.
Some 250 participants, comprising religious leaders, government officials, academicians, policymakers, youth leaders, civil society representatives and students from Singapore, Indonesia, Australia and Malaysia, attended the forum.
Aaron said this year's theme, "Human Flourishing: Individual and Global Community-Working to Deepen the Bond and Unified Action for Sustainable Peace and Harmony," highlighted the importance of building trust, dialogue and shared responsibility in preserving peace during the forum.
He added that social peace was more than the absence of conflict, describing it as a society where trust existed between individuals, and everyone felt a sense of security, dignity and belonging.
He also warned that nations could become divided when ethnic, religious and ideological differences were exploited instead of being managed constructively, adding that misinformation, polarisation and digital echo chambers had made the challenge even more complex.
Aaron said religion continued to serve as a powerful force for compassion, reconciliation and humanitarian action, making interfaith engagement essential in strengthening mutual understanding and social cohesion.
He added that the Rukun Negara and the government's nation-building agenda under the 13th Malaysia Plan would continue to serve as the foundation for strengthening unity, stressing that economic development must go hand in hand with social cohesion.
"We must build a nation where diversity remains our strength and every Malaysian shares a common sense of belonging and responsibility towards the country's future," he said.
