PETALING JAYA: An interfaith religious council has urged political leaders to abandon campaigns that exploit race and religion, warning that the rhetoric seen during the recent Johor and Negri Sembilan elections threatens national unity.
The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) said the approach to the National month was a time for Malaysians to reflect on whether they were living up to the values independence represented.
“The freedom we achieved was never intended to become a licence to divide us,” it said in a statement yesterday ahead of the country’s 69th National Day celebrations.
The council said it had witnessed an “alarming escalation” of political rhetoric during both polls, with voters openly appealed to along racial and religious lines.
It also raised concern over the growing normalisation of bigotry and hate speech, pointing to inflammatory narratives suggesting that non-Malays or non-Muslims were intent on undermining Islam.
Such sweeping accusations were irresponsible and deeply offensive, and fostered fear and suspicion between communities that had lived alongside one another for generations, it said.
The council added that individuals who made derogatory remarks against other races and religions appeared able to do so with little consequence, emboldening others to push the boundaries of acceptable discourse.
It said too much of the national conversation was consumed by manufactured controversies over race and religion, diverting energy from tackling corruption, the rising cost of living, education, jobs and healthcare.
“Politics built upon slander, fear and suspicion can never produce a confident nation,” it said, warning that Malaysia risked falling behind countries that had chosen unity and good governance over division.
“No Malaysian should ever be made to feel like an enemy simply because of his or her race or religion,” it added, stressing that no religion should be weaponised for political gain.
The council called on all political leaders to compete instead on ideas, integrity and competence, and on law enforcement to act firmly and impartially against anyone who incited hatred, regardless of status or political affiliation.
Malaysia’s strength, the council said, had never rested on assimilation but on integration, where citizens remained proud of their identities while uniting under the Federal Constitution and the Rukun Negara.
The spirit of Merdeka, it added, was about building a nation where diversity was a strength and every citizen enjoyed equal dignity under the Constitution.
“The true test of our patriotism is not how loudly we proclaim our love for Malaysia, but how faithfully we protect the unity, harmony and mutual respect that have sustained our nation for decades,” it said.
The statement was signed by MCCBCHST president Venerable Seck Chaio Ying, deputy president Bishop Dr T. Jeyakumar, and vice-presidents Dao Zhang Tan Hoe Chieow, Sardar Jagir Singh and Datuk Mohan Shan.
Malaysia celebrates National Day on Aug 31, and Malaysia Day on Sept 16.
