Activists, Malaysians as guilty as politicians in fanning racial discord, say critics
Politicians are not the sole cause of rising racial and religious tension in Malaysia, as some non-governmental activists and Malaysians are equally at fault for fanning discord and having deep-rooted prejudices, an analyst and political leaders said.
Latent prejudices held by some Malaysians allowed politicians to capitalise on them to ensure their support was maintained, respected pollster Ibrahim Suffian said, agreeing with PAS's federal lawmaker Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa's contention that because Malaysia's political scene was largely shaped by communal politics, the best way to be at the centre of attention was to incite racial discord.
"The fact that it works for some politicians means there is resonance with the issues brought up by them. There are some prejudices that Malaysians hold on to, which allow politicians to tap into them," Ibrahim said.
Some segments of society, he said, did think along racial religious lines because of a lack of understanding of each other’s cultures and values when they had limited interaction.
Add that to the insecurities latent in respective communities, which have been built up over many years.
All these can be amplified to allow politicians to influence and harp on the issues in order to gain influence, said the Merdeka Centre executive director.
Agreeing that politicians should not disrupt the country's harmony for political gains, Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang said some activists from non-governmental organisations were equally guilty of this and should be stopped.
He suggested the need for stricter laws to stop people from creating disharmony and is supportive of the National Harmony Act as a replacement for the Sedition Act.
"The culprits who feed the sentiments are politicians and activists. That is why people have to be careful and not entertain them.
"When the public entertain them, they will push further, so if you ignore them, their propaganda would not be effective and they will just fade away."
Ibrahim said to move forward, fundamental reasons that formed insecurities needed to be addressed, and these included the economy and the rights of citizens.
"The country needs to come to terms with itself, that it does not belong to one ethnic group but a shared nation. We should accept that things evolve and the country belongs to everyone and it should move towards fairness and justice," he said, adding that leaders should make a move towards this direction.
Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong suggested that enlightened leadership would help move the public beyond primordial attachments.
"We can't help but have primordial ties and that is not wrong. But leaders can help frame something more inclusive for all," he said.
Citing Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's Bangsa Malaysia policy, the DAP strategist said the former prime minister did not lose much Malay support for introducing the move in 1991 which was aimed at creating an inclusive national identity.
Instead, it saw non-Malays wholly supporting the policy, which benefitted the ruling Barisan Nasional when it won 162 out of the total 192 federal seats in the 1995 general election, compared with 127 out of 180 seats in 1990.
"Identities are social realities but they are also socially constructed so they can be broadened and redefined. I am suggesting that we need a new consensus for the nation which brings everyone together with empathy under some larger framework and Bangsa Malaysia can be one of those ideas or concepts," added Liew. – November 24, 2014.
