Maintain unity spirit, preserve religious sensitivity — Nizam
KOTA KINABALU: Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan urged Sabahans to maintain the spirit of unity and preserve religious sensitivity.
Nizam in a statement on Monday said in the past few days, there have been attempts by irresponsible individuals to undermine ethnic harmony by insulting the Islamic religion.
“Certainly, we cannot compromise on actions that could jeopardize the harmony of ethnicities and religions in our state.
“The people of Sabah must always uphold a spirit of respect and tolerance that has been nurtured for so long.
“Tolerance and unity among the people of Sabah, comprising various ethnicities and religions, have set an example for other states in Malaysia.
“I urge all Sabahans to refrain from any form of disrespect towards any religion or belief.
“Touching on issues related to the 3Rs (Religion, Race, Royal Institution) not only tarnishes the principle of unity but also exposes perpetrators to legal action,” he said.
This call, he said, is in line with the warning from the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who emphasized that those who seek to sow seeds of division and challenge the Constitution can no longer be tolerated.
Importantly, Muslims should not take any actions outside the bounds of the law in dealing with this matter; we need to leave it to the authorities, the Apas assemblyman said.
“I understand that the individual in question is already in police custody for further investigation.
“We leave it to the authorities to continue the investigation, and we hope that incidents like this will not recur,” he added.
Meanwhile, MCA Ethnic Relations and Religious Affairs Bureau chief Lu Yen Tung said several recent incidents of racial and religious sensitivity such as the KK Mart socks incident, demands for single-stream education and Bak Kut Teh controversy can seriously threaten the foundation of the country’s multicultural unity.
He said it is the responsibility of every Malaysian to cooperate in maintaining and promoting harmony and unity among all ethnic groups.
“We agree that printing the word ‘Allah’ on socks is a wrong move.
However, the management of KK Mart has promptly provided an explanation, apologized and proposed solutions.
“So why is Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Salleh still acting aggressively without compromise? Moreover, this matter was not intentional or malicious.
“In this holy month of Ramadan, forgiveness is a virtue, especially exaggerating this issue might lead to the closure of a store chain with hundreds of branches, affecting the livelihoods of thousands of workers and their families, especially as the festive season approaches,” he said in a statement on Monday.
Lu added, “Firstly, we must realize that Malaysia’s cultural diversity is our precious asset.
“Malaysia is a country where various ethnicities, religions and cultures coexist.
“This diversity is our nation’s uniqueness and strength.
“We have a rich and colorful cultural heritage, and these cultures are interrelated in shaping Malaysia’s unique cultural landscape.
“Therefore, we must appreciate and preserve the spirit of cultural diversity as our treasure,” he stressed.
Lu, who is also a MCA Central Committee member, pointed out that recently some leaders have tried to portray themselves as champions for their own interests.
They have used existing issues since the country’s formation or unintentional problems to make a series of extreme statements in an attempt to stir up sentiments among ethnic and religious groups, he claimed.
This, Lu said, not only creates conflicts and disputes among races but also worsens the tense atmosphere among the people, thereby threatening the foundation of national unity.
“In this situation, each of us is responsible for speaking up positively to encourage harmony and unity in the country.
“To maintain Malaysia’s multicultural unity, we need to take concrete steps,” he pointed out.
Lu suggested that first, the government and related institutions should strengthen supervision, punish those who spread extreme speech, and maintain peace and stability in society.
Second, the Education Ministry should enhance the promotion of multicultural education, increase students’ understanding and respect for cultural diversity through education, and cultivate them into inclusive and understanding citizens, he said.
Additionally, the media and social organizations should play an active role in promoting communication and understanding among different ethnic groups through publicity and advocacy, and fostering closer relationships and friendships.
Ethnic integration should occur naturally and after a long period of peace, not through oppression and coercion, as such measures are irrational and will only lead to instability in the country, he pointed out.
“Each of us must speak up to call on the public from all walks of life to cooperate in maintaining and promoting Malaysia’s multicultural unity.
Only through unity and recognition that cultural diversity can benefit us and not harm us, and we can overcome all challenges to create a better future,” he said.
Lu also questioned why DAP, as a member of the Unity Government, remained silent on recent racial issues without providing any feedback or stating their position, let alone speaking out to ease tensions.
“As the party with the largest number of seats in the Unity Government, DAP did not respond to the series of statements by Akmal questioning the existence of our multicultural society.
“Instead, they remained silent and chose to be spectators with closed eyes.
“This is very disappointing,” he pointed out.