Govt to draft Social Harmony Act after study — Dr Md Farid

KUALA LUMPUR: A Social Harmony Act will be drafted after a full study is completed, said Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Md Farid Md Rafi k.

He said the proposed act was now at “discussion stage” at the ministry and its aim was to cultivate a culture of tolerance, unity and harmony among the various races.

The ministry’s objective is not to punish, but to warn the public not to raise sensitive issues that would jeopardise race relations, he said.

“There are many proposals which have to be looked at carefully before they can be enforced. It is not punitive, but to remind the people that as Malaysians, we are responsible for every action,” he said after being interviewed on Bernama Radio programme at Wisma Bernama, here yesterday.

“We can educate the public not to bring up issues that can lead to racial tension, but in the end, they themselves have to be aware of their responsibilities as people of the country,” he said.

Dr Md Farid said there are some in the community who tend to cause tension among the races, especially on social media; hence the need for such an act to restrain them from doing so.

“We can be exposed to sophisticated technology but the moral values and ethics of the east that we have been practising for so long, must be maintained.

“Social media is good but we should be wise and not fuel issues that bring unfavourable outcomes,” he added. — Bernama