We, G25, support Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in his statement, where he was quoted saying, “We all have to take the position that the (Federal) Constitution is very clear on the position of the Malays, but it is also clear on protecting the welfare of all citizens” and, “The future is for all Malaysians”.
His statement is in response to former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s recent claim that Malaysia is a Malay country and that it would be unconstitutional to promote it as multi-racial.
It is unfortunate that our current prime minister must make such a statement, although we understand the reasons for it. Clearly, he feels compelled to do so in the wake of recent statements which target racial sentiments in our country that can and have given rise to ill-feelings and unwarranted disputes between the different races in Malaysia.
Racist statements can be dangerous, especially in a multi-racial country like Malaysia where race is a sensitive issue. Such statements can lead to people, particularly those from extremist groups, using them as a valid reason to act against other races, and flare up racial tensions.
As such, we in G25 urge the authorities to take stern action against persons who make public statements that have a tendency to incite racial sensitivities, regardless og who they are – indeed, all the more so if they are political leaders – without fear or favour. It is imperative that the rule of law must prevail without exception.
Malaysia cannot afford to allow political leaders to provoke disharmony among our people where racial sensitivities can easily get out of control. Such instability will lead to a crisis that will have serious consequences for the peace of our nation and its economy.
Political stability and racial harmony are crucial to our efforts to attract more foreign investments into our country. Foreign investors will hesitate to invest in our country if they are concerned about the future of Malaysia as a united country with justice and fairness for all in Malaysia.
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G25 would like to take a step further than merely staying away from such provocations – let us strive to actively promote and nurture inter-racial harmony and optimise the benefits that could be gained from a multicultural society. Malaysia was indeed once looked upon by some countries as a model multi-racial society. We should aspire to be so once again.
Given the ever complex world we are living in, amid so many challenges, such as a global pandemic, climate change and increasing level of human conflicts, we must make every effort to minimise our internal differences and forge greater cohesion and unity among ourselves in facing these challenges.
We, G25, therefore call for an immediate end to all provocative statements, such as the one made by the former prime minister, that will lead to racial tensions among our people.
Let Malaysia be a country we can all be proud of, where we uphold the rights of all the people, irrespective of race and religion as enshrined in the Federal Constitution, and continue to build a unified, fair and just society for all races as espoused in the Rukun Negara (National Principles). – G25
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
