WHILE every effort is being made to foster peace and harmony in the country, there are certain elements in our midst that indulge in bigotry to create racial and religious tension and conflict.
We are all familiar with the fiery rhetoric of extremist groups in the country. They say and will continue to say things that are detrimental to the well-being of the country.
Notably, in the immediate aftermath of the Appellate Court’s decision on the Allah issue when many people were still trying to grasp and understand the implications of the ruling, there were already voices of extremism calling on those who do not accept the court’s verdict to keep quiet or migrate.
To nobody’s surprise, such “holier than thou” behaviour sparked a barrage of condemnation in social media with netizens asking what right have these voices of extremism to deny Malaysians from other communities and faiths their constitutional rights to debate a judicial ruling?
These voices were also quick to spew up the innuendo that those of us who find the court’s ruling disagreeable are immigrants and should go and live somewhere else.
But it seems they have chosen to wag their tongues behind a selective memory. Ironically, while quick to chase others away, they are loathe to admit that their ancestral linage could well have originated from other countries in the course of human migration, hence making them no less immigrants than those whose forebears had come and settled down in this country in the days of yore. A case of the pot calling the kettle black.
Perhaps the one who said it best was former de facto Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.
“If we cannot afford faraway places, move over to Sarawak and Sabah. They will be the last bastion and perhaps the remnants of the country we once had,” he told a national tabloid online.
The Kuching branch of the Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) has also noted that judging by the statements from several Muslim politicians in the state, “Sarawakians will not want the issue, originating from peninsular Malaysia, to attack the very fabric of our society.”
“Sarawakians treasure unity and do not want to let their religious beliefs disunite them. We know some wars — even between brothers — did happen in the name of religion. We do not want chaos to happen here,” its chairman Datuk Anthony Nait Mani stressed.
The Prime Minister has urged world leaders to build a ‘Global Movement of the Moderates’ from all faiths to work together to combat and marginalise extremists.
He has said it is time for moderates of all countries and religions to take back the centre and reclaim the agenda for peace and pragmatism.
“This Global Movement of the Moderates will save us from sinking into the abyss of despair and depravation,” he told world leaders at an international forum.
The voices of extremism have not only demeaned this call for moderation but also damaged the country’s image as promoter of moderation and tolerance and are diametrically opposed to the Prime Minister’s impartial homily on inter-racial and inter-faith relationship under his 1Malaysia policy.
While it is gratifying to note that Sarawak is free of such racist cynicism and contempt, there is certainly a need for vigilance against the emergence of any forms of extremisim and radicalism that will disrupt the peace and harmony in the state.
In this context, the state leadership has constantly cautioned the people not to be influenced by political and religious bigotry as this deleterious trait can wreck the close relationship among the various communities.
Indeed, Sarawakians’ firm commitment to work together and their strong racial and religious tolerance have led the state to become one of the most peaceful in the country.
We must continue to remain united in rejecting all forms of extremism lest we lose everything we have worked so hard to build over 50 years of independence.
We should be wary of the ulterior motives of extremists. Their harmful actions and ill intentions should be nipped in the bud and their hidden agendas immediately investigated and exposed for the good of all peace-loving citizens.
In all things, we should ensure that moderation always prevails over extremism.